As part of the launch of the Allergy School programme, NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union has collaborated with the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation to collect data on the prevalence of allergies in schools and support available to teachers when dealing with allergies in the school environment.

The Natasha Allergy Foundation has developed Allergy School to supply school settings with resources to promote allergy awareness.

The research found concerns with the frequency of training provided to teachers and information available to teachers regarding school allergy policies and allergy awareness. Some teachers with allergies also felt they were not adequately safeguarded from harm in the school environment.

NASUWT surveyed 1900 teachers across the UK and found that:

• 95% of teachers surveyed said that there were pupils at their school with allergies
• 30% of the teachers also said that they had allergies
• Only 40% of teachers said that their school had an allergy policy; 46% said they didn’t know, and 13% said that their school had no allergy policy
• 84% said they knew how to access information on such children’s food allergies and medication at their school
• When asked if they had received training on administering an adrenaline pen, only 28% of teachers said they had received training in the current academic year. 20% had received the training last year, and 34% said they had received training but not in the last two academic years. 17.5% said they had never received the training.
• When asked if they had received training on allergy awareness more broadly (e.g. how to adapt classroom practices to reduce risk of allergic reactions, ensuring activities are safe yet inclusive, the impact of food allergies on mental health and wellbeing), 12% said they had received training in the current academic year, 8% in the last academic year, 12% said they had received training but not in the last two academic years. 67% had never receive any broader allergy training
•  Of those who had not received broader allergy awareness training, 62% said they would find it useful.

Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary of NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union, said:

“It is essential that children and staff in schools with food allergies get the help they need to keep them safe. This includes ensuring that schools are given the support, advice and resources they need to establish effective allergy management policies and that action can be taken to protect those in schools with food allergies from harm.

“This important survey highlights the fact that many teachers, including those with food allergies, remain concerned and we want the government to ensure that more is done to support schools in this critical area.”