Free allergy resources for early years and secondary schools

The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation has extended its free Allergy School resources so they can be used in secondary schools and early years settings.

The new resources include self-assessment and best practice guidance to strengthen policies and safeguards in early years and secondary schools.

The charity also has online certified allergy and anaphylaxis training for school staff, and a short film for secondary staff and students showing how to respond in a food allergy emergency.

The charity is actively consulting with students, teachers, and early years staff to understand what additional tools and information they need to support children with food allergies. 

For example, Allergy School is working with the youth-led programme i-MATTER, carrying out focus groups to explore and address the often-overlooked emotional and social challenges faced by young people with food allergies — from anxiety and social exclusion to bullying and low self-image. Through this research with staff and students, the charity will collaborate with schools and early years providers to co-create practical resources for young people around food allergies that make a real difference.

In addition, Natasha’s Foundation recently worked with the writers of the BBC One school drama Waterloo Road, to advise on a storyline in the current series that shines a spotlight on the life-threatening risks of food allergies

Food allergies affect around two pupils in every classroom, and one in five allergic reactions to food happen in school. Yet a survey carried out with the NASUWT teachers’ union found that while 95% of teachers now have pupils with food allergies, 67% have had no allergy awareness training. One in five teachers has never been shown how to use an adrenaline auto-injector, and almost two thirds don’t know if their school even has an allergy policy.

All Allergy School primary and secondary school resources are mapped to the National Curriculum to make them easy to use, and the early years materials are aligned with the new Eary Years and Foundation Stage statutory framework 2025. All are endorsed by the Department for Education.  The aim is to raise awareness and education about food allergies, so that children with food allergies feel safe, empowered and included at school.

Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE, who founded the charity with her husband Nadim after their daughter Natasha died aged 15 from a food allergy, said: “We hope our new Allergy School resources for secondary schools and early years will transform levels of awareness and understanding of food allergies to ensure all children are safe and able to participate fully at school.”