Ridgeway Education Trust has taken the stance not to have blanket ban of any particular allergen in our schools. This is because peanuts and tree nuts are only one of many allergens that could affect pupils, and no school could guarantee a truly allergen free environment for a child living with food allergy. We advocate instead for our schools to adopt a culture of allergy awareness and education. We have a duty of care to all staff and pupils, so need to have procedures and controls in place to minimise the risk of an allergic reaction occurring. All patients are different, and specific cases need specific advice, so a comprehensive care plan that accommodates the child’s needs should be developed with the input of parents, carers and medical professionals.

Our procedures and controls are:

• We ask, if possible, pupils and parents not to bring peanuts and tree nuts into school in order to reduce the risks of cross-contamination.
• We do not produce food in our school with nuts, however, we cannot guarantee the products we purchase have been produced in a nut-free environment.
• We have special diet procedures in place in our schools to support pupils with severe allergies.
• Where there are nut trees on school sites, these are monitored and checked regularly and staff are vigilant at key times of the day when children may be in the vicinity, and if necessary are marked out of bounds
• We encourage our pupils to avoid trading and sharing food, utensils and containers.
• We have a number of staff who have completed the anaphylaxis training course, AllergyWise for Schools, to help them understand allergies and anaphylaxis and how to manage and care for pupils at risk.
• Where possible pupils have two adrenaline auto-injectors (AAI’s) in school
• Secondary pupils should carry their AAI’s at all times, primary pupils AAI’s should be kept in a secure but easily accessible space within 5 minutes of the pupil at all times.
• If a school holds an additional AAI this will be the most common prescribed amongst their current pupils, and follow the advice here Supply, storage and care of AAIs | Spare Pens in Schools
• Primary schools will ensure the dates are checked regularly of those kept at school.
• We advocate wider awareness with staff through staff briefings.

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