New programme for allergy-training launched in schools
The survey of nearly 1,900 teachers found that 95% have children with food allergies in their schools, yet 67% have had no formal allergy training.
A new programme of free resources for every primary school is being launched to protect children with food allergies.
The new figures from a survey by the NASUWT teachers’ union, in collaboration with The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation (NARF), exposes a gap in teacher training, which could, according to one teacher in Pontypridd, "mean the difference between life and death in an allergy emergency".
The survey of nearly 1,900 teachers found that 95% have children with food allergies in their schools, yet 67% have had no formal allergy training.
One in five teachers have never been taught how to use an adrenaline auto-injector...
... and two-thirds (60%) don’t know if their school even has an allergy policy.
The NASUWT is calling to ensure schools receive the necessary support and training to protect children with food allergies.
Joanna Taylor is the headteacher at St Michael’s Primary School in Pontypridd, she says:
"Whatever we can get to help us to make the children safe in our schools- that's really important.
"We need to keep raising awareness to help us to make sure that we're keeping children safe.
"We only know about allergies because of our experiences in my school, but if you don't know that that is a allergy reaction then it is..
... a matter of life and death."
The NARF has launched Allergy School, a £1 million initiative designed to transform food allergy education in nurseries, primary schools, and out-of-school clubs across the UK.
NARF, the UK’s food allergy charity, was set up by Nadim and Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE after their daughter Natasha died aged 15 from a food allergic reaction in 2016.
Through campaigning, education and research, the charity’s mission is to make allergy history, starting with food allergy, and improve the lives of the millions of people in the UK living with food allergies.