Benedict’s Law in practice: what the Extend Learning Academies Network’s first year with SchoolGrid shows

Benedict’s Law came into force in England this September. It is named after Benedict Blythe, a five-year-old who died from anaphylaxis at school in 2021 after he was given cows’ milk despite a known allergy. The new statutory guidance, Allergy Safety in Schools, now sets out what schools must do to keep pupils with allergies safe.

For school kitchens, much of it comes down to doing the everyday things reliably. That means knowing which child has which allergy, serving the right meal every time and keeping clear records. One multi-academy-trust, Extend Learning Academies Network (ELAN), has spent the past year doing exactly that with SchoolGrid. Their first year shows what strong allergen management can look like in a busy dining hall.

What Benedict’s Law asks of schools

The guidance applies to all local authority-maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units in England. Full planning and implementation must be in place by the end of December 2026. Schools are expected to:

•       Publish a whole-school allergy policy and review it every year

•       Provide annual allergy awareness and emergency response training for all relevant staff, including catering teams

•       Keep spare adrenaline auto-injectors (AAIs) on site

•       Make sure pupils with serious allergies have individual healthcare or action plans

•       Consider school trips, PTA events, cake sales and other food activities on or off site

What it means in the kitchen

For caterers, the guidance is specific about the day-to-day. Kitchens should:

•       Label every prepared item with its name, preparation and use-by dates, allergen information and any special dietary requirements

•       Keep recipes current, check them for allergen risks and follow them consistently

•       Follow strict food handling procedures to prevent cross-contamination

•       Clearly label and separate meals for pupils with known allergies

•       Make sure all catering staff can recognise anaphylaxis and know when and how to use an AAI

•       Keep food safety and allergy management records to support compliance and audits

Extend Learning Academies Network (ELAN) put allergen management first

ELAN is a multi-academy trust of nine schools in North Somerset. ELAN has a mixed demographic including low-income families, free school meals and a high number of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). In 2025, ELAN moved its school meals service from contract, external caterers to an in-house catering model. This meant starting from scratch and finding a meal management system to suit all schools and families in order to make the ordering and management of school meals as simple and user friendly as possible. .

The trust compared three providers. Pricing was similar across them, so the decision came down to what each system could do. Alex Crawley, ELAN Catering Operations Manager[1] , explained what tipped the balance: “We were conscious of the stress and anxiety for our families in booking school lunches when a child has additional needs that can have serious health implications. The allergen management functionality was the standout feature. It provided the level of support and oversight we were looking for across our schools and was a significant factor in our decision.”

The timeline was tight. ELAN had a couple of months to set up before the summer break so it could go live on the first day of the new school year. With support from SchoolGrid’s go-live team, every school in the trust started the year on the same system and the ELAN in-house catering service was born.

From photo records to real-time information at the counter

Before introducing SchoolGrid, ELAN used photo-based allergen records in its kitchens to help staff identify pupils with specific dietary requirements. While this approach supported day-to-day service, accessing and updating information across multiple sites could be time-consuming.

With SchoolGrid, each pupil’s allergen information is stored in a central system and linked directly to their meal selection. Alex Crawley, ELAN Catering Operations Manager, explained: “As soon as they press their name, it’s all up on the screen and the person serving knows what that child is going to have.”

The system also helps maintain consistency when teams change or additional staff are brought in. “Even if we have a different chef covering a service, all the information they need is available immediately on screen, making it easier to deliver the right meal with confidence,” said Alex.

For ELAN’s operations team, the centralised system provides greater visibility across every kitchen in the trust. Information can be reviewed remotely, helping teams monitor services and support schools more efficiently without relying solely on site visits.

Zero allergen-related incidents in year one

At the end of its first year, ELAN reported zero allergen-related incidents across the trust. The trust has recorded in its own reports that SchoolGrid was the right choice.

Parents have noticed the difference too. They can see the meal choices in advance and know exactly what is in each dish. “It gives parents with children who have allergies peace of mind,” said Alex.[2] 

That confidence has fed through to uptake. ELAN has seen more pupils taking school meals than the year before, along with an increase in staff meals.

What other schools can take from ELAN’s first year

Benedict’s Law asks schools to make allergy safety part of how they run every day. ELAN’s experience points to a few habits that support that work in the kitchen:

•       One source of truth. Keeping each pupil’s allergen information in one central place means everyone serving works from the same up-to-date details.

•       Information at the point of service. When the right details appear as a pupil is served, the kitchen isn’t relying on memory or a folder of photos.

•       Resilience when staff change. Agency and cover staff can see the same information as the regular team from the moment they start.

•       Oversight across sites. Central records help catering leads spot issues across every kitchen without visiting in person.

•       Clear communication with parents. When families can see what is in each meal, conversations about allergies start from shared information.

 

None of this replaces a school’s allergy policy, staff training or individual healthcare plans. It gives catering teams a more dependable way to carry them out at every service.[3] 

Looking ahead, ELAN plans to add SchoolGrid’s audit feature this year; an advanced reporting capability within its software suites that automates the collection and tracking of financial transactions, meal uptake, and operational compliance data.

Where to find the guidance

The government has published the statutory guidance alongside templates schools can use:

•       Allergy Safety in Schools statutory guidance

Free online allergy and anaphylaxis training for school staff is available from Allergy School and High Speed Training. Each session takes around 60 minutes.

For more information on how SchoolGrid can assist your school with allergen management, please contact james@schoolgrid.co.uk