Home→Living with Serious Allergies→Allergy Guidance for Parents→Transitioning to Secondary School

Introduction

It can be confusing to know how to select a secondary school, how it compares to primary schools and how to help prepare your child for this transition. We are here to support you in this journey with this short guide and our Safer Schools Programme.

Things to consider when choosing a secondary school

 

Visit the schools you are considering. Remember that an Ofsted report only gives part of a picture, and it is a snapshot at the time of inspection. If you are looking at Ofsted reports the key things to consider are: date of last inspection (if it was a few years ago then a lot may have changed), personal development, and behaviour and well-being sections.  These will give you an idea of how students are emotionally supported and how inclusive the school is.   

On open days it is typically students who are in Year 7 or 8 who lead the tours. They may not be able to answer specific questions about allergy management, but they should be able to talk about staff relationships, support, and whether they’ve needed to have any first aid or medical support. This is a good starting point. You should also be able to speak to a member of staff and make an appointment to speak to the medical conditions lead. This may be the SENCo (a qualified teacher responsible for leading the school’s provision for special educational needs), a lead first aider, pastoral lead or an administrator; every school will be different. 

Questions to ask:
  • right_arrow_orange_icon Where can I find the school’s policy for supporting pupils with medical conditions? Is there a specific allergy policy?
  • right_arrow_orange_icon How does the school manage allergies, anaphylaxis and its treatment?
  • right_arrow_orange_icon What are the expectations of my child for managing their allergies?
  • right_arrow_orange_icon Does the school have ‘spare’ adrenaline auto-injectors(AAIs)?
  • right_arrow_orange_icon Do all staff have allergy awareness training, including administering an AAI? If not, who does and does this mean that my child will receive emergency support within the recommended five minutes?
  • right_arrow_orange_icon How are teachers informed about my child’s allergy?
  • right_arrow_orange_icon Where will my child’s AAIs be kept during sports so that they are immediately accessible?
  • right_arrow_orange_icon Does my child’s allergy risk assessment/individual healthcare plan get passed on from their primary school? If so, when are they reviewed and updated for secondary school?
  • right_arrow_orange_icon How does the canteen work and will my child be able to eat safely?
  • right_arrow_orange_icon How will my child be fully included in all activities of the school including trips, events and after school clubs?
  • right_arrow_orange_icon Who do I speak to about my child's allergies once they have started and how to I raise concerns?

Offer day!

Hopefully you have received the first-choice school for your child. It is now time to start preparing your child for September and liaising with the school. We recognise that this is both an exciting and anxious time for both parents/carers and the children. We are here to support you through our helpline, website and this guide.  

Preparing for secondary school

Here are some practical things that will help with this exciting change.

Carrying their own AAIs

If they are not yet doing this at home and at school, it's time to begin. It is vitally important that your child is involved in decisions about what to carry their AAIs in to make sure that they are happy.

Talk to your child

Discuss what they are looking forward to and work through any worries your child has, finding solutions that they are happy with and making compromises if they are needed.

Arrange a meeting

Discuss your child’s allergy management with the Year 7 transition lead and medical lead during transition visits, summer school and when they start in September. You may like to revisit the questions above.

Check your child’s allergy action plan

Update and if your child is due an allergy clinic review, try and arrange this before the summer holidays so that the school has all the necessary up-to-date information.

Use a trainer adrenaline auto-injector

Practice with at home and encourage friends to learn to use them too. Available for free from the manufacturer. Find out how to order trainer device on the manufacturer's website.

Checking food allergen information

Encourage your child to read food labels. Talk to them about the things that you look for when shopping or how you find allergen information in shops.

Help them find their voice

Encourage your child to talk about their allergies confidently over the coming months. If you go out for a meal, let your child take the lead in informing people about their allergy and encourage them to ask questions. This is vital preparation for them as they will need to advocate for themselves from this point onwards as they grow up.

Promote hand washing

One of the most important things they need to do before eating is to wash their hands. In primary school, this is a simple thing to do but in secondary schools it can be harder as the toilets may be far away, and their hands could be contaminated again by the time they eat. Consider packing some hand wipes that they can use before they eat.

Watch our webinar

Sending a child with an allergy to secondary school

Sending your child with an allergy to secondary school for the first time can be challenging time. In this video Simon Williams, chief executive of Anaphylaxis UK speaks with a parent and a headteacher about some of the questions to ask and things to consider.

Watch on YouTube

 

Watch on YouTube

Nut free schools

 

Many primary schools claim to be nut free.  There are misconceptions that this is something that is statutory; it is not.  The claim of being nut free can lead to complacency and a false sense of security.

Watch on YouTube

With there being 14 top food allergens and people having multiple allergies to foods including and outside of the top 14, it is not something that we promote. We encourage schools to be allergy aware and have excellent allergy management procedures.  This video explains more.

 

If your child has attended a primary school that has claimed to be nut free, it is important that they learn how to keep themselves safe in a world that contains nuts. A secondary school will find it extremely difficult to say that they are nut free; there are far too many variables that are outside of their control.  It is though, reasonable to expect that they promote good allergy management practices and keep your child safe. 

 

Every school works differently. Positive, open communication with the school is key. It is important to include the child in all discussions and decisions, taking into account what the child feels comfortable with.

Watch on YouTube

Settling in at secondary school

Monitoring ongoing allergy management after starting at secondary school will add further peace of mind that your child is settling in well and that their allergies are being appropriately managed.

  • Once your child has settled into their new school check in and make sure all the arrangements are working as expected.
  • Discuss the management of allergies at school with your child regularly to ensure that they are proactively keeping themselves safe at school and whether there are any concerns.
  • If things are not working out as anticipated or there are any allergy management concerns, follow the school’s complaints procedure. It will be available from the school.
  • Make sure you know how to contact key staff when your child is undertaking any extracurricular activities or lessons involving their allergen.