When School Doesn’t Feel Safe: Why Parents of Allergic Children Are Losing Confidence

Through our latest survey, we heard from parents across the UK, with one in three telling us they have considered home schooling their allergic child because they do not feel schools can keep them safe. The findings reveal the profound impact that food allergies can have on a child’s education, wellbeing and sense of inclusion in the classroom.

Allergies are driving school absence and anxiety

• Seven in ten parents (70%) reported that their allergic child has missed school because of their condition.

• In nearly one in twenty cases (4.65%), children lost up to a month of the school year due to allergy-related absences.

• Food allergies accounted for the vast majority of allergic conditions reported in the survey (97%).

• With around two children in every classroom living with a food allergy, the issue is far from rare.

• Parents cited health issues, medical appointments, safety concerns at school and allergy-related anxiety as key reasons for absences.

• Alarmingly, half of parents said their child had experienced an allergic reaction at school, with a quarter of these reactions described as severe.

Lack of confidence in school allergy support

• Despite the growing prevalence of food allergy, 30% of parents said they lacked confidence in their child’s school’s approach to supporting allergic pupils.

• Nearly two-thirds of parents (63%) believe their child’s education has been negatively affected by their allergy.

• Worryingly, 33% have considered home schooling as an alternative because they do not feel their child is safe in a school setting.

Neil and Rachel King felt they had no choice but to withdraw their son Laurie, aged eight, from school. Laurie has multiple food allergies, including nuts, pea, mango and corn.

Neil said:
“Although we gave information to the school about Laurie’s food allergies, we discovered that information had never been processed.

“Other incidents, including Laurie being misfed pea protein and the school’s nut-free status not being enforced, made us lose confidence that Laurie would be safe.

“We felt we had no choice but to pull him out of school; he missed 122 school days in total.”

Inconsistent standards and lack of training

Our survey highlights wide variation in how schools support children with food allergies and reinforces the need for allergy to be treated with the same seriousness as other medical conditions.

These findings are supported by a recent survey conducted by the NASUWT teachers’ union in collaboration with Natasha’s Foundation, which found that 67% of school staff had not received allergy awareness training. This includes training on reducing the risk of allergic reactions, making activities safe and inclusive, and understanding the mental health impact of food allergies.

“An education system still unprepared”

Tanya Ednan-Laperouse OBE, co-founder of The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, said:

“Our survey findings reveal an education system still unprepared for the growing numbers of food allergic children in the UK, with safeguarding standards varying widely from school to school.

“Too many pupils are left feeling frightened or isolated because of their school’s approach to allergy, and it is shocking that a third of parents would consider home schooling their allergic child because they do not trust that their school can keep them safe.

“Urgent action is needed to ensure all schools have robust allergy safeguarding policies in place, and that all staff are trained in allergy awareness, allergy management and how to respond confidently in an allergy emergency.”

Supporting schools to keep children safe

In response to these challenges, The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation launched Allergy School - free, practical resources designed to help teachers create safe, inclusive environments for children with food allergies.

All resources are mapped to the National Curriculum, suitable for all age groups, and endorsed by the Department for Education.

👉 Find out more and sign up for free at allergyschool.org.uk