Facing Exclusion | Right Decisions

When staff aren’t aware of how to safely manage allergies in school, pupils can often be excluded from activities or even school meals.

Pupils with allergy are not ill, until they come into contact with an allergen. They should not view themselves or be viewed by others as ‘different’ from their peers. This can lead to allergy related bullying or the pupil hiding their allergy from others – which could put them at risk.

Anaphylaxis is manageable.

A normal school life can be achieved with precautionary measures and supportive, equipped school staff.

Food allergy related bullying

One in four young people in the UK have been victims of bullying, while 1 in 5 children aged 10-15 experience Cyber bullying.

School age children with special health care needs are frequently the victim of bullying. European studies have shown that children with food allergy are twice as likely to be bullied compared to their peers. Research has shown that this bullying can be directly or indirectly related to poorly designed school policies. This is why it is important for schools to adopt allergy aware practices that are followed by pupils and staff members.

It is known this form of youth violence and an adverse childhood experience, can result in social and emotional distress, physical injury, self-harm and at times, death. In particular the vulnerability of the food allergic children can be easily exploited with the worst being a threat to throw the offending food item at the child.

Therefore, these cases should be identified proactively and addressed appropriately.

”Sometimes we have to step back for a second and not be so selfish as to think that everybody without an allergy has the right to everything, while people with allergies should be excluded.”

Nadhim Zahawi, MP, Parliament Debate Chairman 2018

Resources for schools

Misrepresentations of allergy

The word allergy is often misused for describing mild food sensitivities or dietary preferences. Allergies and intolerances are also often self-diagnosed, for instance in response to commercial/ celebrity diets such as ‘gluten free’.

Schools should ensure that any cases of allergy have been medically diagnosed and a personalised allergy action plan has been issued by a health care professional (e.g. BSACI allergy action plan).

School staff should be aware that the medical management and treatment of food allergy is different to that of food intolerance.

See Food Allergy, All About Allergies