Context
Department for Education requires schools to promote and construct learning environments that are safe and supportive. Students and staff may have anaphylactic (severe allergic) conditions, that include nut allergies. This means that exposure at school may constitute a risk to their health and wellbeing. It is not possible to guarantee that the environment will be completely free of potential hazards. However, compliance to reasonable guidelines will minimise the potential risks.
Purpose
- To raise the awareness of anaphylactic conditions for all members of the school community.
- To provide a safe school environment for all members of the school community.
Management
Parents
- are requested NOT to send food to school that contain nuts, especially peanuts. This includes products such as peanut paste, ‘Nutella’, most nuts, peanut cooking oil and other foods that may contain nuts.
- will be informed of this policy at the commencement of each new school year and at enrolment.
Students
- are encouraged to wash hands after eating.
- who bring food containing nuts, or nut products, are required to eat that food away from other students and to wash their hands before going to play.
Staff
- will be made aware of students who have anaphylactic responses, including nut allergy.
- will supervise students during lunch eating time and will be vigilant in regard to this policy.
- will participate in training from St. John or Red Cross biennially to understand procedures related to Anaphylaxis (severe allergic reactions) as the need arises.
School Lunch Providers
- are required to comply with this policy.
The school acknowledges that due to current food processing practices, it is impractical to eliminate nuts and nut products entirely from an environment where there is food. The emphasis is therefore on raising awareness and adopting the reasonable procedures, termed as ‘Nut Awareness’
Policy update and review
The school council and staff regularly monitor and review the effectiveness of the Allergies and Nut Awareness Policy (at least every three years) and revise the policy when required.
Policy last reviewed May 2020. Next review May 2023.
