Guide

Recording allergy incidents and near misses

How to record and learn from allergic reactions and near misses in school, who to tell, and what the government plans to require.

Last reviewed 7 October 2026Checked against the DfE guidanceNot legal or medical advice
Short answer: The DfE guidance expects schools to record serious allergy incidents and near misses, tell the pupil's parents, report to the governing body, and use each one to review whether the allergy safety policy needs to change. The government intends to make recording a legal duty through regulations.

What counts

  • Serious incident: an allergic reaction at school, including any time an adrenaline device is used
  • Near miss: something that could have led to a reaction but did not, such as a pupil given the wrong meal, an allergen found in a dish that should not contain it, or a device found out of date

What to record

  • Date, time, place and who was involved
  • What happened, and what staff did, in order
  • Whether a device was used and whether 999 was called
  • Who was told: parents, governors and any statutory bodies
  • What will change as a result, who owns it and by when

Learning, not blaming

Near misses are the cheapest lessons a school will get. Encourage staff to report them, review them at senior level, and feed changes into the policy, training and drills.

Questions schools ask

Do schools have to record allergic reactions?

The DfE guidance expects schools to record serious incidents and near misses and to tell parents and the governing body. The government intends to make recording a legal duty.

What is an allergy near miss?

An event that could have caused an allergic reaction but did not, for example a pupil served food containing their allergen and stopped before eating it.

Read next

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Official sources

  1. DfE: Allergy safety in schools (statutory guidance, policy template and IHP template), July 2026

Allergy Ledger helps your school record and follow its own allergy procedures. It does not give medical advice and does not replace staff training, the pupil's Allergy Action Plan or Individual Healthcare Plan, or the advice of a healthcare professional. In an emergency always follow the pupil's plan and call 999. Information on this page is general information, not legal advice.