Westbourne Primary School is an allergy-aware school

Please do not sent children in with any nut-containing products (snacks, packed lunches)

Common Food Allergens:

Food Standards reports (https://allergytraining.food.gov.uk/english/rules-and-legislation/) there are 14 allergens (or products that contain them) that must be suitably labelled/indicated as being present in food. They are:

• celery
• cereals containing gluten (such as wheat, rye, barley and oats)
• crustaceans (such as prawns, crabs and lobsters)
• eggs
• fish
• lupin
• milk
• molluscs (such as mussels and oysters)
• mustard
• peanuts
• sesame
• soybeans
• sulphur dioxide and sulphites (at a concentration of more than ten parts per million)
• tree nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios and macadamia nuts)

https://allergytraining.food.gov.uk/english/rules-and-legislation/#allergen-rules

The above list does not cover all the food groups that may be an issue (for example kiwi fruit), and only notes those that must be noted on labels.

Reporting Allergies

The school requests that parents and staff report any food allergies that affect staff/pupils/students when the student or staff member first joins the school (or if they joined prior to this policy being used, they will be asked when this policy is activated).

Parents/Staff are encouraged to report allergies when they are aware of the condition.

Parents will be required to complete the form attached here below. An individual health plan will also be required.

Symptoms and Treatment

 Symptoms

Symptoms usually come on quickly, within minutes of exposure to the allergen.

Mild to moderate allergic reaction symptoms may include:

• a red raised rash (known as hives or urticaria) anywhere on the body
• a tingling or itchy feeling in the mouth
• swelling of lips, face or eyes
• stomach pain or vomiting.

More serious symptoms are often referred to as the ABC symptoms and can include:

• AIRWAY - swelling in the throat, tongue or upper airways (tightening of the throat, hoarse voice, difficulty swallowing).
• BREATHING - sudden onset wheezing, breathing difficulty, noisy breathing.
• CIRCULATION - dizziness, feeling faint, sudden sleepiness, tiredness, confusion, pale clammy skin, loss of consciousness.

The term for this more severe reaction is anaphylaxis. In extreme cases there could be a dramatic fall in blood pressure. The person may become weak and floppy and may have a sense of something terrible happening. This may lead to collapse and unconsciousness and, on rare occasions, can be fatal.

If the pupil has been exposed to something they are known to be allergic to, then it is more likely to be an anaphylactic reaction.

Anaphylaxis can develop very rapidly, so a treatment is needed that works rapidly. Adrenaline is the mainstay of treatment, and it starts to work within seconds.

What does adrenaline do?

• It opens up the airways
• It stops swelling
• It raises the blood pressure

As soon as anaphylaxis is suspected, adrenaline must be administered without delay.

TREATMENT AND ACTION

Action:

Keep the child where they are, call for help and do not leave them unattended.

1. LIE CHILD FLAT WITH LEGS RAISED – they can be propped up if struggling to breathe but this should be for as short a time as possible.
2. USE ADRENALINE AUTO-INJECTOR WITHOUT DELAY and note the time given. Adrenaline Auto-injectors should be given into the muscle in the outer thigh. Specific instructions vary by brand – always follow the instructions on the device.
3. CALL 999 and state ANAPHYLAXIS (ana-fil-axis).
4. If no improvement after 5 minutes, administer second adrenaline auto-injector.
5. If no signs of life commence CPR.
6. Call parent/carer as soon as possible.
7. Whilst you are waiting for the ambulance, keep the child where they are. Do not stand them up, or sit them in a chair, even if they are feeling better. This could lower their blood pressure drastically, causing their heart to stop.
8. All pupils must go to hospital for observation after anaphylaxis even if they appear to have recovered as a reaction can reoccur after treatment.