Updated Sept 2024 (DM)
Wimbledon School of English is committed to reducing the risk to our school community from allergens which could lead to a serious allergic reaction. This policy applies to all members of our community, including staff, students, homestay providers, suppliers, visitors to the school and any other stakeholder.
This policy can be found in the Employee Handbook and is made available to the public on our website and is reviewed annually.
Wimbledon School of English is not in a position to guarantee a completely allergen free environment in either the main school building, school residences, homestays, or any other building we may, on occasion, make use of. Rather, we take measures to minimise the risk of exposure, encourage self-responsibility, and plan for effective response to possible emergencies.
To promote awareness of the nature of allergens, in particular food allergens, and bring these to the attention of school stakeholders.
To provide clear guidance to all staff and homestay providers who handle food on their responsibilities for the provision of food to staff and students with a confirmed food allergy.
To ensure that appropriate education/training is available and implemented for any staff involved in providing food to students and staff with allergies.
To ensure provisions are in place to inform stakeholders of the possible presence of allergens.
To ensure appropriate information and support is available to staff, students and homestay providers.
Since December 2014 (updated 2021) legislation has required food businesses to provide allergy information on food sold that is unpackaged. Although Wimbledon School of English is not primarily a food business, we do sell unpackaged pastries to students and staff in the Coffee Shop and provide unpackaged, cooked meals to staff and some groups of students when requested.
An allergy is an abnormal reaction of the body’s defence system to a normally harmless “trigger” substance (or allergen). An allergy can present itself as a mild itching, swelling, wheezing or digestive condition, or can progress to full-blown anaphylaxis, or anaphylactic shock, which can occur within seconds or minutes of exposure to an offending allergen.
Food intolerances are not the same as food allergies, although some of the symptoms may be similar. Food intolerances aren’t life-threatening, although they can be very problematic for those affected.
Common Allergens (non-food)
The following is a list of typical allergens with suggested ways of avoiding risk of exposure.
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pollen |
The allergic reaction is usually known as hay fever. People who suffer from hay fever are usually able to manage their symptoms with over-the-counter antihistamines. On days of high pollen count, doors and windows should be kept closed to avoid the potential for exposure to pollen.
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dust mites |
Unlike hay fever, the potential to suffer from this allergy is year-round. Keeping rooms and workspaces clean and dusted, and removing items that have the potential to gather dust, will help reduce exposure. Students’ rooms at homestays should be kept as dust free as possible and hosts are required to wash student’s bedding once a week.
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animal dander and saliva |
The risk of exposure to any of these in the school is extremely low. However, staff who have pets at home should be aware that traces of these may be found on their clothing. The Anaphylaxis Campaign recommends that coats and jackets should be hung away from main working areas. The risk to students is more likely to come at homestays. However, students are not placed in homestays with pets if we are informed of any allergy to animals or if they request a pet-free home.
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insect stings |
Some people may have an extreme reaction to insect stings, such as from bees, hornets and wasps. If someone has never been stung before they may not know whether or not they are allergic. As a precaution, a first aider should be informed if any student or staff member reports being stung. The risk of being stung can be reduced by making yourself less attractive to insects, such as avoiding brightly coloured clothes and scented lotions or cosmetics.
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latex |
Some people may have a mild allergic reaction to products made of latex. In some rare cases, contact with latex can lead to anaphylaxis. First Aiders are required to ensure that no latex product in the First Aid kit is used on someone with a known severe allergy to latex.
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medicines |
Some people are allergic to certain medicines such as penicillin or aspirin. Students, their parents and agents are requested to let us know if any student has a known allergy to any medicines.
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mould |
Keeping all areas clean will reduce the likelihood of mould. Indoor plants should be watered regularly, and topsoil removed to ensure mould isn’t harboured. |
Below is a non-exhaustive list of typical food items that may be allergens.
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celery and celeriac |
Often found in salads, soups, celery salt, stock cubes, stew packs, and some meat products.
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cereals |
Found in bread, wheat flour, biscuits, crackers, pasta, breakfast cereals, cakes, pastry, semolina, soya sauce.
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crustaceans, fish and molluscs |
Found in Soy and Worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, relish, some salad dressing, fish extracts, oils and paste.
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eggs |
Found in cakes, sauces, pasta, mayonnaise, some meat products, quiche, mousse, Quorn, any food brushed with egg.
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lupin |
Found in some types of pastries.
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milk |
Found in milk powder, yoghurt, butter, margarine, cheese, cream, ghee, ice cream and custard.
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mustard |
Found in mustard paste, salad dressings, marinades, soups, sauces, curries, some meat products and sometimes in cheese scones. |
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tree nuts |
Almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, hickory nuts, macadamia nuts, pecan nuts, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts.
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peanuts |
Found in cakes, biscuits, ice cream desserts, breakfast cereal, salad dressing, confectionary, and some vegetarian products.
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sesame seeds |
Often found in hummus, furikake, gomashio and some bread products.
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soya |
People with a soy allergy should avoid foods such as edamame, miso, soymilk and meat alternatives. |
Most food provided in the Coffee Shop is sold pre-packaged with the ingredients listed in English on the packet. There is a sign in the coffee shop advising students with allergies to check with Coffee Shop staff if they have any questions about any of the products sold. This is particularly important for students whose English is low level.
A list of ingredients is also displayed for any loose products sold.
The school may be provided with cooked meals for certain groups of students at lunchtime. A list of ingredients for this food is provided by the caterer and it is displayed where the food is provided to the students. Common allergens are highlighted in bold on this list.
Staff with a severe allergy are strongly encouraged to give specific information on their allergy to their line manager and to colleagues with whom they work most closely. Information should include the seriousness of the allergy and how to recognise the signs of an allergic reaction.
Depending on the severity of the allergy, staff may wish to consider giving consent to their line manager to share their allergy information to the wider workforce.
Staff who have allergy medication or an Adrenaline Auto Injector are encouraged to tell their colleagues where they keep these and how to administer them in an event of an emergency. It is strongly advised that First Aiders as a minimum, should be aware of anyone with a serious allergy and where any Adrenaline Auto Injectors are kept.
In order to minimise the risk of exposure to allergens we strongly advise students, parents of students who are under 18 and ETOs to inform us of any allergies a student is known to have and the level of severity. This is particularly important in the case of students requesting a homestay, as any student with a known allergy to pet hair will be placed in pet-free homes. Students with known food allergies will be placed in homestays who are known to cater well to such students. The school requires that anyone with a severe allergy to make this known to us at the time of booking. This is for the safety of the student coming to the school.
The school requires that anyone who has been prescribed an Adrenalin Auto Injector to make the fact that they have one known to the school. We also recommend that a second Auto Injector is brought to be stored at the school.
General guidance to Homestay providers is as follows:
To be aware of the food items they have at home and which ones may be possible allergens.
To be aware of the range of possible non-food allergens in their home.
To practise basic hygiene in their home, such as keeping it dust free.
To communicate effectively with students regarding allergies and to consider allergy as a possible cause if a student reports that they aren’t feeling well, even if the student does not have a history of allergies.
While we cannot guarantee a completely allergen-free environment, there are certain measures that all staff can take to reduce the risk to exposure to allergens. In addition to the suggestions listed under “Common Allergens” and “Common Food Allergens”, staff should follow the following procedures:
Staff bringing in food from home should ensure that containers are properly sealed, and the outside of containers are clean before leaving them in any common areas such as the fridge.
Staff bringing in cakes or other similar food items to share with colleagues should clearly label such food if they contain any potential allergens.
On occasion, boxes of chocolates are given to students or classes as prizes. Before giving these out, students should be advised that many of the chocolates contain nuts and even those without nuts are likely to contain traces of nuts.
In line with basic food handling procedures, hands should be washed thoroughly with soap and water both before and after handling food, to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. It should be noted that hand sanitisers are not effective in removing potential allergens.
If a new member of staff or student joins the school who reports that they have a severe allergy, the following procedures should be followed:
The person to whom the new member of staff reports the allergy should ask permission to pass this information on to the new staff member’s line manager, the First Aiders and the Principal.
The new staff member should be asked if they normally carry an Adrenaline Auto Injector and where they normally keep this.
They should be encouraged to inform the members of staff with whom they most closely work about their allergy, what the triggers are, the symptoms of a severe reaction and how they can help in the event of a severe reaction.
A risk assessment should be carried out in consultation with the new member of staff with the aim of putting measures in place to reduce the risk of exposure.
It should be recognised that some of the duties of the staff member with a severe allergy may need to be altered to reduce the risk of a reaction.
At no time should a staff member with a severe allergy feel that they are being discriminated against in any way. When drawing up procedures, current employment law must be consulted to ensure the school remains legally compliant.
Upon receiving a booking from a student who reports having a severe allergy, the information should be entered on the student’s record on Elsie. In addition to this, relevant staff members should be informed. These normally are: The Accommodation Manager if the student has booked school accommodation, the Director of Studies, the First Aiders and the Principal.
A risk assessment should be carried out to assess the risk to the student both in the school and at a homestay or student residence. The risk assessment should consider how likely the student is to be exposed to the allergen and how likely we are to be able to reduce that risk.
All measures possible to accommodate the student at the school should be taken. However, if the school is unable to make reasonable adjustments to keep the risk to the student at tolerable levels, then the school will not accept the booking. In such circumstances, the school will make every effort to help the student find a more suitable place of study.
The Accommodation Manager will place a student with allergies with hosts who have a high awareness of allergies and know what to do in the event of an emergency. Many of these hosts are medical professionals, such as nurses.
On their first day at the school the student will be invited to a meeting with the DSL, who will reconfirm the details of the allergy and reassure them of the procedures the school has put in place to reduce their risk to exposure to allergens. If they have an Adrenaline Auto Injector, a note should be kept of where they keep this if it is needed. They should also be introduced to the first aiders so that they know one another by sight.
The following symptoms should help you recognise a potentially life-threatening reaction to an allergen.
Airway: persistent cough, hoarse voice, difficulty swallowing, swollen tongue
Breathing: difficult or noisy breathing, wheeze or persistent cough
Consciousness: persistent dizziness / pale of floppy, suddenly sleepy, collapse, unconscious
Steady deterioration is also a warning sign that may mean an injection of adrenaline is vital.
Variations in symptoms can occur, in addition to the symptoms above there may also be:
Widespread flushing of the skin
Nettle rash (otherwise known as hives or urticaria)
Swelling of the skin (known as angioedema) anywhere on the body.
Swelling of the lips
Abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting
If a person with an allergy becomes ill, it is likely that person or someone with them will state that they are suffering from an allergic reaction. They may use the word:
“Anaphylaxis”
Stay with the casualty and have someone call 999 immediately. Ask someone else to fetch a first aider for assistance until the ambulance crew arrives.
Help the casualty to sit up in the position that best relieves any breathing difficulty. If they become pale with a weak pulse, help them to lie down with legs raised and treat for shock.
If someone is able to inform Reception of the situation, then they should do so. They should also check with Reception to see if the casualty has brought a second Auto Injector that has been stored at the school.
All staff trained in First Aid will know what to do if someone suffers from anaphylaxis. However, treatment should not be delayed in the immediate absence of a first aider.
If the casualty also has asthma, they should use their inhaler.
If they have an Auto Injector, help them to use it. If they are unable to use it, follow the procedure below:
Pull off the safety cap.
Hold the Auto Injector in your fist.
Push the tip firmly against the casualty’s thigh until it clicks (this releases the medication). It can be delivered through clothing, including jeans.
Hold it for 10 seconds before removing.
Massage the injection site for 10 seconds.
If there is no improvement within five minutes and if the ambulance hasn’t yet arrived, give the casualty a second dose from their second Auto Injector, if they have one.
The First Aiders are: Julian Oakley, Gabriela Krchova and Melissa Wiazowska.
It is lawful for a lay person to administer adrenaline in a life-threatening situation.
The person calling 999 should give the following information:
“This is an emergency. We have someone who has collapsed and we believe they are suffering from anaphylaxis”. (Pronunciation: anna – fill – axis).
Speak clearly and calmly, giving the address of the location.
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The school: |
Wimbledon School of English 41 Worple Road SW19 4JZ
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Mansel Road Centre: |
1 Mansel Road SW19 4AA
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Wimbledon High School: |
Give the address for the Mansel Road Centre and have someone waiting outside to guide the ambulance crew in. |
The operator may ask you to repeat the address to confirm they have it right. Give any other details about the casualty that they ask for and this will help them to confirm that this is an emergency situation.
Further Information
Information on allergies can found online by visiting:
NHS – Allergies Section: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/allergies/
The Anaphylaxis Campaign: https://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/