Starting Primary School with The Allergy Team

This is the course we all wish we’d had when our children started primary school!

Starting school for the first time is an exciting milestone but it can be particularly daunting when your child has food allergies – that’s why we have designed this step-by-step guide to Starting School and thriving.

We understand some of the worries you might have about school lunches, play-dates and your child feeling like the odd one out; all that is covered. We’ve also got lots of information about the initial conversation you need to have with the school about your child’s allergies, who looks after their medication and how schools make sure your son or daughter is safe on school trips and in other less obvious scenarios where food might pop up unexpectedly (like the day Sarah’s egg-allergic son told her with great excitement that Easter chicks were being brought in to class).

Who will I hear from and how is it presented?

We share lots of our own tips during the course, but it’s also packed full of experts who’ve had years of experience supporting families with allergies at this important stage. Medical professionals and school staff work with you on your journey to becoming super confident as your child enters the classroom.

You will hear from a specialist allergy nurse, a clinical psychologist, a headteacher, a school medical officer and a school chef – we’ve recorded our conversations with them so you can watch them over and over again but where there’s lots of information to take in, we’ve summarised key points in downloadable checklists.  Other parts of the course take the form of a slide presentation but the tone is very informal – if you’ve been to one of our meet-ups you’ll know we’re all about trusted, medically backed information but shared in a friendly and accessible way.  Finally, there’s a live element where we will get together online to discuss the different elements of the course, talk through any questions you have and make sure you feel fully supported – you are not alone, there are thousands of us allergy parents out there who have navigated all this before and we’re here to help.

More details about what’s covered in the course

Not sure where to start or what to look for?

MODULE 1 will give you a plan that tells you what you need to do, what questions to ask the school and what information to give them to keep your child safe.

Worried by school dinners?

MODULE 2 is about keeping your child safe at mealtimes.  We’ll also cover other food in school, like snacks, special occasions and school trips as well as cooking and crafts.

Strategies to help you and your child cope

MODULE 3 is all about wellbeing: how to talk to your child about their allergies without frightening them, and how to speak to other parents, carers and children to help them understand too.

What about socialising outside school?

MODULE 4 will give you advice on PTA events, fairs, cake sales and birthday parties and playdates.  With top tips from other allergy parents and carers this will help your child to be included in everything.

What if things don’t go to plan?

MODULE 5 will prepare you for if your child has an allergic reaction at school, as well as give you strategies to communicate with the school if you feel they aren’t taking your concerns on board.

We’ll be with you every step of the way!

We will host live virtual meet-ups so you can discuss how it’s going and meet other parents and carers with children also starting school.  These start in week one and will run throughout the first year.

All this is delivered through a dashboard that you can log in to whenever you feel like moving through another unit. You’ll have access to the modules including all the videos and downloadable checklists for a year.

How do I sign up?

Please book your place here.

The course costs £97.

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