Our School - Organisation

Life Threatening Peanut Allergy 

Some students in our school have a severe and potentially life threatening allergic reaction when they come into contact with peanuts. 

If any of these students touch playground equipment which has been touched by another child with peanut on their hands then they can have a severe reaction. 

If kids are eating inside during wet weather, and a child at one end of the classroom is eating a peanut butter sandwich and one of the affected students is at the other end of the classroom, then they can have a significant reaction. 

This means that they do not need to eat the food to get a reaction. 

Traces left on hands and close contact during eating with children laughing, spitting, sneezing or coughing and spraying peanut particles can also cause him to have an allergic reaction.

The Ashbury community has been magnificent in working together with the school to reduce the danger to these children.  Parents are helping by not sending nut products to school with their children: 

-         no peanut butter

-         no nutella or other nut spreads

-         no peanuts or other nuts

-         no nuts in or on top of birthday cakes

The canteen no longer sells any nut containing products such as peanut butter, nutella or fruit and nut snacks. 

Peanut allergy is an issue of growing concern for all schools and their canteens as around 1 in 200 children now have a potentially fatal reaction.  This percentage seems to increase, and unlike most allergies which become less severe with age, peanut allergy seems to become more severe.