A five-year-old boy from Cambridgeshire died after an allergic reaction at school in December 2021. His mother has welcomed new government requirements for mandatory allergy training and adrenaline pens in schools.

A mother, whose five-year-old son tragically passed away following an allergic reaction at school, has expressed her support for new measures aimed at safeguarding children with allergies.

Helen Blythe, whose son Benedict died at Barnack Primary School, near Peterborough, in 2021, said that the new requirements will make it “less likely for other families to go through what we’ve been through”.

The government has unveiled statutory requirements for schools, replacing the previous non-statutory guidance on protecting children with allergies. Under the proposed measures, currently under consultation, schools will be required to provide mandatory allergy awareness training for all staff, keep spare allergy pens on hand for emergencies, and establish comprehensive plans to support children with medical conditions.

These requirements, set to be implemented in September, follow campaigning efforts by the National Allergy Strategy Group and families, including Helen and Peter Blythe. The guidance will stipulate that schools should have individual healthcare plans for pupils with medical conditions.

For instance, a child with epilepsy should have a plan detailing seizure types and emergency procedures. Speaking to the Press Association, Mrs Blythe said: “This is something we’ve campaigned for for a long time as a family. It’s been a hard campaign, both work-wise and emotionally.

“These measures will make it less likely for other families to go through what we’ve been through. And for Benedict his memory will be etched into the history books and into time.

“We’ve always said that his life mattered and his death should matter too. And in this it does, it’s his legacy, and that means a lot.”

The Blythe family have been campaigning for the introduction of Benedict’s Law to mandate allergy safety in schools for four years. The new protections were not in place when Benedict joined his school, Mr and Mrs Blythe said.

Minister for early education Olivia Bailey said: “No parent should have to send their child to school worried that a life-threatening allergic reaction won’t be handled swiftly. We have listened to the families and organisations who have campaigned tirelessly on this issue, and we are acting.

“These new requirements will give parents the confidence that every school has the training, the plans and the equipment in place to keep their child safe.”

Benedict died following accidental exposure to cow’s milk protein at his school. An inquest found the school didn’t follow all the measures in place to prevent the fatal anaphylactic reaction, and that there were risks of contamination and delays in administering an adrenaline pen.

A prevention of future deaths report said initial investigations into Benedict’s death focused on him having eaten a McVitie’s biscuit that he had brought in from home on the day he collapsed. It was later established that the biscuit was not the cause of Benedict’s anaphylactic reaction, and an inquest concluded that he had likely been given cow’s milk protein in his bottle during break time.

In her report, coroner Elizabeth Gray stated that the failure to retain Benedict’s vomit or preserve evidence at the scene meant samples could not be tested, which could have helped to identify what caused Benedict’s reaction at an earlier stage.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the school leaders’ union NAHT, welcomed the new guidance, but emphasised that schools need funding to ensure they have the staffing capacity to fulfil duties and can provide specialist health support where necessary.

He added that some specialist health support, where more complex provision is required, cannot be delegated to school staff even with training, and schools need clarification about what to do in these situations.

He said: “Expecting schools to stock ‘spare’ adrenaline auto-injectors for use in emergency situations appears a sensible step, as is training staff to use them effectively. However, the government need to be confident that there are sufficient stocks maintained across the country to ensure each setting can keep a sufficient share of adrenaline auto-injectors.”

The school previously said investigations into Pepys uncovered “actions that were harmful, abusive and exploitative, especially in his relations with women”

A new house name has been chosen at the Cambridgeshire school where students previously voted to drop the name of Samuel Pepys. Students at Hinchingbrooke School in Huntingdon were asked to vote on whether to choose a new name for Samuel Pepys House.

The majority of students voted in favour of finding a new namesake for the house. It came after the school informed parents that investigations into Pepys uncovered “actions that were harmful, abusive and exploitative, especially in his relations with women”.

Staff and students at the school, which is part of CAM Academy Trust, have chosen Olivia Bernard Sparrow to replace Pepys as the figurehead for one of the school’s pastoral houses. Sparrow was a local philanthropist committed to improving education.

Sparrow (1775 to 1863) was committed to improving education, investing her own resources into village schools and widening access to learning. Her philanthropic work reached across the Hinchingbrooke estate and surrounding areas, including Brampton, Godmanchester, Huntingdon, and Buckden.

The school council chose three local figures for the school’s vote. The shortlist also included Mary Stuart and former headteacher at Huntingdon Grammar School, John Wakelin.

The school said both were key figures in transforming Hinchingbrooke from a small grammar school to the largest comprehensive school in Cambridgeshire, as it is today. It said “local connection was key”, meaning the candidates needed to have a link to the school, Huntingdon Grammar School, or the Hinchingbrooke House site.

Andy Hunter, Principal of Hinchingbrooke School, said: “Olivia Bernard Sparrow was a remarkable and influential figure in Huntingdonshire’s history and the school community has enjoyed finding out more about her important work. Her belief in education as a force for opportunity and fairness, combined with her strong local ties, makes her an inspiring and relevant figurehead for our students today and we are very pleased to be naming one of our houses after her.

“Throughout this process, what has stood out most to me as Principal has been the level of thoughtful discussion and genuine engagement from the students in this matter. They have approached the responsibility of choosing a new figurehead with maturity, curiosity and respect and it has been wonderful to see them debating ideas, weighing up the criteria and taking ownership of the final decision.

“I have been incredibly proud of the real sense of student agency I have witnessed across the school. I would also like to thank all parents and carers for their support throughout this process. Their encouragement has helped our students take pride in their school community and engage meaningfully in decisions that shape it.”

Pupils have found out which secondary school they will be attending

A higher proportion of pupils in Cambridgeshire received one of their top three secondary school choices for September 2026, according to the county council. This year, 96.7% of pupils were offered one of their first, second or third preference schools.

It marks a slight increase from 96.5% in 2025. The number of pupils who did not receive any of their top three preferences has also reduced, falling from 3.5% in 2025 to 3.3% in 2026.

The total number of applications went down, with 7,141 applications received in 2025, and 7,050 applications received in 2026. That marks a reduction of 91 applications year-on-year.

Councillor Edna Murphy, Chair of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Children and Young People’s Committee said: “I’m really pleased to see that even more families have secured one of their top three choices schools this year.

“Our admissions and place planning teams work incredibly hard to make sure every child is supported through this important transition, and these improved outcomes show their dedication is making a real difference.

“Ensuring that as many pupils as possible can attend a school that suits their needs helps lay the groundwork for a confident and successful start to secondary education.”

The Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation says incidents like the Evan Hardy attack and Tumbler Ridge school shooting in B.C. are evidence of what is to come from the everyday violence in classrooms going under the radar.

Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation president Samantha Becotte says classroom violence has been escalating in recent years and data collecting is only just beginning.

“Teachers are trying to manage the situation that they have. They’re often triaging the needs within their classrooms,” said Becotte.

Becotte points to a lack of support not only for straining teachers but contributing to violent behaviours.

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She says while resources are coming, it’s not enough.

“There’s one full-time equivalent position for schools with a population of over 150. We have some high schools that are,” said Becotte. “With a student population of 1,500, 1,600 and higher, one teacher can’t solve all of the class complexity challenges that are associated with that.”

Becotte says some teachers in Saskatchewan have stopped reporting violence because they were often either not addressed or there was no support was available.

“Teachers don’t blame students for any of this. It’s because their needs are not being met in so many cases, and that’s a systemic problem,” says Becotte.

A 2024 report from the Canadian Teachers Federation, School-Based Violence across Canada, suggests violent incidents have been increasing since at least 2017.

“We can’t expect a teacher alone to be able to solve all of the problems, especially as those challenges become more complex. We need to see the government continue to have their actions match their words,” says Becotte.

The STF says with rising recognition of the issue and the provincial government naming education as a top priority, next month’s budget is the next moment for accountability.

The Ministry of Education has said the Government of Saskatchewan is working with the Saskatchewan School Boards Association and the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation toward policies and solutions to address violence in classrooms.

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“In my seven years as president, I have not witnessed such a significant investment into our schools, one that is a meaningful step forward towards addressing the challenging learning conditions that have hindered our students and teachers for far too long.”

That’s how Alberta Teacher Association president Jason Schilling reacted to the Alberta government’s announcement that next year’s budget, to be tabled in the legislature on Thursday, will include $143 million to hire 1,600 teachers and 800 support staff “in the coming years” to help combat the classroom overcrowding and complexity issues.

“Alberta has one of the best school systems in the entire world and we are determined to ensure that it has what it needs to keep it that way,” said Premier Danielle Smith, during a Wednesday morning press conference in Edmonton.

“Budget 26 will provide a record $10.8 billion for our education system. That is a $722-million increase or a 7-per cent increase from last year,” added Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides.

“Over the next three years, education funding will reach $11.5 billion by 2028-29, helping to hire more than 5,000 teachers, educational assistants, and support staff.”

While Schilling called the announcement “a historic investment in our classroom,” he also cautioned that success will be measured not just by dollars on paper, but “by the number of new staff and new supports that arrive in our classrooms.”

“A top priority must be the expansion of complexity teams across all schools, including junior and senior high schools, and ensuring that the 1,600 new teachers can begin to address large class sizes,” added Schilling.

“Promising to uphold Alberta as a world-class education system means nothing unless government and school boards deliver these resources and more.”

3:53
Alberta Premier Smith says provinces ‘have the right’ to send labour unions back to work

The Alberta NDP, however, is skeptical. “Where are these teachers going to come from? This is a profession that is struggling to retain and attract new people,” said NDP shadow minister for education, Amanda Chapman.

“If you talk to teachers — and I talk to a lot of teachers these days; they stop me literally wherever I am — it is a profession that is feeling disrespected, it’s feeling a lot of concern about the rates at which they’re losing new teachers.” said Chapman.

“We know that the sub shortage is real across this province,” agreed Schilling. “We do not have enough teachers who are working in that capacity. So what I also expect to see from government in their announcement (Budget 26) is to build the capacity of programs in universities to provide the funding that has been cut to universities over the years so that they can expand their programs, get more people who are interested in being teachers, so that we can graduate more people within the province who will be willing to work within our schools.”

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Despite Wednesday’s announcement, Schilling’s skepticism remains high.

“There was no direct conversations between the ATA and the government to direct this funding. We’ll need to see some more specifics in terms of what the funding increases are for certain envelopes, for example, targeted funding for special needs students,” added Schilling.

Schilling pointed to last October’s three-week-long strike by Alberta’s 51,000 teachers and the public support it generated, as key to convincing the provincial to increase education spending — a suggestion the premier responded to by saying, “I think they’re tied.”

But the ATA president is also still angry about the UCP government’s decision to legislate an end to the strike.

“My cynicism around the use of the notwithstanding clause in the way that government approaches labour is very high,” said Schilling.

“Until we actually see them do something different, act in a way that is different, act in the away that is more authentic, that is engaging, then maybe I’ll change my mind.”

2:23
Alberta teachers report widespread low morale, burnout and despair in new survey

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An Ontario post-secondary institution is introducing voluntary staff exit packages as colleges across the province continue to grapple with financial pressures linked to declining international student revenue and a prolonged tuition freeze.

Humber Polytechnic says it is launching a Voluntary Employee Exit Program (VEEP), citing what it describes as significant fiscal challenges.

In a letter to the Humber community, president and CEO Ann Marie Vaughan said the school is facing budgetary strains despite recent provincial funding for the sector.

“Humber continues to navigate significant fiscal pressures outside of this investment, including caps on international students, rising operational costs driven by inflation, and the structural impacts of years of constrained funding,” Vaughan wrote.

She said those factors have placed increasing pressure on the institution’s finances.

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“Unfortunately, we have arrived at the time when we must make more fundamental choices,” the letter states.

Humber said the voluntary exit program is being introduced in an effort to minimize involuntary job losses.

The program is open to all full-time employees, including the executive team, and offers financial packages for eligible staff who choose to leave.

Employees have until March 9 to indicate their interest.

The institution says it will assess participation levels after the deadline before determining whether further workforce reductions are required.

The move comes amid broader financial challenges facing Ontario’s publicly funded colleges, with the past year being marked by falling revenue from international students and the continued freeze on domestic tuition.

Several colleges, including Seneca and Algonquin, have announced campus closures, while others, such as Sheridan College, have suspended dozens of programs.

Other institutions have also reduced staffing levels.

Meanwhile, the Ontario government has defended its funding commitments to the post-secondary sector.

“We’re investing a record amount. No one’s ever invested upwards to seven billion dollars in our colleges and universities. Those are staggering numbers,” Premier Doug Ford told reporters on Wednesday.

Ford also praised Humber, calling it the largest college in the country.

“I wish them all the best, drive efficiencies, run it like a business, educate our kids for jobs of the future.”

Humber acknowledged the uncertainty created by the staffing review and said further updates will be provided once decisions are finalized.

“Change is never easy. I believe our community will emerge from this time stronger, more agile, more innovative,” Vaughan wrote.

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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and the province’s Minister of Education and Childcare Demetrios Nicolaides will be holding a news conference on Wednesday to discuss how this week’s provincial budget will affect education funding.

The announcement comes a day before the budget is scheduled to be tabled in the Alberta legislature amidst government warnings that it will include a deficit of at least $6.4 billion.

Education funding and classroom makeup have been a major point of contention between the provincial government and Alberta’s 51,000 teachers.

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Teachers staged a three-week-long strike last fall that ended when the UCP passed back-to-work legislation and invoked the Canadian Constitution’s notwithstanding clause to prevent educators from challenging the legislation in court.

The Alberta Teachers’ Association is also expected to respond to the government announcement Wednesday afternoon.

The Premier and education minister are scheduled to speak at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday. Global News will livestream it in the video player above.

2:23
Alberta teachers report widespread low morale, burnout and despair in new survey

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