Improving Allergy Management in Education: Case Study - Ralph Allen Secondary School
With the summer holidays fast approaching (and a well-deserved break on the horizon), we wanted to share the story of how we partnered with Ralph Allen, a large secondary school based in Bath, to revolutionise its’ allergy policy, improve access to critical training for staff and enhance allergy awareness through access to emergency medicines.
Background information about the school:
Ralph Allen School in Combe Down, Bath, England, is a co-educational, comprehensive secondary school with academy status. Located on the southeastern edge of Bath, the school educates 11 to 18-year-olds from Bath and the surrounding area.
The school became a member of the Palladian Academy Trust in 2016 and has approximately 1300 pupils, taking 210 pupils in each year in six forms of entry (years 7-11); there are also approximately 280 pupils in the sixth form.
The Ofsted inspection in April 2018 graded the school as 'good' and some features were noted to be outstanding. Ralph Allen School were even named in the top five comprehensive schools in the Southwest!
How we began to work together:
Following conversations with Tracey Dunn, the headteacher at Fitzmaurice Primary School and allergy ambassador for Anaphylaxis UK, and subsequently Donna Tandy, the CEO of Palladian MAT, a decision was made (trust-wide) for all schools including Ralph Allen to adopt Anaphylaxis Kitts. They did so for a number of reasons, as will be explained by Trevor Smith, the Head of First Aid at Ralph Allen School.
What were the biggest issues/worries/pain points your school was facing in regard to allergy?
“That’s threefold: Students bringing in food items from home that could cause another pupil at the school to have an allergic reaction, how to manage allergies on school trips, and what to do if auto-injectors were out of date or already used and more were required for the same reaction.”
“We no longer have to struggle finding adrenaline pens at the pharmacy, only to go back for pens 7 months later due to poor expiry dates.”
-Trevor Smith, Head first aider at Ralph Allen School
Ralph Allen installed three of our Anaphylaxis Kitts across their large secondary school site.
Why did you feel immediate action was required to tackle allergy & anaphylaxis at school right now?
“I believed that all staff should be able to administer an adrenaline pen device, as a named first aider may not be able to get there quickly. Any life is important, and everyone deserves the best opportunity for urgent care should the need arise. The adrenaline pens are now placed in multiple accessible locations and staff can now access training when they needed it most - before a school trip, a refresher after half term. When asked pre and post-training about how confident they felt about treating anaphylaxis, staff scores went from an average of 6.9/10 to 9.5/10!”
Where did you install Anaphylaxis Kitts in your school and why those locations?
“It eases the pressure when you know there is something you can grab at a moment’s notice when required for a medical emergency, and with Ralph Allen having three Kitts on site, if a student were to have an anaphylactic reaction, one of these life-saving kits could be grabbed from anywhere on-site within 60 seconds. It really is the equivalent of an AED for Anaphylaxis.
We installed them in our dining hall (so if a reaction happened there it was accessible and no one had to run for one), the medical room (central to the school and easily accessible at all times), and the main reception (located where one of our defibs are so they can both be grabbed at the same time).”
The gymnasium Anaphylaxis Kitt is located nearby for when students are exercising and playing sports.
Overall, why did you decide to partner with Kitt Medical?
“I personally pushed for this as it is a fantastic idea and as far as I am aware, Kitt Medical are the only company out there at present that solely concentrates on Anaphylaxis management. It is a fantastic product, easy to use (if required), the online training is easy to follow, and the recording software is easy to use. And the team are always friendly and very helpful if you have any queries. There was no hard sell, you let the product really sell itself too.”
Their Anaphylaxis Kitt in the school reception creates whole school awareness and ensures accessibility.
So - What can we learn from this?
Ralph Allen and the trust couldn’t wait to tell everyone about their Kitt, within weeks they had attracted the attention of The Bath and Wiltshire Parent with Tracey Dunn being quoted as saying that she is ”so pleased that the entire trust has partnered with Kitt Medical. These allergy first aid kits are perfect for busy schools where children and staff may face an allergy emergency, and need some immediate help because anyone can develop an allergy at any time.”
For other schools considering Kitt Medical Trevor shared this: ”Zak, James and the team have created a truly unique product here. You can see that this isn't just a product to them. Their knowledge, passion and commitment are very clear to see when you have a conversation with them. If you want to know more, check out the Kitt Medical website and get in touch with Zak and James. You won't be sorry”
Find out more about our Anaphylaxis Kitt service for schools by clicking here.
