If you have children at your school with coeliac disease, it’s important you know about their condition and how you can best support them in their daily school life.

Going to school can be very daunting for a child who usually relies on their parents/carers to help keep them safe when eating out of the home. Children with coeliac disease should not be excluded from activities at school, including school meals with their peers, just because of their condition.

The good news is with sensible planning and by working in partnership with parents/carers and catering staff, children with coeliac disease can play a full and active role in school life. Check out our helpful resources below to see how you can make a real difference.

What should schools be doing?

• Ensure there is a policy in place for managing long term medical conditions.
• Complete the Individual Health Care plan in partnership with the child’s parents/carers and catering staff.
• Have a system in place to identify the requirements of children with medical conditions.
• Learn more about coeliac disease and what it means to follow a gluten free diet. You can read more about it on our website:
  • What is coeliac disease?
  • What are the symptoms of coeliac disease?
  • The gluten free diet
  • Reading food labels
• Work closely with your school caterers to ensure they are safely catering for children who require a gluten free diet.
• Don’t forget about school trips, celebrations and cookery classes. 
• See our Food Business Section on the website for further detail on how Coeliac UK can support your school, including Gluten Free accreditation and catering training.