Keeping the school informed
As a parent or carer, you play a crucial role in keeping the school informed about your child’s diabetes and their support needs.
The level of support you can give your child at home may not be possible at school due to the number of children staff have under their care. Working closely with the school will help make sure your child gets the support they need.
Tell the school as soon as possible if your child is newly diagnosed. Or, if they are starting at a new school, tell the school your child has type 1 diabetes at the time of enrolment and again when their place is confirmed.
Your child’s diabetes management plan is a key document that school staff rely on to provide support to your child. If there are differences between how you manage your child’s diabetes and their diabetes management plan you should talk to your child’s health professional(s), so the plan can be updated. It is important the school has the same diabetes management information for your child so there is shared understanding and consistency in care.
Share this plan with the school and communicate any updates straight away.
In Australia, type 1 diabetes is considered a disability under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992. This law protects your child from unfair treatment because of their diabetes. Keeping the school informed about your child’s diabetes needs will help the school provide reasonable adjustments so your child can have the same educational opportunities as their peers.
Tips for effective communication
Communicating clearly and consistently with the school is one of the best ways to make sure your child’s diabetes is managed well at school.
- Have clear communication channels: Agree with the school on the best way to communicate (e.g. via email, phone calls or a communication book). All communication should be clear, direct and in writing where possible.
- Establish emergency contact situations: Let the school know in what situations you would like to be contacted.
- Keep contact information up to date: Keep the school informed of any changes to your contact details or any alternative adult contacts.
- Be constructive with feedback and offer encouragement: For school staff, supporting a student with type 1 diabetes is often a new experience.
- Confirm your main school contact: Find out who will be your main contact at the school and the best way of getting hold of them.
- Build positive relationships: Tell the school you value their time and be understanding of the competing priorities school staff have. Listen to any concerns the school may have.
- Make sure the school has the information they need: Give the school clear, written and up to date information on your child’s diabetes management needs.
Meeting with the school
It is important that everyone involved in your child’s diabetes care at school meets at least once a year (or more often if needed).
These meetings give you the chance to talk about the support your child will need at school. They also provide an opportunity for you to update staff of any changes to your child’s diabetes management.
Your child’s diabetes management plan is a key document to use during these meetings, so make sure the school has an up-to-date copy for the meeting.
Initial school meeting
Your first meeting with the school is to make sure staff have a clear understanding of the level of support that your child needs. This should include discussion about your child’s diabetes management plan and the importance of notifying relevant staff that your child has type 1 diabetes.
Key things to talk about at this meeting include:
- Diabetes in Schools training and support for staff
- your child’s diabetes management and action plans
- reasonable adjustments
- communication plan
- diabetes equipment and supplies.
Make sure that someone takes notes at the meeting. A good way to make progress is to record decisions and actions, noting the people responsible and a timeline for the actions.
More resources and information
- Effective consultation fact sheet (Department of Education): Information and tips on how parents/carers can prepare themselves for school meetings.
- School meeting toolkit (NCCD): Information for students, parents/carers, and schools to increase understanding and expectations about when school meetings should happen.
- Respect at school guide (Department of Education): Resource for students with disability, their parents/carers and school about respect and inclusion.
Last updated: September 2025