DIABETES AND SECONDARY SCHOOL

Moving from Primary to Secondary school can be frightening- sometimes more so if you have diabetes, but it doesn’t have to be!

During transition you will have many visits to your new secondary school. Your primary school teachers will know about your diabetes, so get them to introduce you to the teachers looking after you for the day. Once that’s done ask them to introduce you to the school nurse (if they have one) or the person who looks after the other pupils’ diabetic equipment. On your induction evening you and your parents can also speak to your Head of Year, your Form Tutor and the Nurse or person responsible for the diabetic equipment (if they are present).

The main differences between Primary and secondary schools are that you will have more than one teacher in more than one classroom and you will have a bigger choice of food to have for lunch.

This means you will have to carry a snack with you in case of emergencies and you will have choose carefully at lunchtimes.

You will get to know the Nurse or person responsible for the diabetic equipment very well. You will need to store with them in a plastic Tupperware container:

• Your Blood Glucose monitor, including finger pricker and strips



• Glucose drink or tablets



• Biscuits



• Hypostop or glucostop



• Insulin pen & needles (if you need to take it at lunchtime)

You will need to talk to the Nurse or person responsible for the diabetic equipment very well about the symptoms/ signs you have when you are hypoglycaemic (hypo).

In Afon Taf High School, there is a Nurse who is employed there full time. The Nurse ensures that each diabetic pupil has a nurse pass and can visit the nurse when they feel ‘hypo’. Similar procedures operate in other schools.

If your school takes part in the Junior Diabetic Peer Support group initiative you will be invited to a meeting during the first few weeks in your new secondary school. There you will be introduced to your fellow diabetic pupils. These pupils will be more than willing to help you settle into your new school and answer any questions you have about diabetes and secondary school. AND if they don’t know they know someone who does!!!!!