Endocrine Abstracts

Background & Objectives: Children and Young People (CYP) living with diabetes often face significant challenges managing their condition in school. Evidence shows that CYP with diabetes attain GCSE results that are lower than peers without the condition (Diabetes Care, 2022;45:2852–2861). Additionally, stigma and challenges managing diabetes were highlighted in The INSCHOOL project (J Adolesc. 2024 Feb;96(2):337-349) Previous diabetes training materials, including the schools e-learning module from Breakthrough T1D and the National Children and Young People’s Diabetes Network, were over 8 years old and lacked content on newer technologies and the emotional impact of living with diabetes.

Methods: To address these gaps, DigiBete, the National Children and Young People’s Diabetes Network, Breakthrough T1D, and the Together Type 1 Programme at Diabetes UK collaborated with families, teachers, and healthcare professionals to co-design a refreshed training platform: www.diabetesinschools.org. The updated resource places young people’s and families’ lived experiences at the centre of learning and support and is underpinned by The INSCHOOL project

Development activities included:

• Eight task-and-finish groups (n = 8) with families and healthcare professionals to evaluate and redesign the previous module

• Three days (n = 3) of filming to capture authentic lived experiences

• Three one-hour reflective workshops (n = 3) with healthcare professionals to review new materials

• Secondary analysis of the INSCHOOL data

Results: Since its launch nine months ago, the platform has seen strong engagement and positive feedback:

• 61,000 users visited the website

• 23,256 people registered on courses

• 80% assessment pass rate, with an average score of 91.62%

• 92% of users surveyed reported feeling more confident in supporting diabetes care in schools

Conclusions: This national platform highlights the need for consistent, standardised diabetes education in schools. Despite pressures, schools are keen to engage when training is accessible and clearly benefits students’ wellbeing, helping them feel safe and enabling them to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Diabetes teams are also reporting reduced time and cost burdens, supported by a flipped learning approach that enriches personalised care training when working with schools.