Pingu helps JDRF educate children about type 1 diabetes

Cheeky children’s favourite Pingu has joined forces with JDRF to help teachers educate primary school children about type 1 diabetes. The brand new pack, ‘Talking T1 – Learning about type 1 diabetes,’ has been developed by education and healthcare professionals to provide a classroom teaching guide and is available now.

The practical advice in this pack will support the integration of children with type 1 diabetes in school and will help both teachers and children learn more about the condition.

Teacher Jacqui Double has two sons who have type 1 diabetes. Her youngest, Tom, 10, was diagnosed when he was 18 months and her eldest, Joe, 12, was diagnosed aged eight. She said: "We have had some brilliant experiences of great care in school, but we have also inevitably come up against some awful moments when it seemed no one cared at all.

"It stands to reason that younger children need a lot of support in school to manage their type 1 diabetes. The need for help with injections and reminders to do blood glucose tests, along with the knowledge of what to do when the child is hypo (low blood glucose) or hyper (high blood glucose) are all vital aspects of care which will impact directly on a child’s access to the curriculum and their sense of well being.

"I am impressed with how easy the pack is to use and I am sure it will provide a valuable learning experience for a whole class of children, and most especially for those with a child with type 1 in their midst. A great resource."

This free resource, which is being supported by the Royal College of Nursing, contains class activity plans for the subjects of Literacy, Science and PSHE and follows the national curriculum for Key stages 1 and 2. These can be used as part of a continuous work scheme or as a stand-alone lesson plan. Each lesson plan is supported by an interactive whiteboard presentation which features direct links to additional task sheets, ‘Type 1 Diabetes Made Simple’ interactive book and film clips.

Karen Addington, Chief Executive of JDRF, said: “It is essential that children living with type 1 diabetes get the appropriate support in school so that they can manage their condition effectively. Good management of type 1 diabetes is essential to minimise the risk of complications such as heart disease and stroke in later life.

“We hope this new schools pack will help both children and teachers better understand the condition in a fun but educational way and we are delighted that Pingu is able to help us do this!”

Talking T1 – Learning about type 1 diabetes,has been designed to complement existing Department of Children, Schools and Families and Department of Health guidance – Managing Medicines in Schools and Early Years Settings.

Discussing the launch of the pack, Dr Rowan Hillson, National Clinical Director for Diabetes, said: “It is vital that children with diabetes can lead the same full, active life as children without diabetes. We know that with proper support, children with diabetes should be able to participate fully in school life, enjoy time with their friends and not feel left out.”

Schools can order the pack now free of charge. Visit our schools pages for more information.