When School Phone Bans Clash with T1D: Protecting Your Child’s T1D Management
For many parents of children and teens with Type 1 Diabetes, smart phones are not a distraction, they are a medical device. Phones are how children check glucose levels, receive CGM alerts, treat hypos quickly, and stay safe throughout the school day.
At T1D Wave Rider, this isn’t a hypothetical concern. Many of us are parents whose children have attended schools with phone bans or strict phone restrictions for years already. We’ve seen first hand what happens when access to a phone is limited: missed alarms, delayed checks, embarrassment or arguments with teachers about toilet use or having to leave class to give insulin, higher blood glucose levels, and increased anxiety. Long before the government’s latest guidance on banning phones in schools, T1D families were already navigating these challenges.
So when national guidance on school bans was announced, it didn’t feel new, it felt like an expansion of a problem we already know can directly affect Type 1 diabetes management, safety, and learning.
Here we look at how you can protect your child or teen’s diabetes care in the face of phone bans, how to advocate when policies are harming management, how to work with schools and diabetes teams, and how to help your child learn to advocate for themselves when you’re not there.
Why School Phone Bans Can Be Risky for Children with T1D
While phone bans are often introduced to improve focus and behaviour, they can unintentionally create serious risks for pupils with Type 1 Diabetes, including:
Missed blood glucose checks because phones are locked away or in their bookbag
CGM alarms silenced, turned down, or ignored to avoid attention
Embarrassment or anxiety about asking to access a phone in class
Higher glucose levels from reduced monitoring, affecting concentration
Delayed treatment of hypos or hypers during lessons, lunch, or exams
Even when schools say “medical exemptions apply,” the reality can be inconsistent. Staff may not fully understand diabetes technology, rules may be applied rigidly, or children may feel too uncomfortable to speak up.
Know Your Child’s Rights: Phone Access Is a Reasonable Adjustment
In the UK, children with Type 1 Diabetes are protected under:
The Equality Act 2010 (T1D is recognised as a disability)
The right to reasonable adjustments in school
An Individual Healthcare Plan (IHP)
When a phone is used to monitor glucose level or receive medical alerts, it is not a personal device, it is part of essential healthcare. If a school phone ban interferes with safe diabetes management, the school has a legal duty to make adjustments.
How to Advocate if the Phone Ban is Harming Your Child’s Diabetes Management
Phone with a red ban symbol
If you notice rising HbA1c levels, more frequent hypos or hypers, increased anxiety, or your child telling you they avoid checking at school, take that seriously.
Practical steps parents can take:
1. Document what’s happening
Missed alarms, restricted access, warnings, or glucose pattern changes
2. Request a formal meeting
Ask to meet with the SENCO, head of year, head of welfare, or a safeguarding lead
3. Keep the focus on safety
This is about health and equality, not rule breaking
4. Ask for clear, written adjustments, such as:
Phone accessible at all times
CGM alarms allowed to sound
No requirement to ask permission to check levels
Support during lessons, exams, lunch and PE
You are not asking for special treatment, you are asking for your child to be safe and supported.
Working With the School, Not Against Them
Most schools want to support pupils with medical needs but may lack understanding of Type 1 Diabetes.
Helpful approaches include:
Explaining how CGMs, pumps, and alarms work in simple terms
Sharing written guidance from your diabetes team
Updating the Individual Healthcare Plan to explicitly include phone use
Clarifying staff responsibilities when alarms sound
Involve key staff where possible:
SENCO
Form tutor or head of year
School nurse/ Head of Welfare (if available)
Clear communication protects your child and reduces confusion for staff.
Involving Your Diabetes Care Team
Your diabetes care team can provide powerful support by:
Writing letters explaining why phone access is medically necessary
Outlining risks of restricted monitoring
Confirming that alarms must not be silenced or delayed
Supporting adjustments as your child gains independence
Schools often respond more decisively when guidance comes directly from healthcare professionals. In our experience, our diabetes care teams have always been supportive in helping.
Teaching Your Child or Teen to Advocate for Themselves
Your child won’t always have you there, so learning to self-advocate is key.
For younger children:
Practise simple phrases:
“I need to check my levels.”
“This is for my diabetes.”
Role play situations at home
Make sure they know who to go to for help
For teens:
Explain their rights in clear, age-appropriate language
Encourage early conversations with teachers
Help them prepare a short explanation they feel confident using
Reinforce that health always comes before embarrassment
Many teens silence alarms or skip checks not out of carelessness, but because they want to blend in. That pressure deserves understanding, not punishment.
Supporting Independence Without Compromising Safety
Independence doesn’t mean managing diabetes alone.
It means:
Knowing when to speak up
Knowing when to ask for help
Having systems in place that support medical needs
School phone bans should never force a child to choose between following rules and managing their diabetes safely.
If You’re Not Being Heard
If concerns are dismissed:
Escalate to senior leadership
Put requests in writing
Reference the Equality Act and safeguarding responsibilities
Seek support from diabetes charities or advocacy organisations
Advocating for your child is not being difficult, it’s being responsible.
Phone bans in schools are complex, but for children and teens with T1D, access to their phone is not about distraction, it’s about safety, dignity, and equal access to education. No child should feel unsafe or ashamed for managing their diabetes at school.
