BACKGROUND Diabetes mellitus (diabetes) is one of the most common metabolic diseases in children worldwide and the incidence of type 1 diabetes (T1D) is growing. T1D is complicated to manage and adolescents with diabetes face unique, age‐specific challenges. The purpose of this article is to discuss ways in which schools can create a positive environment and improve the experiences and outcomes for adolescents with T1D. METHODS The Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and PubMed databases were searched and yielded a total of 27 articles that were used in this integrative literature review. RESULTS Common concerns identified by students with T1D and their parents included a lack of full‐time school nurses, lack of teacher knowledge of diabetes, lack of access to diabetes tools, lack of freedom to perform diabetes self‐care, lack of nutritional information in cafeterias, and lack of communication between parents and school personnel. Students who are unable to attend school on a daily basis may not be able to achieve their academic potential. CONCLUSIONS Implications for school health including specifics for school nurses, teachers, students, and school environment were identified.