School refusal describes a child’s consistent wish to avoid school, ranging from occasional days at home to a total rejection of school culture.
Children’s charity, Action for Children state that “School refusal and anxiety has now become the number one issue for parents and carers seeking advice on Action for Children’s Parent Talk service”.
SEMH (Social and Emotional Mental Health) can frequently contribute to a child’s internal fight with school life. Children with SEMH may struggle with their emotions to the point it has a significant impact on their learning.
Symptoms may include:
- Dysregulation
- Mood swings
- Poor focus
- Lack of confidence
- Anxiety
EBSA, (Emotionally Based School Avoidance) is now a colloquial term that relates to the difficulty a child has attending school due to anxiety, fear or emotional distress.
With trends increasing, why is it that so many children are now unable to face school? Many causes can be linked to this increase, including:
- Experiences of trauma
- Friendship issues
- Family issues, (especially parents’ health)
- Inherent biological conditions such as ADHD, autism or dyslexia
- Poor self-confidence
- Impact of Covid 19 pandemic
The impact of Covid 19 has been huge. With increased social isolation during lockdown periods, some existing mental health conditions worsened, and people fell victim to anxiety for the first time, exacerbating upward trends in school refusal.
How can Parents Help Their Child with School Refusal?
Positive affirmations, mindfulness or short spells of gentle exercise and/or relaxation can help to recalibrate a child’s thought process, bringing them back to a much calmer place. This can be helpful for parents too.
SEN tutor Rosa has worked extensively with children impacted by school refusal. After 15 days (of non-attendance,) the school may then apply to the local authority for support with education, this is in line with section 19 of the Education Act 1996. Children may be allocated a tutor by the LA when unable to attend school but whatever is then put in place for a child, Rosa stresses the importance of a routine during this time; “Keep a structure at home and maintain a routine. Try to keep life as much like school as possible, maintaining the existence of a timetable, with plans put in place on each day.”
“Obviously there needs to be to be some flexibility if required, to allow adaptability to align with the child’s well-being, but a structure is very important.”
It is important that parents are reminded of their child’s positive attributes at a time when everything appears negative, “Tell parents their child’s strength and the progress they have made to date.”
As a parent, when a child declines school, a combination of feelings may evolve as a result. Rosa suggests some intuitive thoughts about how a school and a family can work alongside each other to help the affected family. “Parents may require a lot of help when their child is refusing to go to school. It can be an anxious time, and this could be mixed with some negative feelings towards the school, because their past suggestions to help their child have not been agreed”.
Try to locate one person in your child’s school who will be able to collaborate with you to help your child. If considering an alterative school, Rosa has found great value in gathering support from a child’s current school, “It is advisable to consider taking someone knowledgeable about the school system with you when visiting potential new schools for your child; someone who will have a solid understanding of the school process, and a sixth sense about whether the school would be a good match.“
When liaising with your child’s school, be as open as you can with them and aim to create a plan that can be followed whilst at school that can be adhered to by members of staff involved in your child’s education.
Create an additional plan that has the same function at home, establishing tangible steps that can be followed when a child is expressing anxiety about going to school the following day.
Reach out to your community for help; your family doctor, local Mental Health groups or online charities/groups that assist families experiencing school refusal. Some of these teams may be able to put you in touch with like-minded people in your locality where you and your child can feel supported.
In summary, bear in mind the following as you consider the above:
- Maintaining a firm bond with your child’s school
- Encouraging your child to stay regulated and resilient
- Keeping communication channels open
- Establishing a routine
Following these fundamental steps, whilst ensuring you take support from other avenues mentioned, will help strengthen you and your child. Although it can be a time with many ups and downs, there is a solid level of understanding available from different agencies to help you work through this time.
Please note: The information provided within this blog, by SENsational Tutors, is for general information purposes only. We appreciate that every person is unique and any advice/experiences mentioned within the content of each blog may not be reflective of your own personal experience. All information on the site is provided in good faith and is for educational informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional advice. Before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with appropriate professionals.
