A child is struggling to attend school - what can we do?

Children suffer with mental health difficulties for a range of complex reasons. The Government recommends that schools develop a mental health policy that creates an environment where young people with anxiety feel supported, understood, and able to seek help, making it more likely they will feel safe and able to attend school.

Many children have an underlying Special Educational Need or Disability that contributes to their anxiety; this can include Autistic Spectrum Conditions, ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorder or Dyslexia. 

SEND also include Social, Emotional or Mental Health Difficulties, which could affect a child's ability to establish friendships, cope with a variety of strong emotions, and increase a child's vulnerability to bullying.

High levels of anxiety can be classed as a disability and are a barrier to learning requiring the use of assess-plan-do- review cycles. Children and young people will need a consistent, individual support plan which is shared with all staff. If children struggle to engage, they need patience and an experienced professional to help them access the right support.

In addition to the support put in place by the SENDCO, an Educational Psychologist can assess an anxious child and recommend appropriate interventions. This input can be useful as inability to attend school is often a symptom of a significant need or problem that requires more specialist knowledge and understanding. Many Educational Psychology Services now offer an EBSA service or pathway which you can utilise so it is worth checking what is on offer.

Where severe problems occur, which are beyond the range of in-school mental health provision, schools should facilitate the child's access to more specialist support. The school nurse, or school directly can support or provide further evidence to expedite a referral. Parents can also ask for referrals to CAMHS, and Paediatricians  through their GP.   Unfortunately there are often long wait times for referrals , but support from schools goes a long way to ensuring the young people gain access to necessary treatment.

Schools can collaborate with other local services and providers to explore how individual needs can be met most effectively. The Local Offer can be an invaluable source of resources, information, advice and relevant support.

It is important that all professionals ensure that children and their parents participate as fully as possible in decisions leading to a support plan. Health and SEND professionals can advise schools on developing support plans that are flexible, child-led and sympathetic to the features of anxiety disorders, Autism, ADHD and other medical conditions.  Plans must be communicated to all staff, and combined with development of relevant staff training and whole-school awareness. Although this may be harder to achieve in a large secondary school than a small local primary, it is fundamental to success.

At Nudge Education, our team shares our vision of a world where no child is left behind, and works to make it a reality through our mission of eradicating chronic disengagement.

We know the UK education sector is delivering fantastic outcomes, but too many young people are slipping through the cracks.

Nudge Education helps schools and Local Authorities support those students who are at-risk or have already become chronically disengaged, to help them rediscover a life worth living.

We have worked with over 200 schools within more than 40 Local Authority areas UK-wide to support them with the most challenging students to prevent crises and leave no child behind. For a life worth living.

The Dare2Dream Foundation deliver a wide variety of highly bespoke social and emotional wellbeing, positive behaviour support and alternative education provisions.

The core aim of our work is to enhance both the mental health and life opportunities of vulnerable children and young people.

Our work is located in some of the most deprived areas of the UK, with an increasingly high number of children suffering from a variety of mental health conditions.

Red Balloon was established with the primary aim of providing a full-time education for children who have self-excluded from mainstream school because of severe bullying or other trauma.

The aim is to raise their self-esteem, enable them to come to terms with what has happened and help them learn how to deal with difficult situations. Ultimately, we want to help students get back on an academic track so they can return to education or move on to college or work.

Flexibility and quality of provision are fundamental to schools and local authorities when they consider alternative providers.

Pupils enrolled with Academy21 can learn from any suitable location where there is a broadband connection and computer. This is usually from a home, school, PRU, AP setting or other learning centre. Learners remain on roll locally with all attendance and progress data provided 24/7 to the designated school or local authority officer via our online reporting systems.

Our experienced, subject specialist teachers deliver lessons via our online classroom to groups of up to 15 learners who will be logging in from all over the country. The classroom is easy to navigate and use and provides the opportunity for each pupil to manage their level of interaction with their teacher, peers, lesson activities and content.