How to help children who avoid school
Understanding each child’s barriers can determine the support they need
What is school avoidance?
Getting children through the school gates is a challenge many teachers and parents face as a new term begins. But whatever you do, don’t call it school refusal. So say clinicians, teachers and carers helping young people who feel they can’t attend school. Defined this way, it becomes an act of defiance, and the solution centres around how to stop a child, rather than trying to discover why.
Instead, professionals refer to emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA) or anxiety-related absence – which can have complex causes, says Alice Moore, a teacher, author and expert in child mental health. Alice works at a primary school in England (for children aged 4-11) where mental health provision is described as ‘exemplary’ by the national school inspectors. She took on her current role as senior mental health lead in 2019, months before the pandemic struck, and since then she’s had her hands full.
“A child’s avoidance of school is the tip of an iceberg and is often rooted in mental health problems.”
In England, persistent absence – missing more than 10 per cent of lessons – soared to 17 per cent of primary school pupils and 28 per cent of secondary school students during the 2022-2023 academic year. That’s more than double pre-pandemic levels. Last autumn term, however, the overall rate fell to 19 from 24 per cent – a glimmer of hope for schools and carers. Schools in England have felt intense pressure to improve attendance following government guidelines to take effect before the start of autumn term this year.
Why do children avoid school?
A child’s avoidance of school is the tip of an iceberg and is often rooted in mental health problems. It may mean a child avoids a classroom, some lessons or certain spaces or people.
But there’s no single reason why children feel they can’t attend, says Alice, and there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to helping them. Causes may be linked to issues specific to the child, or their family and home life, or to problems at school, such as bullying, academic pressure or relationship worries, according to the Anna Freud Centre.
“Some children who are neurodiverse find the setup of the school day completely overwhelming,” says Alice. “We need to move away from saying they won’t go to school, to understanding they can’t go to school – and remain curious as to why. It is about really knowing the unique individual in front of you.”
For some, school avoidance may stem from adverse childhood experiences, says Alice. “We’ve had children from Ukraine who experienced trauma – as a trauma-informed school, we know that these children need to be supported with their emotional wellbeing before any learning can take place.”
Can school avoidance be prevented?
When Alice took responsibility for children’s wellbeing at her school, she learned that mental health had to become a responsibility shared among colleagues. “When staff receive training in neuroscience, attachment theory and child development, there becomes a shared understanding that wellbeing is the foundation of everything – that unless children feel safe, they’re not going to learn – you put it at the forefront of everything you do. It becomes a team effort.”
Through a government accredited programme, Alice and staff embarked upon training to identify and understand challenges faced by children and how to help. Regular assessments by class teachers throughout the year allowed key staff to identify children at risk and spot problems before they fully developed. “Part of my role is empowering the staff and giving them tools to positively support the children they interact with,” says Alice. Language can help reframe an issue – attention-seeking becomes attention-needing for instance. Empowered staff feel more equipped to deal with non-attendance rather than outsource the issue.
“We constantly review which children are in need of support and then look at where we need to allocate resources. Everybody is unique, so we need to look at their individual needs.”
Referrals from parents are another important way to identify children who are wavering. Often parents of non-attending children report feeling judged, blamed and isolated – children miss out on trips, and families miss social and community events that mark the school calendar. It’s down to schools to stay in touch.
“Often parents of non-attending children report feeling judged, blamed and isolated.”
“Our family liaison officer is integral to our team approach,” says Alice. “She will visit the families and try to discover their concerns or understand the bigger picture. (EBSA) is like a puzzle we have to work out with each child.” Staff will never force ‘next steps’ upon a child, says Alice. “We ensure they feel seen and heard, as this enables them to have some have autonomy and control.”
What helps children who avoid school?
One of the most effective ways to soften the start of school is a ‘nurture breakfast’, says Alice. “It’s like a family setup with the family liaison officer present. It’s a really good buffer between home and school, because some children struggle with that transition, sometimes this is all they need.”
A therapy dog – who’s a very popular member of the school community – can help children feel more at ease. “When children take our therapy dog for a walk, they are getting movement, time in nature and an opportunity to talk to a trusted adult – all of these are recognised as ways to support wellbeing.” It can also be a very powerful way to help children open up about their feelings, says Alice.
“We have a range of in-house wellbeing interventions which support any children who are finding school a hard place to be,” says Alice. These include Thrive, Drawing and Talking, Relax Kids, and Hamish and Milo. We also have an emotional literacy support assistant who works with children.
A whole school relational approach has been transformative, says Alice. “I’ve seen the impact when this is done properly by teachers who really believe in placing connection and relationships at the heart of what they do. With care and curiosity, teachers are more able to unravel issues behind non-attendance, and children feel more able to discuss the root cause. That means we can then put in the right support. There’s always a reason. It’s just finding out what the particular barrier is for an individual child.”
The research on school avoidance
School avoidance tends to be more of a problem for secondary schools (for 11- to 16-year-olds) than primary schools (for 4- to 11-year-olds), says educational psychologist Jeremy Swinson, who’s registered with the British Psychological Society. “Primary schools appear to be much better at meeting the emotional needs of young children,” he says.
His advice to parents is pragmatic. “It’s essential to talk to your child and try to understand what’s worrying them. Talk to the teachers to find a solution – which may include a change of class, a change of arrangements at lunchtime and activities to do at breaktimes.”
A high number of children with EBSA appear to be on the autism spectrum, Jeremy says. “Which would infer that their social anxiety, lack of interpersonal skills or just social confidence may be at the heart of the issue for many but not all children.”
Psychologists might adopt a couple of approaches, he says. One involves gradual desensitisation – “a graded return to school, say, for a few hours, then increasing in time.”
Authors of a 2017 review write that there has been little progress in knowledge to guide practitioners dealing with school avoidance, and there is uncertainty around the long term effects of specific interventions. There’s a need, they conclude, for ‘rigorous studies’ to determine how effective individualised approaches are to a problem with many causes. “While a multisystemic response to intervention approach is considered attractive, the practicalities of operating this across disparate professional borders are likely to present a long term challenge.” A team approach is complicated.
A more recent review, from 2023, found that interventions which were based around “proactive systems, a supportive school ethos, personalised intervention and collaboration with families” improved student attendance and engagement.
Resources
School attendance and mental wellbeing from the Anna Freud Centre
School anxiety and refusal from Young Minds
Footnotes
Alice Moore is a compassionate educator and seasoned senior mental health lead, who empowers parents, staff and children through tailored interventions and bespoke education programmes. She believes that the foundation of life-long learning is a safe and nurturing environment, which enables children to reach their full potential. She places kindness and compassion at the core of her work and is committed to embodying these values in the workplace. Her innovative approach has garnered widespread recognition, with her work adopted as a model by schools across the UK. She has also collaborated on projects with Universal Pictures films and Penguin Books and other leading organisations. One of her most recent achievements has been writing and co-producing the song ‘Give me 5’, in partnership with UK mental health charity Beyond, performed by UK television presenter Rhys Stephenson.
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