Managing school anxiety 4 to 11

What school anxiety and refusal is, resources for parents and carers.

School anxiety and refusal

School anxiety, sometimes called 'school refusal', is when your child feels fearful or anxious about school and might be unable to go to school because of it.

It's also referred to as ‘emotionally-based school avoidance' (EBSA). 

Advice for parents and carers

• Bitesize blog: How parents can help their child get through tough times 

  Information about school anxiety, how to help your child and supporting children with SEND

• Bitesize Parents' Toolkit: How can I support myself and my child?

  Six tips to protect your mental health whilst still supporting your child with school anxiety

• Young Minds blog: school anxiety and refusal

  Advice on supporting your child and working with the school and other services.

• Place2Be blog: My child doesn't want to go to school

  How to understand your child's fear and help them face it.

• Bitesize blog: The after-school ‘meltdown 

  Five tips to support your child if they experience the after-school ‘meltdown'

• Young Minds: Parents Helpline

  A free and confidential helpline service for parents or main carers of children and young people aged 25 or under.

• Children's Commissioner: Help page

  A guide for working with your school and local authority to support your children to attend school, including support for parents with SEND children

• Dr Tina Rae: Back to School Anxiety

  Short video that aims to support parents and carers to develop plans to manage the anxiety of getting into school.

• Not Fine in School

  Resource for the growing numbers of families with children experiencing school attendance barriers.

Advice for professionals supporting children with EBSA

Professionals play a key role in recognising and supporting children and young people experiencing Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA). The Bristol EPS guidance promotes a collaborative, trauma-informed approach that emphasises early identification, partnership working, and the use of the Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle. Support plans should be co-produced with families and young people to ensure they are tailored, realistic, and effective.

• Bristol EPS EBSA Guidance 

  Guide based on current evidence for school staff and parents and carers to support children and young people with Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA).

• Return to school planning tool

  A good practice tool to find out young people's views and plan for a positive return to school.

• Ideal classroom

  Engaging, fun and creative way of getting pupils' views of their life in school.

• PATH (planning alternative tomorrow's with hope) participants guide

  Creative planning tool that uses both process and graphic facilitation to create a shared vision of a positive future for individuals, families, teams and whole organisations.

• Not fine in school: professionals

  A child is struggling to attend school: what can we do.

• Drawing the ideal school 

  This technique has been adapted from an approach developed by Moran (2001). The technique enables children to become actively involved in understanding themselves and expressing their views.

• Anna Freud: Mentally healthy schools

  Learn how schools can support young people's mental health by developing social and emotional skills and providing targeted help. Practical guidance to help staff begin their journey toward becoming a mentally healthy school.