It's exam season and stress levels can be at an all-time high. For some students, the pressure to achieve either due to the expectations of parents/guardians or the young person's expectations on themselves can lead to overwhleming stress and ultimately, school avoidance.
This is referred to as Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA). Students can also experience EBSA when they have caring responsibilities at home, or they are struggling socially or being bullied.
The Carnegie Centre of Excellence for Mental Health in Schools have produced a guide for schools to help them address EBSA with the students it affects.
Inside Emotionally Based School Avoidance: How to get persistently absent children back into school, you will discover action plans and practical steps teachers and pastoral teams are taking to support primary and secondary school students get back into the classroom.
It covers strategies for:
Students with caring responsibilities
Students at risk of bullying and friendship difficulties
Students pressured by schoolwork and exams
There is additional advice for supporting neurodivergent students.
Strategies inside the document include things like helping to normalise stress, and breaking the cycle of missed learning through a realistic home learning plan.
You can download the full guide for free here.