As schools return, how do we keep children attending class?

School refusal is a complex issue and can arise for a variety of reasons including, distress related to attending or remaining at school, attending school-related activities, or not feeling well at school. Child and parent mental and physical health, family functioning, parental school engagement, school and home relationship, and community support may all contribute to school refusal. 

With most schools returning this week, some children will be anxious about getting back into the classroom. The pandemic and the disruption it caused to children's lives and schooling have profoundly impacted children's learning and social and emotional well-being. This has meant that transitions, such as the return to school after the long summer break, can result in more children experiencing anxiety at a greater intensity than previous generations and may lead to children refusing to go to school. 

As the children’s commissioner recently highlighted, the increase in children's anxiety is significant and this need cannot be met through Childhood and Adolescent Mental Health Services alone; rather support should focus on helping parents support children in managing their anxiety. Supporting parents to use some simple strategies to help their child throughout the year and maintain good attendance could be as simple helping them focus on things like:  

Routine

Routine is essential for children to feel safe and secure at school and at home. For example during term time, helping children to pack their bags the night before with everything they need and talking with them about what they will be doing the next day, can help create a sense of ease about school and any issues related to their attendance. 

Open Communication 

Encourage parents to be optimistic when discussing school; telling their children about any positive memories they had from their school times. Throughout the term, encourage parents to check in with their child to see how they are getting on – even the smallest moments together can have the biggest impact on their child. By establishing open dialogue, children will be more likely to discuss any worries they have with their parents. 

Helping their child develop the key skills – self-regulation and resilience 

Children who can self-regulate in their early school years are better equipped to navigate their environments' academic and social demands. One key way parents help their child learn self-regulation is by practising it themselves and setting an example for their child; the Triple P parenting programme actively supports this process.

Of course, school refusal and anxiety amongst students has been exacerbated by the pandemic due to Covid-19 and many parents may need more support, to help their child build resilience and coping skills. 

Evidence-based parenting programmes like Triple P can help reduce children's anxiety. Recent research has demonstrated that Fear-less Triple P, designed for parents of children experiencing anxiety, led to significant reductions in the number of children with a clinical diagnosis of anxiety which continued to improve over the following 12 months of follow up.  Parents similarly reported feeling more confident in their ability to manage their child’s anxiety and benefits on siblings and family functioning were also shown. 

If a child’s school refusal continues, it can be a sign that they may be experiencing clinically significant anxiety or other mental health concerns. If this is the case, parents should be encouraged to seek the help of their GP or school. 

Matt Buttery is chief executive of Triple P UK and Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Warwick