From our Leader of Wellbeing

Heading Back to School

As we all start working towards a more normal life some students will find the transitioning back into school difficult after an extended time at home.  This can lead to school refusal. 

School refusal is when a child gets extremely upset at the idea of going to school and this distress doesn’t go away.

Please find below some ideas to help your child transition back into the school environment taken from raisingchildren- Australian parenting website.

School refusal can mean that children have trouble going to school or trouble leaving home. 

Signs and symptoms of school refusal

If your child refuses to go to school, you might feel that school mornings are a ‘battle of wills’. Your child might:

• have crying episodes or tantrums
• hide under the bed covers
• refuse to move
• beg or plead not to go
• complain of aches, pains and illness before school, which generally get better if you let your child stay at home
• show high levels of anxiety.

Working on school refusal at home: practical strategies

School refusal is usually very challenging, but there are some practical things you can do at home to encourage your child to go to school.

When you’re talking to your child

• Show your child that you understand. For example, you could say, ‘I can see you’re worried about going to school. I know it’s hard, but you need to go. Your teacher and I will help you’.
• Use clear, calm statements to let your child know that you expect him to go to school. Say ‘when’ rather than ‘if’. For example, you can say, ‘When you’re at school tomorrow ...’ instead of ‘If you make it to school tomorrow ...’.
• Show that you believe your child can go to school by saying positive and encouraging things. For example, ‘You’re showing how brave you are by going to school’. This will build your child’s self-confidence.
• Use direct statements that don’t give your child the chance to say ‘No!’ For example, ‘It’s time to get out of bed’ or ‘Jo, please get up and into the shower’.
• Talk about what needs to happen to help your child feel safe and comfortable at school. Use a problem-solving approach. That is, help your child work out what the problem is, brainstorm solutions, and choose a solution to put into action.

When you’re at home with your child

• Stay calm. If your child sees that you’re worried, stressed or frustrated, it can make your child’s anxiety worse. And by staying calm, you model a positive way of handling the situation.
• Plan for a calm start to the day by establishing morning and evening routines. For example, get uniforms, lunches and school bags ready the night before, and get your child to have a shower or bath in the evening.
• Help your child stick to a reasonable sleep and wake cycle. It’s very hard to help your child get to school if she’s sleepy during the day and awake at night.

Getting to school

• When your child goes to school, praise them by describing what they might be feeling. You could say, ‘I know this is very hard, and I’m proud of you for trying’.
• Reward your child for going to school. This could be some special time with you or another family member or stopping on the way home at the playground. Make sure the reward is on the same day and your child knows what it’s for.

If you are having a really difficult time with your child transitioning back into school please contact your child's classroom teacher.