Wellbeing Matters

Understanding school refusal

Adapted from https://headspace.org.au/friends-and-family/understanding-school-refusal/

School is a place filled with experiences and opportunities for young people. Some of these are exciting while others can be quite challenging. How a young person feels about school is influenced by many factors, such as their learning ability and style, relationships with their teachers, their family life and their peer relationships. 

School refusal can occur when a young person finds it difficult to attend school because they experience emotional distress, such as anxiety or as the result of bullying. It’s not unusual for young people to feel reluctant to go to school periodically and find it more difficult to attend school on that day. This can present as feeling ill or unhappy in the morning before school with a desire to stay at home. But when this experience becomes more common and persistent, you and your young person may find yourselves stuck and in need of support. 

Repeated school refusal can negatively impact a young persons’ learning and development. It can affect friendships due to missed opportunities to connect with their peers. The longer the issue persists, the more difficult it can be for your young person to get back into the routine of going to school, so where possible, respond sooner. With the right support and strategies, school refusal can be overcome.

Signs to look out for:

School refusal can manifest in many ways. Things to look out for might be:

distress and anxiety about going to school

• tearfulness before school, sometimes resulting in conflict with family members
• frequent complaints of physical illness before or during school including headaches, tiredness, stomach upsets or diarrhoea
• poor teacher/student relationships
• refusal to get out of bed, leave the house or get out of the car to go to school
• difficulty attending school after disruptions to usual school routines such as holidays, school events or remote learning
• frequent absences from class including being late or periods spent in the sick bay.

What contributes to school refusal?

School refusal is complex and differs for each young person. There might be a few contributing reasons that lead to school refusal. Some common factors include: 

• worry related to being separated from family
• worry related to social interactions
• changes to school environment such as transitioning from primary to high school or to a new school
• learning difficulties or conflict with teachers
• anxiety about exams or public speaking
• being affected by bullying or friendship difficulties
• an unsettled family life – separation or divorce or illness.

Supporting your young person return to school:

If you’re caring for a young person who is refusing school, early action can help prevent behaviours from becoming longer-term habits. Modelling effective communication and problem solving at home can encourage your young person to do the same.

You can support your young person by finding a time when you both seem calm, then ask your young person about their concerns and worries about school. These issues can start to be addressed if they are known. Sometimes it can help to ask direct questions:

• are you being bullied?
• are you struggling with the school work?
• are you having issues with the teachers?
• is something else bothering you?

It is often helpful to:

• explore different ways your young person can try to manage their worries. Focus on their strengths and ways to positively engage in day-to-day activities
• learning relaxation techniques together, such as breathing exercises, to help reduce feelings of stress and anxiety
• creating a plan together that explores ways to manage the beginning of the school day, school term, school year, social situations or school work, depending on what is troubling your young person
• making the time at home seem less appealing by reducing screen time and focussing on homework, discouraging them from refusing school
• speaking to the school and developing a collaborative plan. A clear and well understood plan between a young person, parents and the school can be a useful tool in addressing school refusal
• considering if your young person may benefit from professional support to assist them with strategies and to better understand the underlying reasons for their school refusal.

 Self-care for parents

Caring for someone who is experiencing school refusal can leave you feeling stressed, worried and anxious. It’s an important step to look after yourself during these times. By doing so, you are also modelling good self-care for your young person.

More information:

ReachOut - How to make friends at school

ReachOut - Living with school stress

Smiling Mind – Breathing and other relaxation techniques

Romy Glenn, 

Student Wellbeing Co-ordinator

COVID-19 VACCINES 

& 

OTHER VACCINES                                     

Immunisation nurses from Banyule Council attended Greensborough College on Monday 8th November to administer the HPV and Triple Antigen vaccines to Year 7 students as well as the Meningococcal vaccine to Year 10 students. On Monday, the nurses were not giving the vaccination to students that had received their Covid-19 vaccine within the previous 7 days.

However, that advice has changed since Monday and the information from the Australian Technical Advisory Group Immunisation (ATAGI) is that a 7-day interval between these vaccines or the influenza vaccine is no longer required. 

Parents are still required to monitor their children’s reaction to any vaccine.

Common side effects of vaccinations include:

• pain, redness, swelling and tenderness at the injection site,
• tiredness,
• headache,
• muscle pain,
• nausea,
• fever and chills,
• feeling unwell or joint pain
• and, if severe, to attend hospital or contact their doctor (G.P.).

FURTHER INFORMATION

NURSE-ON-CALL puts you directly in touch with a registered nurse for caring, professional health advice around the clock. 

Call 1300 60 60 24 from anywhere in Victoria for free health advice, 24 hours a day.

The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Frequently Asked Questions page 

Frequently asked COVID-19 questions - Murdoch Children's Research Institute (mcri.edu.au)

COVID-19 vaccines | Australian Government Department of Health

Melissa Lenten,

Secondary School Nurse 

Available @ Greensborough College on Thursdays & Fridays.

Additional Info & Resources: