School refusal and anxiety

Sometimes children with special educational needs will refuse to attend school, this can be for a number of reasons including anxiety.

Parents and carers do have a responsibility to ensure that their children attend school if they are on roll at an educational setting. Schools have a legal duty to monitor and enforce good attendance. This means that, if they don’t know the circumstances, they might consider fining you for your child’s non-attendance or start court proceedings.

There are a number of places that parents can go to for help:

School SENDCO (opens link in new window), they can talk to you about how they can support your child back into education through adjustments to their school day. Make sure that school staff are aware of your child’s anxiety and how this affects their attendance. The school should work with you to agree an action plan, which should include review meetings.

Any other professionals involved either in or out of school.

Kirklees Education Safeguarding Team (opens link in new window), can offer help and support to help your child return to school. They have people called Attendance and Pupil Support Officers who can support you. You can call them on 01484 221919 or email education.safeguardingservice@kirklees.gov.uk.
Kirklees Keep In Mind - It is a good idea to speak with your GP about any anxiety your child is having, GP's can refer you to Kirklees Keep In Mind for mental health support. Parents can also make a referral for mental health support through Kirklees Keep In Mind via their website (opens link in new window) or calling 0300 304 5555.
YoungMinds is a charity which provides support and advice for parents and carers when children are experiencing problems due to their mental health - including anxiety and school refusal. They have produced a lot of helpful information including a parents guide about school refusal(opens link in new window)). They also have a helpline number: 0808 802 5544. They have produced a page that is all about school refusal and anxiety - Young Minds School refusal and anxiety guide (opens link in new window)