Back to school support for struggling families

Wiltshire Council is keen to work with parents and carers to support children and young people who are struggling to attend school and is offering support and advice to help them get back into a routine.

Difficulties with attendance, or even just getting their child to school in the morning when they are anxious, can have an impact on the whole family. 

Going back to school after a break is challenging for some children and feeling unsure or anxious about starting back is normal but most children will settle back into the school routine after a few days.  However, for others anxious feelings around school may have been around for some time or won’t necessarily go away despite reassurance.  The longer a child is out of school the greater impact it has on their sense of belonging, relationships with peers and academic achievement.

If a child is struggling, parents and carers can:

• Speak to the school so that they are aware of what is happening.  They may be able to offer additional support or adjustments.
• Contact Wiltshire Education Welfare and ask to speak to one of their advisors for guidance and support. If a child has not been attending school for a period of time the service can work with the parent and child and plan a way forward
• Seek support. The Family and Community Learning Team (FaCL) run courses to support eligible parent/carers to understand school related anxiety and attendance issues: https://workwiltshire.co.uk/event/usa-30-1-24/.

The council is working with teams across education, health, and care to look at ways to help families with young people who are struggling to attend school. It is providing multi-agency support to schools to engage in problem solving and signposting where there are concerns around barriers to education and emotional based non-attendance.

Oxford Health delivers Mental Health Support Teams in a number of schools in Wiltshire. MHSTs deliver brief evidence-based treatment in schools to children and young people with mild to moderate mental Health difficulties. The MHSTs are expanding with two new teams beginning training to become qualified Educational Mental Health Practitioners this month.  

Cllr Laura Mayes, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills said: “It’s important families know there is support out there and not to struggle alone. We are here to support your child and to help them attend school where possible. We believe every child deserves the opportunity to experience the joy and growth that comes from being in a supportive school environment.’’

“You are not alone.  We are keen to work in partnership with parents and carers to support children and young people who are struggling to attend school.  We appreciate that this is not always a ‘quick fix’ and we’re committed to adopting a multiagency approach to support families and schools.”