School Anxiety
Your child may become highly anxious before school, struggle to leave home or show physical signs of distress.
FOR PARENTS & CARERS
When School Isn't Working for Your Child, There Are Other Ways Forward
When your child is anxious about school, struggling to attend, has SEND, has lost confidence or is becoming disengaged from learning, understanding what to do next can feel difficult.
Reconnect Learning provides personalised education and support for children and young people who need a different way to access learning, alongside clear information for parents and carers trying to understand their options.
YOU MAY BE HERE BECAUSE
Your child may be:
Anxious or distressed about attending school
Missing school or attending less and less
Living with SEND or additional needs
Struggling in a mainstream classroom
Falling behind or losing confidence academically
Excluded, at risk of exclusion or without a suitable placement
Support
Personalised
Education
Flexible
Needs
SEND-Aware
Approach
Relationship-Led
Goal
Moving Forward
UNDERSTANDING YOUR OPTIONS
You don't need to understand the whole education system before you start asking for help
Terms such as alternative provision, EBSNA, EHCP, Functional Skills and reintegration can make an already difficult situation feel even more complicated.
What matters first is understanding what is happening for your child, what barriers they are experiencing and what type of education they may currently be able to access.
Our Approach to Families
We begin with the child or young person in front of us — their strengths, their needs, what has happened so far and what might help them reconnect with education.
WHAT MAY BE HAPPENING?
Children can become disconnected from education for many different reasons
Persistent Absence
Attendance may have gradually reduced until returning to a normal school timetable feels increasingly difficult.
SEND & Additional Needs
A mainstream environment or teaching approach may not currently be meeting your child's individual needs.
Loss of Confidence
Repeated difficulty can leave a young person believing that they cannot succeed in education.
Exclusion or Placement Difficulty
A child may be excluded, at risk of exclusion or waiting for another suitable education placement.
Falling Behind
Absence or disrupted education may create gaps in English, Maths, GCSE subjects or other learning.
PARENT & CARER INFORMATION
Explore the support and information already available for families
Parent Information
Understand how Reconnect Learning works, who we support and what personalised education may look like.
Parent Information →EBSNA Support
Information for families where emotional distress, anxiety or other barriers are affecting school attendance.
EBSNA Support →SEND Support
Information about personalised education for children and young people with SEND or additional learning needs.
SEND Support →Home Learning Support
Guidance for families supporting education at home or while a child is temporarily unable to access school.
Home Learning Support →Frequently Asked Questions
Clear answers to common questions about referrals, tuition, SEND, attendance and personalised provision.
Parent FAQs →Our Programmes
Explore Reconnect Learning's education, wellbeing, mentoring, qualifications and reintegration programmes.
Explore Programmes →WHAT PERSONALISED EDUCATION MAY INCLUDE
Support can look different for every child
The right mix depends on the child's age, needs, current education situation and the purpose of the provision.
1:1 tuition
Home tuition
Online learning
Alternative provision
English and Maths support
GCSE tuition
Functional Skills
EBSNA support
Mentoring
Mental health and wellbeing
Life skills
Careers and aspirations
SEND-informed teaching
Re-engagement
Reintegration support
WHEN YOUR CHILD CANNOT FACE SCHOOL
School attendance difficulties can be about much more than simply refusing to go
Some children experience intense anxiety or emotional distress connected with attending school. You may notice increasing worry, physical symptoms, shutdowns, difficulty leaving home, distress on Sunday evenings or an escalating pattern of absence.
Understanding the barriers behind attendance difficulties is an important part of deciding what support may help.
Read About EBSNA Support →You may be noticing:
Anxiety before school
Headaches, stomach aches or feeling unwell
Difficulty sleeping before school days
Meltdowns or shutdowns
Fear around lessons, peers or the school environment
Attendance becoming progressively harder
A child who wants to learn but cannot currently cope with school
SEND & ADDITIONAL NEEDS
A child may need education delivered in a different way
Your Child Does Not Need to Fit One Label
Children can have overlapping needs involving communication, learning, attention, emotional regulation, sensory processing, anxiety or physical access.
Personalised education looks at how those needs affect actual learning and participation.
SEND Support for Parents →Support May Consider
Communication and processing
Learning pace
Attention and organisation
Sensory needs
Emotional regulation
Confidence and engagement
EHCP outcomes where relevant
LEARNING OUTSIDE SCHOOL
Education can continue even when school attendance is disrupted
Home Tuition
1:1 tuition may be used where a child is temporarily or more substantially unable to access school.
Online Learning
Live online tuition can sometimes provide a lower-pressure way to maintain educational contact.
Blended Learning
A child may use a mixture of home, online, outreach and other forms of education.
Small Starting Points
For some learners, success initially means completing a short session rather than a full school day.
Building Routine
Regular sessions can help rebuild structure and a connection with education.
Moving Forward
Provision can support progress towards school, another setting or a longer-term education pathway.
QUALIFICATIONS & ACADEMIC PROGRESS
A different education pathway does not mean giving up on achievement
GCSE Support
Learners can receive targeted GCSE tuition where a GCSE pathway remains suitable.
Functional Skills
English and Maths Functional Skills may provide another recognised pathway for some learners.
Closing Learning Gaps
Personalised tuition can focus on missed content and rebuild confidence gradually.
Individual Pace
Some learners make better progress when learning is broken into smaller, manageable steps.
Exam Readiness
Support can include revision, confidence and practice with examination-style tasks.
Future Progression
Education can be linked to college, training, employment and longer-term goals.
HOW SUPPORT MAY BE ARRANGED
Different families reach personalised education through different routes
School-Arranged Support
A school may commission additional tuition, alternative provision or reintegration support as part of a learner's education plan.
Local Authority Provision
A local authority may arrange or commission education depending on the child's circumstances and statutory position.
Parent-Enquired Support
Families can contact Reconnect Learning to understand available services and discuss what may be appropriate.
THE RECONNECT APPROACH
Moving towards learning one stage at a time
1
Understand
What is happening for the child?
2
Feel Safe
Create a manageable starting point.
3
Connect
Build a consistent trusted relationship.
4
Engage
Gradually increase participation.
5
Learn
Develop academic and wider skills.
6
Progress
Move towards the next suitable pathway.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Alternative education does not always mean leaving school permanently
SAFETY & PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
Parents should know how their child is being kept safe
Safeguarding
Reconnect Learning has safeguarding leadership, reporting procedures and clear escalation arrangements.
Safeguarding →Safer Recruitment
Appropriate checks, references, identity verification and induction support safer staff deployment.
Policies & Compliance →Risk Assessment
Relevant learner, home, online, activity and lone-working risks are considered where applicable.
Attendance
Attendance and missed sessions are recorded and handled through agreed arrangements.
Professional Boundaries
Staff work within clear expectations around communication, conduct and relationships with learners.
Policies & Compliance
Families can view Reconnect Learning's key policies and compliance information online.
Policies & Compliance →Understanding who is responsible for your child's education
The arrangements available to a family depend on the child's individual circumstances. A school, local authority or other responsible body may have duties or decision-making responsibilities that Reconnect Learning cannot replace.
Reconnect Learning can provide education and support where an appropriate service has been agreed, but we do not make statutory decisions about EHCPs, school placements, exclusions, attendance enforcement or entitlement to local-authority-funded provision.
Where you are unsure which route applies to your child, the first step may be to speak with their school, SENCO, local authority or other professional already involved.
PARENT & CARER FAQs
Questions families often ask
What is alternative provision?
Alternative provision is education arranged outside a learner's usual mainstream timetable where a different approach is needed. It can take many forms depending on the learner and their circumstances.
What is EBSNA?
EBSNA is commonly used to describe emotionally based school non-attendance, where emotional distress or anxiety creates significant barriers to attending school.
Can my child receive tuition at home?
Potentially. Home tuition may be appropriate in some circumstances, depending on the learner's needs, suitability and how provision is being arranged.
Does my child need an EHCP to receive personalised support?
Not necessarily. Different forms of support have different requirements. An EHCP may be relevant for some children, but personalised education is not limited only to learners with an EHCP.
Can a child with SEND use alternative provision?
Yes. SEND needs can be considered when planning appropriate teaching, communication, environment and support.
Can my child still take GCSEs?
Potentially. GCSE tuition can continue where a GCSE pathway remains appropriate and suitable examination arrangements are in place.
What are Functional Skills?
Functional Skills are recognised English and Maths qualifications that may provide an alternative pathway for some learners.
Can Reconnect Learning help my child return to school?
Where appropriate, personalised education, mentoring and reintegration support can help a learner work towards increased participation in school or another education setting.
Can Reconnect Learning work with my child's school?
Yes. Where support is appropriately arranged, Reconnect Learning can work alongside schools and other education professionals.
Can Reconnect Learning work with the local authority?
Yes. Reconnect Learning can provide commissioned provision for local-authority teams where appropriate arrangements have been agreed.
Who pays for alternative provision?
This depends on how provision is arranged and the child's individual circumstances. Schools, local authorities and families may access services through different routes.
Where should I start if I don't know what my child needs?
Start with what you are seeing now: attendance, anxiety, learning, SEND needs, confidence and what has changed. Your child's school, SENCO or local authority may also be able to explain the options relevant to their circumstances.