'System rife with blame' could threaten parents' mental health when their kids struggle with school attendance

'System rife with blame' could threaten parents' mental health when their kids struggle with school attendance

In recent years, the number of students missing school has risen steeply. In the UK, one in 50 students missed more than 50% of school in 2022–23. Previously, almost 95% of sampled students were found to miss school regularly because going caused them significant emotional distress, a phenomenon known as school distress. Of this sample, many students were diagnosed with neurodivergent disorders or autism.

Child and Parental Mental Health as Correlates of School Non-Attendance and School Refusal in Children on the Autism Spectrum

Children on the autism spectrum miss more school than their peers, but limited work has explored why this may be. This study aimed to document the frequenc

New Research Project: Understanding Emotionally Based School Avoidance

News24 April 2025We've recently launched a research project focused on Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) across Greater Manchester with our Research Assistant Volunteer. The decision to explore this area came from what we're hearing through our SENDIASS (SEND Information Advice Support Service) in Stockport and Tameside. The number of families contacting our SENDIASS service about EBSA is growing fast. Additionally, we're hearing that sc…

Blame Culture in Schools May Harm Parents’ Mental Health When Children

In recent years, an alarming rise in school absenteeism has cast a spotlight on a largely underexplored aspect of contemporary education: school distress. In the United Kingdom alone, statistics from the 2022-23 school year reveal that approximately one in every 50 students missed over half of their schooling, highlighting a profound crisis in student attendance. Unlike traditional notions of truancy, this phenomenon is deeply rooted in emotiona…