When School Feels Impossible
Practical strategies for parents & carers supporting children who are struggling to attend school

When a child can’t attend school, the instinct is to focus on getting them back through the door. But attendance without safety isn’t progress, and the harder we push, the worse things often get. This session is for parents and carers living with school avoidance every day. We’ll look at what’s really driving it, why shame makes everything harder, and what progress can look like when it doesn’t show up on a register.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

• Explain why “can’t vs won’t” matters, and how that distinction changes what you do next
• Recognise the shame cycle that keeps children and parents stuck, and take steps to break it
• Identify the real barriers driving your child’s avoidance, rather than solving the most visible ones
• Understand why your child might seem fine at school and fall apart at home, and what that tells you
• Spot the green shoots of progress that don’t show up in attendance data
• Use practical strategies for mornings, after-school decompression, and conversations with school