School Anxiety Support

Empowering parents to confidently navigate school-based anxiety through a 6-week course led by an educational psychologist.

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Are you the parent of a child who is worried about going to school?

Without the right support, your child and you may continue to struggle.

Your child's anxiety may persist or intensify.
Your child may miss lessons or end up unable to engage in any learning at all.
You may be confused about why your child is finding school so difficult.
You might be unsure what support to advocate for.
You may feel uncertain how to support your child to understand and regulate their emotions.
Mornings may feel like a battleground as you try to get your child out the door and into school.
You may feel teachers don't take your concerns seriously or that you and your child's school are pulling in different directions.
You may feel isolated, overwhelmed, judged, stressed and helpless.
You or your partner may even have to give up work to look after your child during the school day.

It's probably one of the toughest things you and your family have ever faced, but when you need it most, support is hard to find.

Waiting lists to see mental health professionals are long.
Local Authority educational psychologists are having to focus on statutory assessments so have limited capacity to offer early or long-term interventions.
Private educational psychology assessments are expensive and usually don't provide on-going support.
Different on-line social media communities can recommend conflicting approaches, and it can be hard to work out which advice is most relevant to your child.

Learn to Navigate your Child's School Anxiety with Confidence

Join School Anxiety Support, a 6-week online course for parents led by an educational psychologist.

With expert guidance and a supportive community you'll be empowered to meet the challenges you and your child face when dealing with their worries about school.

Join the programme to:

feel more empowered, confident & knowledgeable about how to address your child's worries.
get more clarity about why your child finds school so hard.
know what support to advocate for.
understand how you and school staff can help your child regulate their emotions.
get school staff to understand what your child really thinks about school (even if your child is expert at masking their true feelings).
plan productive conversations with school staff so everyone is working together towards the same goals.
identify realistic goals based on where your child is at, not where others think they should be.
feel reassured that you are making informed decisions and doing the best for your child, even if you receive pushback from others.
connect with a community that understands what you're going through.
get expert educational psychology advice.

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What do I get if I join the course?

Weekly one-hour online group meet-up for six weeks. (English term time only). Meet-ups will be recorded so that you can view them later if you are unable to attend that week.
Each meeting, we will focus on a topic relevant to parenting a child who is worried about coming to school.
Bonus videos to help you further understand some of the topics discussed.
Practical worksheets and resources to help you take action or understand issues better.
Access to a closed School Anxiety Support Parent Facebook group for you to continue chatting outside of the weekly meet-ups.
Expert support and guidance from a qualified and experienced educational psychologist.
The programme lasts for 6 weeks but you will continue to have access to the community, videos and resources for 12 months.

Topics covered

Week 1 - Unpicking the issues

Why school-based anxiety develops.
Why neurodiverse children can find school so overwhelming.
Tools and techniques to help your child share their views about why school is hard, even if they usually find it hard to talk about their worries.
Resources you and staff can use to use to identify contributing factors.

Week 2 - Working with the school

Why the relationship between schools and parents can sometimes go so wrong.
What might help staff to properly understand your child's point of view
How to plan difficult conversations with staff in advance.
Government guidance on what schools should be doing when a child's worries impact on their attendance.

Week 3 - How to make the school environment less stressful.

Why children sometimes have very good reasons for not liking school or finding school hard.
Why helping children to manage their anxiety is generally not enough.
The kind of support schools can put in place that may make the school environment less stressful.

Week 4 - Worries and how to cope with them.

The hot-cross model of anxiety.
RULER - A framework for teaching children how to manage their emotions.
How to support a young person in meltdown or shutdown.
How to help your child face their fears at a pace that feels manageable to them.
How to adapt traditional approaches to dealing with anxiety if your child is autistic.
How schools can help your child develop skills in emotional regulation.

Week 5 - All the other stuff that makes school hard!

Autistic burnout.
Differences in social development & understanding.
Low self-esteem.
Prolonged stress.
Energy management.

Week 6 - Goals, dilemmas and you.

Setting realistic goals.
Tricky dilemmas, such as how much to push your child to face their fears or whether to take them out of school.
Supporting parental well-being.

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Logistics

Schedule

Monday or Tuesday evenings, 7pm to 8pm over Zoom. (Tuesdays on weeks when there are Bank Holidays).
If you cannot attend the meet-up, you will be able to access the recording afterwards on the course hub.
You can also get support and post questions in the Facebook group.

Dates

Monday 17th Mar 2025
Monday 24th Mar 2025
Monday 31st Mar 2025
Tuesday 22 April 2025
Monday 28th April 2025
Tuesday 6th May 2025

Age range

The course is primarily aimed at parents of children aged 8 to 14, but if your child is older or younger, there will still be lots that is relevant.

Do I have to talk at the meet-ups?

No, you don't have to talk, but you may get more out of the sessions if you do. You can contribute by chat if you prefer.

Flexible Pricing

Because I know how much this course is needed, I'm offering flexible pricing for the pilot course starting on 17th March 2025. I don't want cost to be a barrier for anyone who truly needs this support.

Here's how it works. You pay what you can or what you think it's worth (£25 minimum). In return, I'd love your feedback on what works and what could be improved.

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How do I know if this is the right programme and community for me and my child?

It's for you if:

your child is worried about school, whether they are currently attending or not.
your child's worries are linked to their autism, ADHD or other special educational need, even if they have not yet received a diagnosis.
your child is not neurodiverse.
you are feeling isolated and alone - as if you are the only parent in the school facing these challenges.
you are feeling lost about what to do next to support your child.
you want to better understand what is causing and maintaining your child's anxiety.
you want to know what you and school staff can do to help your child feel less worried about attending school.
you want to work with school staff to help your child to feel happier about coming into school.
you want to be part of a supportive, friendly online community.
you want to feel more hopeful that there is a way through the stress and overwhelm.

It's probably not for you if:

you're mainly interested in support to navigate the SEND system such as knowing how to apply for an EHCP, go to tribunal or seek EOTAS (education other than at school) provision for your child from your Local Authority. While we may touch on some of these issues, they will not be the main focus of the programme.
you child has significant mental health issues that are broader than just worries about attending school.

With over 10 years of experience as an educational psychologist, I can empower you to support your child.

Over the years, I've spoken in detail to many children, schools and families about school-based anxiety, helping to work out what the issues are and identifying what support is needed. The vast majority of these children have autism and / or ADHD, often alongside other issues, such as difficulties with writing.
I've run training for schools on supporting children with school-based anxiety and contributed to a Local Authority's "Emotionally Based School Avoidance" guidance.
I've developed and deliver ELSA training which focuses on helping children to understanding and manage their emotions, develop their self-esteem, friendships and social understanding and cope with bereavement and loss.

6 simple steps to support your family's journey through school-based anxiety.

1 Enrol on the course

Kickstart your empowerment journey.

2 Check out the course hub

Here you'll find details of how to join the live sessions, practical resources, bonus videos and recordings of live sessions.

3 Join the private Facebook group.

Chat to others between weekly meet-ups.

4 Attend our weekly online meet-ups

Gain expert insights and connect with others. Sessions will be recorded and available to view afterwards if you cannot attend.

5 Take action

Use practical resources and strategies discussed in meet-ups to make real change.

6 12 months access

You'll have access to videos, practical resources and the Facebook group for 12 months from signing up.

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You don't need to navigate school-based anxiety alone.

You can find the support you need through School Anxiety Support.

As a parent of a child with school-based anxiety, you may feel overwhelmed by the challenges you and your child face. You may struggle with feelings of isolation and uncertainty, unsure of how best to support your child.

At Odgers Psychology, we believe you shouldn't have to navigate this journey alone. Our expert-led 6-week course empowers parents like you with the tools and knowledge vital for understanding and supporting your child with their worries.

By signing up, you'll gain access to invaluable resources, a supportive community and practical strategies that empower you to advocate for your child. You'll feel reassured that you are making informed decisions and identifying realistic goals based on where your child is at, not where others think they should be.

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Additional resources that may help.

Is your child struggling with school anxiety?

Download my free guide with practical strategies to help your child feel more supported. It includes tips on:

what to talk about with your child.
working with the school .
how to turn those tough mornings around.
plus where to get additional advice and support.

Send me the free guide!