The post-Covid issues with attendance are an ongoing concern for schools: rates of absence are still higher than before the pandemic, and even rising in some demographics, with almost 40 per cent of disadvantaged students persistently absent in the past academic year.
I see it all the time when I visit schools. Some kids struggled in the pandemic, fell behind with their learning and now find that everything’s on the decline. They’re languishing, becoming physically, emotionally and mentally unwell.
If you’re losing ground like that, you’re also losing hope, confidence and motivation. And it’s no surprise that there can come a point when those on this downward trajectory would rather stop coming to school altogether.
This makes teachers’ already-tough job even tougher. On top of everything else, they are now expected to engage the deeply disengaged.
Clearly, the solution is not to put children right after the system has almost broken them; it is to change the system. But change it to what?
Wellbeing tips to tackle school refusal
Imagine that, instead of fixing broken children, we took a proactive approach that stopped them breaking in the first place. Could we actually teach them how to flourish? If we want young people who are confident, purposeful, positive, optimistic, creative, resilient, altruistic, motivated and present, we need to teach them how.
This doesn’t mean the latest government sticking plaster to “support mental health” in young people. It’s about building a modern curriculum around a central pillar of wellbeing, putting wellbeing into the DNA of the school.
As it currently stands, most schools are making it up as they go along with wellbeing: a bit of growth mindset here, a mindfulness class there, with a dash of goal setting thrown in. The scattergun approach to mental health is better than nothing but we’ll have to wait for several more generations of damaged kids to come through the system before someone wakes up to the obviousness of taking a strategic approach to wellbeing.
In the meantime, there are steps that teachers can take to make their spaces happier places to be, even for students who are struggling.
1. Keep an eye on compassion
Compassion fatigue is a well-understood issue in settings such as the NHS, and I can see it spilling over into education. Helping others in difficult situations undeniably takes its toll, which can lead to you feeling so overloaded that, for example, a disengaged student becomes “just another school refuser”.
You forget that they’re a struggling human being, in a chaotic family, and that every day of school they miss is harming their life chances. It’s not that you don’t care, just that you’ve already got enough on your plate trying to motivate the ones who do show up.
Nurturing awareness of when you could be slipping into compassion fatigue can be enough to trigger you to change. Keep this at the forefront of your mind and take action if you find yourself becoming shut down.
2. Lead with love
Before any learning takes place in your classroom, your students will be subconsciously asking themselves two questions: “Am I safe here?” and “Am I loved?”.
If they can say yes to both, then learning can begin. So your primary task is to create a space where learners can show up - even if their confidence has been shot to pieces, even if things are tough - and know they will be valued.
The same questions can also apply to you: do you feel safe and loved? If not, make it a priority to ensure that you do. Speak to your leaders. Eat, move and sleep in healthy quantities. Give yourself some TLC. For the learners to be at their best, they need you to be at your best.
3. Listen with fascination
One of the key facets of compassionate leadership is listening with fascination. That is something much bigger than simply nodding and hmmm-hmmm-ing in the right places. The power of being heard and understood is enormous for everyone, but especially so for young people who feel out of place. That means tuning in, being there and offering that most powerful invitation: “Tell me more.”
Your time is precious (and likely in short supply) but ensuring that you can offer some of it to the most needy students can have an incredible impact on their sense of wellbeing and belonging.
4. Put the other e into education
Remember Tony Blair’s impassioned speech about “education, education, education”? He was three-quarters right. The missing e is enjoyment. In the hectic activity of the school day, it’s easy to forget that fun is fundamental to behaviour and learning.
Learning is a serious business, but that doesn’t mean you have to take yourself seriously all the time. Yes, there are targets to be met and grades to be achieved, but learning lands more effectively when it is fun and makes the classroom a happier place for everyone.
Dr Andy Cope is a wellbeing expert and best-selling author
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