You may be experiencing emotions that make you feel nervous about attending school. Worries about friendships, learning difficulties, bullying, schoolwork and exams are common. It's important to know you’re not alone.
It’s not too late to turn things around! Once you’ve recognised the importance of good attendance and the link between achieving your best grades, you can make changes to improve your attendance and achieve your goals.
Benefits of attending school
By maximising your attendance at school, you are more likely to benefit from:
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better social skills
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higher grades
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stronger friendships
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enhanced life skills
There are many reasons your attendance may be dropping, whether you’re starting to miss a couple of hours a term or arriving late to lessons, it all adds up. Even being five minutes late every day can equate to a chunk of time that is being missed in the classroom and in the long term this can impact on your grades.
Did you know missing 17 school days in a year is 85 hours of lost learning. This could reduce your GCSE results by an entire grade. Don’t let a slipping attendance determine your future.
Available support
There is a range of support available depending on your needs. By addressing your worries, you will feel more resilient and better able to cope with the demands of being in school.
If you or someone you know is being bullied you can get support from ChildLine. Being bullied is never your fault, you can find support on various types of bullying, whether it is something you're experiencing in school or cyber bullying online. ChildLine have a series of threads where students share their fears and feelings and offer each other advice.
Struggling with school and how you feel
For support with your mental health, you can access an online mental wellbeing community through Kooth. The website offers free, safe and anonymous support for young people.
It’s important to recognise you’re not alone if you’re struggling with your mental health. Young Minds provide practical tips and advice from young people like you, as well as information on getting the support you need.
If you’re feeling stressed, Mind provide information and tips for managing stress and looking after your wellbeing.