One in five pupils in England were reported as persistently absent during the last school year
Anne’s daughter is just nine, but feels constantly overwhelmed by school. Like many children, she found the pandemic very difficult, her mother explains. “She would stop talking for periods of time – we’d find her curled up and feeling low. I don’t think she’s ever really recovered from that.”
The nine-year-old struggled with returning to her primary school, and Anne has become increasingly concerned about her daughter’s mental health. “In school holidays, she’s a different person – there’s a lightness and fun about her. But the shutters go down when it’s time to go back to school,” the 53-year-old from Bristol said.
