Survival at school

Starting school can be a daunting time for any child. For children who have been adopted there can be many additional layers of complexity. Here are some resources that our Family Practitioners frequently use with families.

Dr Pooky Knightsmith, mental health specialist

School anxiety morning routine to reduce stress:

Emotionally based school avoidance – be kind to parents:

• Back to school anxiety booklet: How to help (Dr Pooky Knightsmith) and some great resources on her website on school anxiety https://www.pookyknightsmith.com
  • School Anxiety: Starting The School Day Right
  • School anxiety journal prompts
  • Podcast: School Anxiety: Starting The School Day Right
  • Also, Pooky has further resources on Supporting Children Who Struggle to Go to School (Patreon)

Adoption UK resources

• Welcoming an adopted child to a nursery or Early Years foundation stage (EYFS) setting: Practical strategies to help nurseries and families work together to enable an adopted child to settle in and to thrive there (Adoption UK)
• Welcoming an adopted child into your primary school An introductory guide for schools to getting the best start at a new primary school for adopted children (Adoption UK)
• Welcoming an adopted child to your secondary school (Adoption UK)

and

• ‘Let’s get chatting’ tips and advice on ways to help prepare if you child is starting school in September (Livewell SouthWest)

You may also wish to share them with your child’s teachers and school support staff.