Scheme tackling school anxiety wins pupils' praise

A scheme to boost school attendance by giving children ways to cope with anxiety is having a positive impact, a head teacher has said.

The Little Heroes campaign was introduced in Staffordshire to help pupils who might be struggling emotionally with going to school after a 2.3% drop in attendance since the Covid pandemic.

The scheme includes teaching pupils breathing techniques and giving them books with exercises in them to help them relax their minds.

Stickers are also used to encourage pupils to come to school.

The county council said more than 250 schools had signed up to the campaign.

"The quantity of children in our focus group attending on time, every day has improved since we started," said Louise Johnson, head teacher at Heath hayes Academy, Cannock.

"For us, that's exactly what we needed."

Sam, seven, said he often felt nervous and sick about coming to school but the scheme had benefitted him.

"The book has really helped me not be worried about being at school," he added.

Lucas, eight, said finger breathing – a technique that involves taking deep breaths while touching fingers – had helped him.

"If you just sit in a calm area and just do it for one or two minutes it can calm you down a lot," he said.

Thea, seven, said: "When I'm here on time I don't get sad or anything and the stickers really help me."

The council said there had been a drop in absence nationally since the pandemic as pupils continued to adjust to being permanently back in school.

The authority issued 259 penalty notices to families for persistent absence from primary schools in 2024.

But Jonathan Price, their councillor responsible for education, said their preference was to offer help.

"This is about support, inclusion and making sure we have all the tools in place to help parents, because this is absolutely what we need to do," he said.

"We do not want to be beating parents with a stick."

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