‘Less daunting’: inside the new education unit in north London supporting school refusers

When schools in England fully opened after the Covid lockdown in 2020, most children were happy to return. But Rex, like many other children, decided he wouldn't go back.

“He didn't really like school before COVID, but he just got up and went because that's exactly what you did,” says his mother, Tracey. Rex's mental health deteriorated; he struggled with chronic depression and anxiety, and he became a so-called emotionally based school avoider.

“His school fell apart during Covid. It wasn't like he particularly adhered to any routine. And then he tried to go back in September 2020, and I think he suddenly realized, 'This isn't working for me at all and I'm not going to do it anymore,'” says Tracey.

“As a parent you are at your wits' end, because your child is just at home. They just sit on their phones, they get more and more upset. They only become more isolated.

“I woke up crying and went to bed crying. Because apart from regular schools, I didn't know what the other options were in Britain, apart from homeschooling, and that's a no for me anyway.”

Luckily for Rex and Tracey, the London borough of Camden has another option, run by the Royal Free hospital children's school. After a false start that saw Rex return to his previous school for GCSEs but then withdraw in further avoidance, he was offered a place in the hospital school 'future group', intended for older children who cannot cope with the hustle and bustle and complexity from a regular school.

Despite Rex's initial reluctance – “I think he thought it would just be a bit of guitar playing, it would just be a joke,” says Tracey – he flourished thanks to the group's support and achieved a string of good GCSE results. He is now taking A-levels at a mainstream sixth form.

Although the center uses therapies including horse riding, art and music therapy, Alex Yates, headteacher at the Royal Free Hospital Children's School, says the children it cares for should not expect an easy ride.

“The level of scrutiny and pressure they get here is probably nothing they've experienced before,” he says. “The fact that someone is contacting them every morning from 8.15am to ask how they are doing, what time they will be there is certainly nothing that mainstream schools will prepare them for.

“These kids are not in a good place. If you reject things and you have a depressed view of things, you are stuck. And these children are stuck. And we need to give them innovative ways to get them out of there.”

The success of the hospital school has led to local schools and Camden Council supporting the refurbishment of a bespoke unit at the Konstam Centre. officially opened in October – the first of its kind designed to help children aged five to 16 who are no longer able to attend school due to medical or mental health conditions.

Originally opened as a children's health clinic in 1924, funded by the Konstam family to commemorate two sons killed in World War I, the center allowed Yates to put together a variety of programs to help school avoiders.

Dr. Cathleen Halligan, an educational psychologist who works with the school, said: “The vast majority of children I have met who are not in school and struggling with school avoidance do not want this to continue. They want it to be different.

“A place like this is less intimidating for kids who have struggled with the things they've been through, like peer problems or the sensory overload of a large high school.

“It's a smaller group here, it's quiet. You have one classroom as a base, you don't go between many different classes, you call people by their first names, you don't wear a uniform. The setting of the school lends itself to overcoming these barriers.”

Access is strictly limited, and not just to the center's capacity of 50 children. Students must be referred by a medical professional, social worker or school leader, and funding must be agreed upon by the child's current school. Each case is reviewed by a panel to decide whether it fits the case.

“Essentially what we're trying to do is make young people feel better about themselves, regardless of their age group,” says Yates. 'My measure of success for the future group, the GCSE group, has never been the way they do in Year 11. Because, quite frankly, you can give them grades that are about right for their abilities, or sometimes even beyond .

“The real test is what they do the following year. Because all the efforts we make to reconnect them with the world, to regain their self-esteem, to build their self-confidence, must be resilient.”

Yates said the development of the Konstam center was “the result of collaboration between local authority maintained schools”.

“The only reason I have been able to do this is because I have had support from local headteachers and support from Camden's school inclusion team at every stage. They have invested as a group, invested financially,” he added. “The reason we got this building is because we were able to demonstrate that the results were fantastic and that it was worth the council's investment.”

Marcus Boyland, cabinet member for children and families at Camden council, said: “We have a leadership team who are really committed to children in the borough, and we have made policy decisions to support them and protect them from cuts that have had to be made . made elsewhere. It's something we're really proud of.

“We see (RFHCS Konstam) as part of an early intervention and prevention strategy, engaging and supporting these children early, and I believe this can help stop or prevent other problems that could arise later.”

Tracey says that although Rex is still struggling, she now feels better equipped: 'It's a work in progress, but it's helped a lot, both me and him. Whenever I speak to Alex (Yates) he always says, 'we're here if you need us'.”