Supporting School-Based Anxiety & School Avoidance
Course Overview
This practical and insightful course supports teachers to understand and respond effectively to school-based anxiety and school avoidance within an inclusive classroom framework. It is uniquely shaped by the facilitator's combined experience as a former primary school teacher, play therapist, and child and adolescent psychotherapist, offering a powerful bridge between classroom practice and deeper understanding of children's emotional and developmental needs.
Grounded in current Department of Education guidance and informed by relational and evidence-based approaches, the course explores what sits beneath behaviour and how anxiety can impact engagement, learning, regulation and attendance. It translates this understanding into realistic, classroom-based, creative strategies that teachers can confidently apply in everyday practice. Participants will explore how simple, developmentally appropriate approaches such as play, movement, and creativity can be used within the classroom to reduce anxiety, support transitions, and enhance learning outcomes.
This course is practical, reflective, and immediately applicable, supporting teachers to feel confident, informed, and equipped to meet the diverse needs of pupils in today's classrooms.
By the end of the course, participants will:
- Understand how anxiety impacts behaviour, regulation, engagement, and learning
- Recognise the signs of school-based anxiety and school avoidance
- Apply inclusive, practical strategies, including play and creative approaches
- Create classroom environments that promote safety, predictability, and belonging
- Strengthen collaborative and communicative approaches with parents and support teams
About the Author
Hayley Rice
This course is delivered by Hayley Rice, a Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist, Play Therapist, and former primary school teacher. With extensive experience working across both educational and therapeutic settings, Hayley brings a unique dual perspective to her work, combining in-depth clinical knowledge with a practical understanding of the realities of the classroom.
Hayley's work is grounded in a relational, developmentally informed approach, supporting children's regulation, behaviour, and emotional wellbeing, while equipping adults with clear, adaptable, and practical strategies that can be implemented in everyday settings. All of Hayley's work is grounded in a neuroaffirmative approach, recognising and respecting the diverse ways children experience, process, and engage with the world. Hayley has a specialist interest in childhood anxiety and has engaged in extensive research and advanced training in this area, particularly in understanding the significant rise in anxiety-related needs among children since Covid and in children with trauma in their history.
Through her work with families, schools, and professionals, Hayley has supported a wide range of children and educators in developing effective, connected, and sustainable approaches to behaviour and relationships. Her training and facilitation style is light-hearted, grounded, practical, and reflective, with a strong emphasis on real-life application, inclusion, playfulness, and supporting both pupil and teacher wellbeing.
Enrolment
This course runs in two iterations as follows:
- First iteration: Wednesday 1st July - Friday 17th July.
- Second iteration: Monday 3rd August - Friday 21st August.
Registration is subject to availability.
Access to courses closes at 5pm on the final date for each iteration as stated above.
Please note that there is NO FACILITY to change between iterations or to extend the time available for course completion.
This course is approved for E.P.V. certification by the Department of Education
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