The Priory Group has introduced the UK’s first specialised programme aimed at helping children and teenagers overcome anxiety-related school avoidance, amidst escalating absenteeism rates in England.
The Priory Group has launched what it says is the UK’s first programme designed to help children and teenagers who are missing school because of anxiety, as England continues to grapple with persistently high absenteeism. The five-week course is aimed at 12- to 18-year-olds and is being offered at Priory Hospital Roehampton in south-west London, with the clinic saying it combines therapeutic support with education to help young people return to learning.
According to the Priory, the programme includes exposure therapy delivered through the hospital’s in-house school, alongside personalised support plans, dedicated teachers and occupational therapy input. Families are involved throughout, and the group says NHS referrals will be accepted even though the treatment is being sold privately at a cost of £3,375.
The launch comes against the backdrop of a wider school attendance problem. Department for Education data shows nearly one in five pupils in England are persistently absent, a rate far above the pre-pandemic level. Specialists often describe one driver as emotionally based school avoidance, or EBSA, a term used when anxiety and other emotional pressures make attending school feel overwhelming rather than simply a matter of choice.
Dr Maria Zioga, a principal clinical psychologist at the Priory, said many children who avoid school are not being difficult or uninterested in learning, but are struggling with fear, worry and other pressures that make the classroom feel unmanageable. Supporters of earlier intervention say that can matter because long waits for child mental health services have left some families looking for help outside the NHS, while schools are increasingly being asked to balance attendance demands with a child’s underlying emotional needs.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
