In a report earlier this year, it was stated that mental health amongst school children in England had deteriorated in the past two years, 83% of 8,600 teachers surveyed said they’d noted an increase in the number of children in their care with poor mental health.

Bullying is one of the most common causes for childhood anxiety and missing school, however there are also a high number of children that miss school due to; being a carer, trauma or bereavement. As many as 66% of parents have claimed their child regularly feels anxious about lessons, homework as well as the social aspects of school like making friends. In severe cases primary school children suffering with depression and resorting to self-harm.

In our MyGaps programme, we regularly support learners that have dropped out of mainstream education due to difficult family life or disabilities and in some cases, simply not receiving the support and time they needed in a mainstream school. Constant academic pressure has led to young people with severe anxiety in school, such as Robyn, from our GAPs centre in Cambridge. Robyn struggled in school and college due to a hearing disability and handwriting, tutors in school therefore didn’t mark her work. This led to Robyn having low confidence and becoming very anxious. Within our Gaps programme, GAPs tutors helped teach her coping mechanisms for dealing with anxiety and gave her extra lessons to develop her handwriting.  

Another learner, Aliyah, had been attending her local college and studying Health and Social Care, which she was really enjoying. However the large class sizes and mixed age groups were hard to cope with, as well as the implications of her own health conditions – Narcolepsy and Cataplexy, which led to a loss of motivation and missing classes. “I ended up thinking I was stupid and unreliable” Gaps tutors helped her to improve her English and Math’s, building up her motivation and confidence again.

One size doesn’t fit all, and it’s great to recognize that there are now alternative ways to reach your academic goals.

A programme like MyGaps is just one of those alternatives, which provides learners with a flexible and informal studying environment in smaller groups. As a learner you are also provided one-on-one time with a personal mentor.
The sole purpose of the programme is to help you on your way to success. 

If you are struggling with mainstream education, or have recently left and live in or near, Watford, Stansted, Cambridge, Ipswich, Kings Lynn or Clacton-on-sea. Call one of our team on: 01923 698483 and we'll see how we can help you.