School can feel different for everyone.
Maybe school is going well. Maybe getting there is hard. Maybe you feel left out, anxious, tired, behind, worried or simply fed up. This space helps you work out what is going on and what could make things better.
What is getting in the way?
You may recognise more than one of these. That is completely normal.
Mornings are the hardest part
Getting up, getting ready or leaving home can feel like the biggest hurdle.
Make tomorrow easierI do not feel like I fit in
Friendships, bullying, loneliness or feeling different can make school feel much harder.
Take the Belonging CheckLessons or work feel overwhelming
Falling behind, finding work difficult or worrying about being noticed can make returning harder.
Map the hard parts of my school dayI feel anxious or worried
Sometimes worry starts before school and grows as the day gets closer.
Build my confidence ladderI am exhausted or cannot switch off
Sleep, health, stress and long days can all affect how manageable school feels.
Use School Feels Hard TodayI have missed school and coming back feels awkward
The longer you are away, the bigger returning can feel - but you do not have to do it all at once.
Build my Come Back PlanDo you feel like you belong at school?
The existing Student Hub includes a Personal Belonging Check that helps you think about what is going well, where things feel harder and where a little extra support might help.
Your Belonging Profile
The check is designed to help you notice strengths as well as difficulties. It can also give you ideas for conversations with people who can support you.
Your experience can help improve schools.
The current Student Hub invites children and young people to take part in a national research project about belonging in schools across the UK. The survey takes around 10 minutes and is designed to hear what school actually feels like for young people.
Be part of the research
There are no right or wrong answers. The aim is to understand what helps young people feel connected, supported and ready to learn.
Take part in the National Belonging Check ↗Tools that are about you, not just your attendance percentage.
These are the current pupil and student tools listed in the Portal directory. Every card below opens its own direct resource.
My Five Day Challenge to Improve Attendance
Five days and one manageable reset to build momentum.
Open interactive tool ↗My School Day Heat Map
Spot which parts of the school day feel easiest and hardest.
Open interactive tool ↗Help Me Find the Words for My Tutor Discussion
Prepare what you want to say before speaking with a tutor or trusted adult.
Open interactive tool ↗My Attendance Story
Explain what attendance has felt like from your point of view.
Open interactive tool ↗School – Listen to Me and Hear My Voice
Help school understand what you need adults to notice and hear.
Open interactive tool ↗School Day SOS
Practical support when today at school feels difficult right now.
Open interactive tool ↗EBSA: My Confidence Ladder
Break an anxiety-related return into smaller, achievable steps.
Open interactive tool ↗My Stay in School Plan
Build a practical plan for staying connected when part of the day feels hard.
Open interactive tool ↗Make Tomorrow at School 10% Easier
Choose one small change that could make the next school day easier.
Open interactive tool ↗School Feels Hard Today
A quick check-in for days when school feels overwhelming.
Open interactive tool ↗My Come Back Plan to School
Create a supported plan for returning after time away.
Open interactive tool ↗60 Seconds About My Week
A one-minute reflection on what worked, what did not and what may help next.
Open interactive tool ↗Belonging Check
Explore how connected, supported and included you feel at school.
Open interactive tool ↗Coming back does not have to mean pretending everything is fine.
A useful return plan starts with what made school difficult, what you are worried about now and what would make the first few days feel safer or more manageable.
A good comeback plan could include:
Find one trusted adult.
You do not need to explain everything perfectly. You can start with one sentence such as, "School has been harder than people realise," or, "I need help with one part of the day."
Who could you speak to?
Your attendance matters, but so does your experience of school. The goal is not simply to get you through the door - it is to help school become a place where you can feel safer, more connected and able to move forward.
If you feel unsafe, are being harmed, or are worried that you or someone else may be in immediate danger, tell a trusted adult straight away and use the appropriate emergency or safeguarding support available where you live.