Scroll down for resources for parents/carers and teachers to support your child's return back to school.

Our handpicked book lists for supporting Back to School anxiety

Soothing anxiety & worry

'I Can't Go to School!' - Suzy Rowland

An interactive workbook for young teens who are absent from school (for a variety of reasons).

Facing Mighty Fears About Trying New Things - Dawn Huebner

A mini book tackling mighty fears about trying new things, with tips and tricks for breaking free

Facing Mighty Fears About Making Mistakes - Dawn Huebner

A mini book tackling mighty fears about making mistakes and losing

Cheeky Worries - Patrick Davey, Anna Smith

An illustrated picture book that helps to empower 4-8-year-olds in understanding and managing worries and intrusive thoughts

My Anxiety Handbook - Sue Knowles, Bridie Gallagher, Phoebe McEwen

Survival guide for teens and tweens aged 10+ with anxiety

Outsmarting Worry - Dawn Huebner

Tried and tested strategies from a best-selling author to help 9-13 year olds tackle their worries and fears

Doodle Your Worries Away - Tanja Sharpe

A creative CBT workbook for children aged 8+ who are dealing with worry and anxiety

Free from Panic - Monika Parkinson, Kerstin Thirlwall, Lucy Willetts

Self-help book for teens experiencing panic attacks, including strategies from CBT, ACT and CFT

The Nervous Knight - Anthony Lloyd Jones

A gently humorous, illustrated picture book for ages 5+ telling the story of a nervous knight's anxiety and how they learn to overcome it.

10 Minutes to Better Mental Health - Lee David and Debbie Brewin

Small practical steps and bite-sized information to guide teens to better mental health in 10 minutes.

The Mentally Healthy Schools Workbook - Pooky Knightsmith

Pooky Knightsmith lays out tried and tested tools you can use to evaluate the overall mental health of a school, showing how to improve and support the mental health of staff, and how to ensure that the voice of every learner is heard and valued, including the most vulnerable.

Supporting your LGBTQIA+ child/student to feel comfortable at school

How to Transform Your School into an LGBT+ Friendly Place - Ellie Barnes

The go-to guide for making your nursery, primary school or secondary school an LGBT+ inclusive environment for all

LGBTQIA+ Pride Sticker Book - Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Cover your new pens and pencil cases with Pride stickers!

Trans Teen Survival Guide - Owl Fisher and Fox Fisher

A funny, frank and comprehensive guide to trans life for teenagers by authors who understand the realities of growing up trans

Coming Out Stories - Emma Goswell

Are you thinking of coming out for the first time at school? Find inspirational stories on coming out across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum.

Perfectly Queer - Victoria Barron

For allies and queer folks alike, this visual introduction uses bright and fabulous illustrations to explain the rainbow of gender identities and sexualities.

The Queer Mental Health Workbook - Dr. Brendan J. Dunlop

Empowering and reassuring, and written by an experienced queer mental health practitioner, this one-of-a-kind workbook will help you to flourish as a queer person and begin to overcome any challenge.

Sylvia and Marsha Start a Revolution! - Joy Ellison

This illustrated book introduces children to the story of Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson, the two transgender women of colour who helped kickstart the Stonewall Riots and dedicated their lives to fighting for LGBTQ+ equality.

Soothing your neurodivergent child's anxiety

The Strengths-Based Guide to Supporting Autistic Children - Claire O'Neill

A guide to identifying and developing your autistic child's unique strengths, supporting their growth, wellbeing and happiness.

Championing Your Autistic Teen at Secondary School - Gareth D. Morewood & Debby Elley

A supportive guide for families with an autistic child who's getting ready to start secondary school

Nurturing Your Autistic Young Person - Cathy Wassell

A get-up-to-speed guide to autism for parents who are supporting a late-primary/secondary age child through diagnosis and who want to help their young person develop a positive identity.

10 Steps to Reducing Your Child's Anxiety on the Autism Spectrum - Michelle Garnett, Dr Anthony Attwood, Julia Cook, Louise Ford, Stefanie Runham

A manual to help parents deliver the CBT-based programme from the book Having Fun with Feelings on the Autism Spectrum to address anxiety in their autistic child.

The Educator’s Experience of Pathological Demand Avoidance - Laura Kerbey

Have you got a PDA student entering your class? Get it right with this guide for teachers.

The Dyslexia, ADHD, and DCD-Friendly Study Skills Guide - Ann-Marie McNicholas

This practical skills guide helps young people with who learn differently study, especially for their exams.

Simple Stuff to Get Kids Self-Regulating in School - Lauren Brukner

This illustrated guide is the ideal companion for teachers and therapists wishing to help kindergarten and elementary school children to self-regulate.

Supporting anxious students who've experienced trauma

The A-Z of Trauma Informed Teaching - Sarah Naish, Anne Oakley, Hannah O'Brien, Sair Penna, Daniel Thrower

Strategies and Solutions to Help with Behaviour and Support for Children Aged 3-11

Emotion Coaching with Children and Young People in Schools - Janet Rose, Louise Gilbert, Licette Gus

This book supports adults to promote empathetic responses to challenging behaviours and situations, helping children and young people to understand their emotions and learn to manage them and their behaviour in the longer-term.

The Trauma and Attachment-Aware Classroom - Rebecca Brooks

Showing you how you can best support children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences, this guide is full of practical guidance on how you can adapt your teaching with this group.

Creating Trauma-Informed, Strengths-Based Classrooms - Tom Brunzell, Jacolyn Norrish

With accessible strategies grounded in trauma-informed education and positive psychology, this book equips teachers to support all students, particularly the most vulnerable.

  • Is your ADHD or Neurodivergent child anxious for the new term ahead?

    Watch author Joanne Steer share her tips.

    Watch here  
  • What tips and strategies will soothe anxiety in your classroom?

    Anxiety can show itself in many different forms. What trauma-informed tips can you use to support your students?

    Read here  
  • Do you want to make sure you're teaching with dyslexic students in mind?

    Making small changes to your classroom and your teaching approach can make a big difference to dyslexic students.

    Read here  
  • Is your child ready to come out at school but anxious about how?

    Read Yvy's story abut coming out as an Indian trans woman.

    Read here  
  • Is your child anxious about transitioning from Primary to Secondary school?

    Read this blog piece by the Tommy MacKay and Anne Greig, authors of The Homunculi Approach to Social and Emotional Wellbeing

    Read here  
  • What to do if your child can't go back to school?

    Find highlights and an activity from 'I Can't Go To School' by Suzy Rowland

    Find here  
  • Are you looking for anxiety tips, tricks and hacks to help you work?

    Click here for 'the task extractor' activity from Risa William's 'The Ultimate Anxiety Toolkit'

    Click here  
  • 2 activities to bolster your queer teen's mental health

    Teens can try the 'hot cross bun technique' and the 'circle of influence' activity for anxious feelings around school.

    Click here  
  • Opinion piece: what to expect for the future of education for neurdivergent pupils

    Read this blog piece from Suzanne Robertshaw, author of the upcoming book 'A Gobblegark’s Guide to Your Brilliant Neurodivergent Brain'

    Click here