It is more common than you might think. The transition to post-16 education is a significant one, and many young people who managed to hold things together at school find that the change in environment, expectations, or social dynamics tips the balance.

It does not mean your child has given up on life – it often means they are struggling with something that has not yet been named or supported properly. At 16, young people in England are still required to be in some form of education or training until 18, but there is flexibility in what that looks like. Now is a good time to explore what might actually work for them rather than pushing back into something that has already broken down.