Friendship issues affecting GCSEs

[Parsnip48]

My daughter is struggling with friendship issues since start year 11. She’s taken mocks and her results are affected. She doesn’t want school involved. She’s a grade 8/9 student and has worked so hard for these exams. I feel helpless, any thoughts?

Well, I'm not sure how anything is going to get better without involving the school tbh.

How are the friendship issues affecting their schoolwork? Can they just get their head down and focus on work and ignore whichever dc they aren't getting on with?

If it's something like bullying, I'd definitely involve the school.

Any out of school activities where they could build up different friendships?

If she is working hard how is it affecting her grades? Is she panicking? Not able to focus?
I really feel for her - friendships can be hard at that age. I would 100% talk to the school.

It isn’t bullying, typically excluding etc. she’s so emotionally upset about the friendship side it’s affecting her ability to concentrate. She’s tearful, doesn’t want intervention. Do I speak to school and go against her wishes? I just don’t know

What makes you think she’s a grade 8/9? What did she get in her mocks?

Has it been an issue over the years?

Does school have a counselling service?

I was similar many years ago. I was lucky I lived near the school and ended up going home for lunch each day which made things easier.

Results throughout the year and her predicted grades

affecting her emotionally and not able to concentrate I think.

What has happened with the friendship(s) ?

She literally has 3 - 4 months left at school and then on exam leave.

Explain to her that she only has to suffer these fools for a while longer, then she gets to have a whole new set of friends at sixth form if she so wishes. In the meantime, if there are any revision groups during lunch she could attend, then suggest she does. This will help her studies as well as feeling less lonely during her lunch hour. Alternatively, go to the library, concentrate on her work and smash those GCSEs!