My child started a junior school in September. He knew some other children who came up from infants but it has many feeder schools. It's a large school with four class entry so the children he knew were a fraction of those who started.
He's been up and down since then. There was a child who seemed to target him at first with mean comments. School dealt with that at some point and since then he's had friendship difficulties with the friends he came up with from Infants. We thought these were sorted out but when he went back yesterday he was distraught. He said he couldn't go and begged me not to make him. There were a few other incidents in term one where children were unkind..
I did eventually get him in yesterday. He wouldn't play with his usual friends as he says they are unkind to him. His teacher asked if he wanted her to find him someone to play with and he said no. This meant he was on his own for break and lunchtime. He says he wants friends but none of the children are the kind of people he wants to be friends with (he phrased it slightly differently - I'm paraphrasing) I've told him he should give people a try but he says he doesn't want to.
Our son can be a bit matter of fact. He likes people who don't mess around and has never really been in trouble at school. He can be a bit abrupt I suppose. He told his friend he didn't want to play yesterday and it sounds like his friend was a bit bewildered. I do wonder how he phrased it.
He's been quite anxious on and off over half term. We went to a couple of places and he got quite panicky and overwhelmed by the noise.
I don't know what to do to help him. He's isolating himself. He says he doesn't want to change schools (it is a realistic option) and I'm scared if we do that the problems will follow him but equally he isn't like he was in infants at all and we are worried.
Any advice would be appreciated