Audio May 15, 2023
“The beautiful child we felt we’d lost was returning!” Hear Alison and her daughter’s story
This year's Mental Health Awareness Week is putting the spotlight on anxiety. Listen to King's InterHigh parent tell her family's story on the radio, then read her words about her daughter's progress below.
“We first learnt about King’s InterHigh last Autumn during an incredibly stressful chapter of our lives.
Our youngest child (in Year 10) was struggling immensely in mainstream school with no understanding or support for her emotional needs. She had suffered with a severely debilitating anxiety disorder for over five years, and this was exacerbated when she began secondary school. As parents we were in despair and desperate for some help, support, compassion, understanding, and guidance within the school setting. Our daughter was declining at an alarming rate. She had stopped eating, talking, engaging, socialising, and sleeping, and we could no longer get her into school at all.
After years of begging us to homeschool her, we had to consider it and realised it was realistically now our only option. We didn’t know such a school as King’s InterHigh existed, but after watching an open evening and researching, we felt a glimmer of hope.
Needless to say, we enrolled and can honestly say it was the best decision we could have made. The sense of relief and the support we immediately received from any member of staff we interacted with at King’s InterHigh is indescribable. Suddenly we felt understood and no longer alone.”
She was laughing, smiling, engaging, and singing with happiness again. The beautiful child we felt we’d lost was returning!
Parent
“Within our daughters first week, she was starting to sleep and eat. She was laughing, smiling, engaging, and singing with happiness again. The beautiful child we felt we’d lost was returning! Each day and in each lesson, she experienced so much kindness, warmth, friendliness, and a sense of welcoming acceptance.
Unless you have been in our position it is difficult to relate to, but to have a child that is now able to sleep and is not sick with worry, stress, anxiety, and dread over school is wonderful. Our daughter no longer cries, shakes, or vomits at the thought of school. She once again is embracing and loving learning. She is thriving and King’s InterHigh is boosting her confidence every day. She feels proud of her achievements and is learning in a safe environment where she feels compassion, encouragement, understanding, support, and no judgement. If we have any concerns, staff and teachers are kind, incredibly patient, approachable & professional.”
There are no words to thank the staff, team, and teachers at King’s InterHigh enough. They have literally transformed such a dire situation in our lives and our daughter now has the opportunity to achieve academically what she and we know she has always been capable of. We are now feeling an enormous and much needed sense of calm and routine returning to our lives.