Everyone worries about things that happen at school from time to time. Lots of people, like you, will experience something difficult or have to work through a problem during school.

There’s a lot of pressure to get good results, make lots of friends, do well in every subject and be a ‘good student’. These stresses during school can sometimes feel too much. The important thing is to recognise when there’s a problem and ask for help as soon as you can.

Some school problems you might worry about include:

• finding schoolwork difficult, or having problems concentrating in class if others are noisy and disruptive
• exam stress
• tricky relationships with friends and friendship groups
• finding lunchtime difficult, particularly if you have eating problems, anorexia or bulimia
• not getting on with teachers, or feeling like you are labelled as ‘trouble’
• bullying
• receiving inappropriate comments from classmates or teachers; when these are of a sexual nature it is known as sexual harassment – look at Childline’s website for more information and advice
• problems at home – your parents’ relationship, sibling issues, a housing problem or simply feeling unsupported
• returning to school after having time away to look after your mental or physical health
• going to school with anxiety, depression, OCD or any other mental health condition
• going back to school after being excluded, expelled or suspended
• specific difficulties such as dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyspraxia, or autism

If you are experiencing any these problems, you might find that it is affecting how you feel both when you’re at school and at home. Remember, you are not alone. There are people who will listen to you and support you through these difficult times.