Can anxiety make a pupil work more slowly?
Anxiety can increase checking, hesitation and cognitive load, meaning pace may vary markedly according to context and perceived pressure.
Read article →Practical advice
Emotional wellbeing and regulation
Support emotional safety and participation, and make the route to help clear.
Browse all 270 articles on this topic
Browse the collection below, or search within this topic.
Read the topic overview
Explore the pupil’s experience
Ask about a specific part of the day rather than demanding a general explanation of feelings. Pictures, choices, ratings or a quiet activity may be easier than direct questioning. Compare lessons, people and times when stress rises. Take changes in behaviour seriously while avoiding diagnosis from a classroom impression.
Plan support before distress peaks
Agree early signs, a discreet request for help and an accessible place or activity that supports recovery. Teach a coping routine while the pupil is settled. Make the return to learning predictable and preserve a trusted relationship. A regulation tool should offer support rather than become a sanction.
A classroom example
A pupil repeatedly leaves during public feedback. Agree private feedback, one manageable correction and a way to ask for a short pause. Afterwards, ask whether the pupil can return and continue, and whether understanding improved. Counting fewer exits alone misses the quality of the learning experience.
Know the limits of classroom support
Follow safeguarding procedures immediately where there is a concern about harm or safety. Involve the SENCo, family and appropriate services when difficulties are persistent, worsening or substantially affecting daily life. Do not require disclosure of private experiences in front of others.
Further reading
EEF: Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools · SEND Code of Practice
General guidance for school staff. Apply professional judgement, current school policies and advice based on the individual pupil’s circumstances.
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270 articles in this topic.
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How can a class teacher support emotional regulation without becoming the only safe adult?
Practical guidance for school staff, with a focus on understanding the barrier, making proportionate adjustments and checking whether support improves participation and independence.
Read article →How can a SENCo review support for coping with exam-room anxiety?
A SENCo review of coping with exam-room anxiety should connect evidence, pupil voice, classroom practice and the impact of support already tried.
Read article →How can a SENCo review support for editing without becoming overwhelmed?
A SENCo review of editing without becoming overwhelmed should connect evidence, pupil voice, classroom practice and the impact of support already tried.
Read article →How can a SENCo review support for laughing when anxious?
A SENCo review of laughing when anxious should connect evidence, pupil voice, classroom practice and the impact of support already tried.
Read article →How can a SENCo review support for swearing when overwhelmed?
A SENCo review of swearing when overwhelmed should connect evidence, pupil voice, classroom practice and the impact of support already tried.
Read article →How can a SENCo understand why a pupil appears calm in class but reports high anxiety in Reception or Key Stage 1?
Look for the pattern behind the difficulty, make one targeted change and review whether participation and independence improve.
Read article →How can a SENCo understand why a pupil becomes distressed when a preferred plan changes in Reception or Key Stage 1?
Look for the pattern behind the difficulty, make one targeted change and review whether participation and independence improve.
Read article →How can a SENCo understand why a pupil finds assemblies overwhelming during less structured parts of the day?
Look for the pattern behind the difficulty, make one targeted change and review whether participation and independence improve.
Read article →How can a SENCo understand why a pupil finds moving between classrooms overwhelming during less structured parts of the day?
Look for the pattern behind the difficulty, make one targeted change and review whether participation and independence improve.
Read article →How can a SENCo understand why a pupil finds the dining hall overwhelming in Key Stage 2?
Look for the pattern behind the difficulty, make one targeted change and review whether participation and independence improve.
Read article →How can a SENCo understand why a pupil worries excessively about getting answers wrong in Key Stage 2?
Look for the pattern behind the difficulty, make one targeted change and review whether participation and independence improve.
Read article →How can alexithymia affect emotional support in school?
Practical ways for school staff to understand the barrier, make targeted adjustments and review whether support is helping.
Read article →How can anxiety be mistaken for oppositional behaviour?
Explore whether refusal functions to escape uncertainty, perceived threat, embarrassment or overwhelming demand.
Read article →How can I avoid accidentally reinforcing anxiety-driven avoidance?
Validate distress while supporting small achievable steps towards participation rather than removing every feared demand indefinitely.
Read article →How can I distinguish anxiety from lack of motivation?
Compare when the difficulty occurs, what the pupil avoids, their physical or emotional signs and what happens when threat is reduced.
Read article →How can I help a pupil notice emotions before they become overwhelming?
Teach recognition of early body signals and link them to a small set of practised regulation choices.
Read article →How can I help a pupil recognise early signs that they are becoming overwhelmed?
Adults may notice distress only after the pupil is no longer able to explain what they need.
Read article →How can I help a pupil who worries about being told off?
Use calm, predictable correction and make expectations and routes to repair explicit.
Read article →How can I introduce a new activity without creating unnecessary anxiety?
Uncertainty about what to do, how long it lasts or what counts as finished can be more difficult than the activity itself.
Read article →How can I maintain expectations without escalating a pupil’s anxiety?
Keep essential expectations clear while reducing uncertainty, language load and unnecessary pressure around how the pupil meets them.
Read article →How can I make fire drills more manageable for a pupil who finds them distressing?
A sudden alarm and crowd movement can cause distress while the school's safety procedure must still work.
Read article →Browse 248 more articles in this topic
- What should we do when a child in a nursery setting has difficulty waiting even briefly?
- How can I recognise anxiety when a pupil does not say they are worried?
- How can I support a pupil through bereavement while keeping school predictable?
- How can I support a pupil who becomes distressed by unexpected change?
- How can I support a pupil who cannot talk when distressed?
- How can I support a pupil who is anxious about a supply teacher?
- How can I support a pupil who worries about getting answers wrong?
- How can I support a pupil who worries about what other children think?
- How can I support a pupil with low self-esteem in the classroom?
- How can I support emotional regulation without relying on rewards?
- How can I teach multiplication facts without creating anxiety?
- How can I tell whether anxiety is affecting a pupil's learning?
- How can I tell whether work refusal reflects anxiety, difficulty or motivation?
- How can school respond when anxiety looks like refusal?
- How can school support a pupil who becomes distressed by receiving corrective feedback?
- How can school support a pupil who becomes distressed by unexpected touch in Reception or Key Stage 1?
- How can school support a pupil who becomes distressed on Sunday evenings about school in Reception or Key Stage 1?
- How can school support a pupil who becomes overwhelmed by small unexpected changes in Reception or Key Stage 1?
- How can school support a pupil who becomes overwhelmed by smells in classrooms or lunch areas?
- How can school support a pupil who becomes silly when overwhelmed?
- How can school support a pupil who finds assemblies overwhelming in Key Stage 2?
- How can school support a pupil who finds moving between classrooms overwhelming in Key Stage 2?
- How can school support a pupil who finds tasks with several sources of information overwhelming in Reception or Key Stage 1?
- How can school support a pupil who finds the dining hall overwhelming during less structured parts of the day?
- How can school support a pupil who is anxious at drop-off?
- How can school support a pupil who is distressed by fire alarms?
- How can school support a pupil who worries about being told off?
- How can school support a pupil who worries excessively about getting answers wrong during less structured parts of the day?
- How can school support a pupil with low confidence after repeated setbacks?
- How can school support an adolescent with low confidence as a learner?
- How can school support wellbeing without turning every difficulty into a mental health problem?
- How can school support wellbeing without turning every difficulty into a mental health problem?
- How can schools make morning arrival easier for an anxious pupil?
- How can schools support a pupil following bereavement?
- How can schools support a pupil who becomes distressed by unexpected change?
- How can schools support a pupil who becomes distressed by unexpected change?
- How can schools support a pupil who finds the dining hall overwhelming?
- How can schools support a pupil who is distressed by hand dryers and school toilets?
- How can schools support a pupil who is distressed by hand dryers and school toilets?
- How can schools support a pupil who worries constantly about getting into trouble?
- How can schools support a pupil who worries constantly about getting into trouble?
- How can schools support a pupil who worries excessively about getting things wrong?
- How can schools support emotional regulation without relying on a “calm corner” alone?
- How can schools support emotional regulation without relying on a “calm corner” alone?
- How can schools support pupils who become distressed when praised publicly?
- How can schools support pupils who become distressed when praised publicly?
- How can schools support pupils who find moving between lessons overwhelming?
- How can schools support pupils who find moving between lessons overwhelming?
- How can schools teach personal safety without increasing anxiety?
- How can staff prepare an anxious pupil for a change of classroom or teacher?
- How can staff respond to repeated reassurance seeking without increasing anxiety?
- How can staff respond when a pupil seems distressed after breaktimes?
- How can staff support a pupil who appears calm at school but is distressed at home afterwards?
- How can staff support a pupil who appears calm at school but is distressed at home afterwards?
- How can staff support a pupil who becomes distressed on Sunday evenings about school?
- How can teachers adapt the classroom for a bereaved pupil?
- How can teachers adapt the classroom for a post-16 learner experiencing anxiety?
- How can teachers adapt the classroom for a pupil affected by parental mental health difficulties?
- How can teachers adapt the classroom for a pupil whose social media use is linked with anxiety?
- How can teachers support pupils who become overwhelmed by crowded corridors between lessons?
- How can teachers support pupils who become overwhelmed by crowded corridors between lessons?
- How can we involve the pupil in planning support for coping with exam-room anxiety?
- How can we involve the pupil in planning support for editing without becoming overwhelmed?
- How can we involve the pupil in planning support for laughing when anxious?
- How can we involve the pupil in planning support for swearing when overwhelmed?
- How can we scaffold coping with exam-room anxiety without creating dependency?
- How can we scaffold editing without becoming overwhelmed without creating dependency?
- How can we scaffold laughing when anxious without creating dependency?
- How can we scaffold swearing when overwhelmed without creating dependency?
- How can we support a pupil who becomes anxious before tests or assessments?
- How can we support a pupil who becomes overwhelmed by too many choices?
- How can we support a pupil who struggles to recognise when they are becoming overwhelmed?
- How can we support emotional regulation in Reception?
- How can we support workplace anxiety?
- How do I discuss worries with a pupil who says they are fine?
- How do we know whether support for a bereaved pupil is working?
- How do we know whether support for a post-16 learner experiencing anxiety is working?
- How do we know whether support for a pupil affected by parental mental health difficulties is working?
- How do we know whether support for a pupil whose social media use is linked with anxiety is working?
- How do we know whether support for coping with exam-room anxiety is working?
- How do we know whether support for editing without becoming overwhelmed is working?
- How do we know whether support for laughing when anxious is working?
- How do we know whether support for swearing when overwhelmed is working?
- How should a SENCo support teachers who feel overwhelmed by SEND?
- How should adults talk to a pupil about anxiety?
- How should school assess what is happening when a pupil a child becomes distressed at tidy-up time?
- How should school assess what is happening when a pupil becomes overwhelmed in assemblies and busy corridors?
- How should school assess what is happening when a pupil becomes distressed during movement between lessons?
- How should school assess what is happening when a pupil becomes distressed when a familiar routine changes?
- How should school assess what is happening when a pupil finds editing their own work overwhelming?
- How should school assess what is happening when a pupil grouping by attainment is affecting confidence?
- How should school assess what is happening when a pupil is late because entering school feels overwhelming?
- How should school assess what is happening when a pupil worries about events long before they happen?
- How should school talk with parents about discussing anxiety?
- How should school talk with parents about discussing self-esteem?
- How should school work with parents when coping with exam-room anxiety is difficult?
- How should school work with parents when editing without becoming overwhelmed is difficult?
- How should school work with parents when laughing when anxious is difficult?
- How should school work with parents when swearing when overwhelmed is difficult?
- How should schools respond to staff anxiety before a pupil returns?
- How should schools respond to staff confidence after being hit?
- How should schools respond to staff emotional regulation?
- How should schools respond to staff feeling overwhelmed by a pupil's needs?
- How should staff respond when demands repeatedly lead to distress?
- Should an anxious pupil be allowed to leave lessons?
- Should our school use breathing exercises for anxiety?
- What can help a child who becomes distressed by changes to the Reception routine?
- What can help a child who becomes distressed by changes to the Reception routine?
- What can help a pupil access worksheets that are visually overwhelming?
- What can help a pupil recognise that they need a break before becoming overwhelmed?
- What can help a pupil recognise that they need a break before becoming overwhelmed?
- What can help a pupil who avoids drinking at school because of toileting worries?
- What can help a pupil who becomes anxious as the school day approaches its end?
- What can help a pupil who becomes anxious as the school day approaches its end?
- What can help a pupil who becomes anxious when plans are uncertain?
- What can help a pupil who worries for days before a school event?
- What can help a pupil whose academic self-confidence has become very low?
- What can help a pupil whose confidence has fallen after repeated academic difficulty?
- What can help a pupil whose confidence has fallen after repeated academic difficulty?
- What can help pupils who find assemblies overwhelming?
- What can help when a pupil appears calm in class but reports high anxiety in Key Stage 2?
- What can help when a pupil becomes distressed by unexpected touch during less structured parts of the day?
- What can help when a pupil becomes distressed on Sunday evenings about school during less structured parts of the day?
- What can help when a pupil becomes distressed when a preferred plan changes in Key Stage 2?
- What can help when a pupil becomes overwhelmed by small unexpected changes during less structured parts of the day?
- What can help when a pupil finds assemblies overwhelming in Reception or Key Stage 1?
- What can help when a pupil finds moving between classrooms overwhelming in Reception or Key Stage 1?
- What can help when a pupil finds tasks with several sources of information overwhelming during less structured parts of the day?
- What can I do when a pupil worries days in advance about an event?
- What can school do about anxiety before tests?
- What can school do to support a bereaved pupil?
- What can school do to support a post-16 learner experiencing anxiety?
- What can school do to support a pupil affected by parental mental health difficulties?
- What can school do to support a pupil whose social media use is linked with anxiety?
- What can schools do when a pupil becomes anxious about making even small mistakes?
- What can schools do when a pupil becomes anxious about making even small mistakes?
- What can schools do when family stress is affecting concentration and behaviour?
- What can schools do when family stress is affecting concentration and behaviour?
- What classroom support can help when a pupil a child becomes distressed at tidy-up time?
- What classroom support can help when a pupil becomes distressed during movement between lessons?
- What classroom support can help when a pupil becomes distressed when a familiar routine changes?
- What classroom support can help when a pupil becomes overwhelmed in assemblies and busy corridors?
- What classroom support can help when a pupil finds editing their own work overwhelming?
- What classroom support can help when a pupil grouping by attainment is affecting confidence?
- What classroom support can help when a pupil is late because entering school feels overwhelming?
- What classroom support can help when a pupil worries about events long before they happen?
- What do schools need to know about anxiety and avoidance?
- What helps a pupil recover after an emotional outburst?
- What helps a pupil recover after becoming overwhelmed in class?
- What helps a pupil who becomes distressed by small mistakes?
- What helps a pupil who becomes distressed when corrected?
- What helps a pupil who becomes distressed when they make a mistake?
- What helps a pupil who becomes overwhelmed by GCSE workload?
- What helps a pupil who finds assemblies overwhelming?
- What helps a pupil who worries about lunchtime?
- What helps when a pupil becomes distressed because a rule seems unfair?
- What helps when a pupil is anxious about unstructured time?
- What might be making it difficult for a pupil to coping with exam-room anxiety?
- What might be making it difficult for a pupil to editing without becoming overwhelmed?
- What might be making it difficult for a pupil to laughing when anxious?
- What might be making it difficult for a pupil to swearing when overwhelmed?
- What should a practical school anxiety support plan include?
- What should a SENCo look for when choosing an anxiety intervention?
- What should a SENCo look for when choosing an emotional regulation intervention?
- What should a SENCo review when supporting a bereaved pupil?
- What should a SENCo review when supporting a post-16 learner experiencing anxiety?
- What should a SENCo review when supporting a pupil affected by parental mental health difficulties?
- What should a SENCo review when supporting a pupil whose social media use is linked with anxiety?
- What should school understand about bereavement?
- What should school understand about high ability with anxiety?
- What should school understand about high attainment with emotional dysregulation?
- What should school understand about parental mental health?
- What should school understand about post-16 anxiety?
- What should school understand about social media and anxiety?
- What should school understand about twice-exceptional pupil self-esteem?
- What should staff discuss with parents when a pupil a child becomes distressed at tidy-up time?
- What should staff discuss with parents when a pupil becomes distressed when a familiar routine changes?
- What should staff discuss with parents when a pupil becomes distressed during movement between lessons?
- What should staff discuss with parents when a pupil becomes overwhelmed in assemblies and busy corridors?
- What should staff discuss with parents when a pupil finds editing their own work overwhelming?
- What should staff discuss with parents when a pupil grouping by attainment is affecting confidence?
- What should staff discuss with parents when a pupil is late because entering school feels overwhelming?
- What should staff discuss with parents when a pupil worries about events long before they happen?
- What should staff try when a pupil appears calm in class but reports high anxiety during less structured parts of the day?
- What should staff try when a pupil becomes distressed by unexpected touch in Key Stage 2?
- What should staff try when a pupil becomes distressed on Sunday evenings about school in Key Stage 2?
- What should staff try when a pupil becomes distressed when a preferred plan changes during less structured parts of the day?
- What should staff try when a pupil becomes overwhelmed by small unexpected changes in Key Stage 2?
- What should staff try when a pupil finds tasks with several sources of information overwhelming in Key Stage 2?
- What should staff try when a pupil finds the dining hall overwhelming in Reception or Key Stage 1?
- What should staff try when a pupil worries excessively about getting answers wrong in Reception or Key Stage 1?
- What should teachers avoid doing when a pupil is unable to speak because of anxiety?
- What should teachers avoid doing when a pupil is unable to speak because of anxiety?
- What should we do when a nursery child becomes overwhelmed by a busy classroom?
- What should we do when a preschool child becomes distressed by particular sounds?
- What should we do when a Reception child becomes overwhelmed or distressed?
- What should we do when a young child starting school becomes distressed at tidy-up time?
- What should we observe when a pupil finds coping with exam-room anxiety difficult?
- What should we observe when a pupil finds editing without becoming overwhelmed difficult?
- What should we observe when a pupil finds laughing when anxious difficult?
- What should we observe when a pupil finds swearing when overwhelmed difficult?
- What should we try first when a pupil struggles with coping with exam-room anxiety?
- What should we try first when a pupil struggles with editing without becoming overwhelmed?
- What should we try first when a pupil struggles with laughing when anxious?
- What should we try first when a pupil struggles with swearing when overwhelmed?
- When do emotional regulation difficulties need SEN support?
- When should a class teacher worry about a pupil who avoids praise?
- When should a class teacher worry about daydreaming?
- When should a class teacher worry about fear of mistakes?
- When should a class teacher worry about frequent headaches or stomach aches?
- When should a class teacher worry about repeated phrases?
- When should a pastoral lead worry about a pupil sleeping in lessons?
- When should a pastoral lead worry about a pupil who says school feels pointless?
- When should a pastoral lead worry about extreme reactions to losing?
- When should a pastoral lead worry about frequent emotional outbursts?
- When should a pastoral lead worry about frequent reassurance seeking?
- When should a pastoral lead worry about poor eye contact?
- When should a school worry about a pupil who destroys successful work?
- When should a school worry about a pupil who rarely speaks?
- When should a school worry about constant movement?
- When should a school worry about eating difficulties at school?
- When should a school worry about exhaustion at school?
- When should a school worry about extreme perfectionism?
- When should a school worry about risky behaviour?
- When should a SENCo worry about a pupil who is very different at home and school?
- When should a SENCo worry about a pupil who never finishes work?
- When should a SENCo worry about a sudden behaviour change?
- When should a SENCo worry about clumsiness?
- When should a SENCo worry about repeated lateness?
- When should a SENCo worry about toileting difficulties?
- When should a teacher worry about a pupil who masks difficulties?
- When should a teacher worry about a sudden drop in attainment?
- When should a teacher worry about poor independence?
- When should school change its approach if a pupil a child becomes distressed at tidy-up time?
- When should school change its approach if a pupil becomes distressed when a familiar routine changes?
- When should school change its approach if a pupil becomes distressed during movement between lessons?
- When should school change its approach if a pupil becomes overwhelmed in assemblies and busy corridors?
- When should school change its approach if a pupil finds editing their own work overwhelming?
- When should school change its approach if a pupil grouping by attainment is affecting confidence?
- When should school change its approach if a pupil is late because entering school feels overwhelming?
- When should school change its approach if a pupil worries about events long before they happen?
- When should school seek additional help for anxiety?
- When should school seek additional mental health support for a pupil?
- When should we change our approach to coping with exam-room anxiety?
- When should we change our approach to editing without becoming overwhelmed?
- When should we change our approach to laughing when anxious?
- When should we change our approach to swearing when overwhelmed?
- Why might a pupil manage all day at school and then become distressed at home?