ADHD in Practice · Years 3–6

When school feels hard, start with understanding.

Barriers to School KS2 PLUS brings together a downloadable guide, parent recorders and child check-ins to help your family put school experiences into words.

For the morning tears, the after-school exhaustion and the times your child says, “I don’t know.” A way to record what is happening and explore what might help.

Make room for the whole picture

What you see at home matters too.

A child may get through the school day and fall apart at home. They may struggle to explain a friendship worry, a busy classroom or the pressure to keep up. Your observations and their words can help you prepare for a conversation with school.

You do not need to fill in every box or have all the answers. Start with one note, one feeling or one thing that helped.

Inside your bundle

Years 3, 4 and 5

Simple tools for younger children and their parents

  • Parent Recorder: quick notes about what happened, what your child said and what helped.
  • Two-week overview: return to saved entries, edit your notes and print a summary for conversations with school.
  • My School Day: friendly feeling choices, optional writing and ideas about what might help.
  • A choice about sharing: children select which parts to put on a sharing view or printout.

Year 6

More independence. Space for mixed feelings.

  • Parent Recorder: record school difficulties alongside expectations, friendships and the move to secondary school.
  • Two-week overview: keep your child’s words and record the support that reduces pressure.
  • My School Day: direct, age-appropriate wording, optional topics and choices about the support they want.
  • Entrance-exam pressure: optional prompts about preparation, results, offers and conversations about next schools.

Your downloadable guide

Keep the Barriers to School KS2 PLUS guide alongside the tools, and return to it at your own pace. Find it through the members-only welcome page after purchase.

How it works

  1. Buy the bundle Pay £14.99 once through Squarespace and follow the account instructions.
  2. Open Start Here Sign in to the member area, find your guide and choose your child’s year group.
  3. Use what helps today Make your own notes or open your child’s check-in. Save entries and choose what to print or show someone.

Questions before you buy

Does my child need their own account?

No. A parent signs in and opens the child’s page. Your child can complete their check-in independently or with help if they want it.

Do we need to use the tools every day?

No. Use them when they are useful. Children can skip questions. A blank day means no entry was recorded.

Is Year 6 different from Years 3–5?

Yes. Year 6 has its own parent recorder and a more mature child check-in. The wording recognises growing independence, friendship changes, expectations and the move to secondary school.

What if my child is not taking entrance exams?

Skip those topics. The Year 6 tools also cover everyday school experiences and transition. Where entrance exams apply, check dates with individual schools because timetables vary.

Can I print something for a school meeting?

Yes. The parent tools can produce a selected two-week summary. Children can choose which sections of a saved check-in to show or print. Your browser’s print options may also let you save a PDF.

Will my records appear on another phone or computer?

No. Signing in on another device gives access to the tools, but saved entries stay in the original browser. Each tool includes backup and restore controls for its compatible records.

Is this a diagnosis or an assessment?

No. These are tools for recording experiences and supporting conversations. They do not diagnose a condition or replace professional advice.

A place to start the conversation

Your notes matter. Your child’s words matter. Use KS2 PLUS to keep both in view and explore what support could help.

Get the bundle · £14.99

Digital bundle for families with children in Years 3–6. Member access is provided through Squarespace; saved form entries remain in your browser.

I developed Barriers to School PLUS: Key Stage 2 to help parents make sense of what their child is finding difficult, and to put those experiences into words.

So much of life happens on our phones and tablets now, so recording things online can feel easier. You can fill it in as you go, then print what you’ve recorded, share it with school and use it to start a conversation about the support your child needs. There are pages for your child too, and they choose what school sees.

It’s about bringing your child’s story together, helping you feel heard, and reminding you that you are not alone.