Hi all, I have a now 15yo daughter who has always been exceptionally good at school. She skipped grade 3, and has remained a grade higher all the way through, doing well socially and mentally. She plays the clarinet, plays sports and we have never had a problem with getting her socially engaged and outside. She's always got energy to be doing something! We don't have any issues with mental health or depression or anxiety: she's a very fun-loving, bubbly girl. However, while none of this has changed, she has discovered the art of being truant at school. She somehow figured out how to change my phone number in the school's system, so I have only just found out that she was skipping classes every now and then from the start of 2020. Now, it's becoming complete school refusal and she will not go to school - she's happy to do things, happy to leave the house, do whatever, just will not go to school. I've asked her why she skips class, she says she's bored, the class goes too slow and she isn't learning anything new. In this time, her grades have not changed at all which seems bizarre to me if she isn't in class learning - maybe she does already know this stuff? But she is already a year younger than everyone else in her grade now, so we can't put her up another grade. Her school has already given her a three-day out-of-school suspension for the skipping class, which I have only just found out about, but seem reluctant to give her anything harder in class as she is already in the extension classes. I've asked her if she would consider moving to a different school or a private school and she doesn't wish to do so. I'm at a loss of what to do for her.
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