Understanding POTS and Why It Affects Learning

POTS is a form of dysautonomia that causes the heart rate to increase dramatically when moving from lying down to standing up, often by 30 to 40 beats per minute within the first ten minutes. This can lead to symptoms such as dizziness, brain fog, fatigue, nausea, headaches and fainting. It often begins in adolescence and is far more common in girls than boys.

These symptoms make many elements of traditional school life difficult. Just getting to school can be exhausting. Long lessons, noisy corridors, sports sessions or early starts can all trigger symptoms. And on the days when things feel manageable, students often push themselves too hard, only to crash again.

What This Looks Like for Families

We’ve worked with many families whose children were previously thriving academically, only to see a dramatic change once symptoms began. Parents describe the same journey again and again: repeated absences, trips to specialists, and the growing difficulty of keeping up with a school environment that, despite best intentions, just isn’t designed for such an unpredictable condition.

One girl we supported had been thriving at school before her symptoms began. Within months of developing symptoms, she was missing two or three days of school each week. On the days she did go in, she struggled to keep her eyes open through double periods and spent breaks in the nurse’s office. Her teachers were kind, but ultimately didn’t know how to help. Her parents told us they felt “caught between a rock and a hard place – pushing her to go in felt cruel, but keeping her home felt like giving up.”

Another family described how their son would start each day with hope, showered and dressed by 7am. But by 8.30, just walking to the kitchen would trigger nausea and dizziness. He would retreat to his bed, feeling as though he had failed the day before it had even begun.

These stories aren’t uncommon. The physical impact of POTS is often matched by emotional strain – guilt, shame, and anxiety. For young people who once loved learning and excelled in school environments, it can feel like everything has been turned upside down.

How Enjoy Education Supports Students with POTS

At Enjoy Education, our role is to create an academic pathway that works around the condition, rather than trying to push students back into a structure that no longer serves them.

Here’s how we do it:

• Flexible timetables that adapt to energy levels. One student we supported began with just two 30-minute sessions per week, delivered in bed with the camera off. A year later, she was preparing to sit six GCSEs and planning her sixth form courses. There’s no pressure to ‘perform’ – just the space to re-engage at the right pace.
• We match students with tutors who understand how to teach with compassion and flexibility. Some of our tutors have worked extensively with children managing chronic illness or fatigue syndromes and know how to adapt pace and content accordingly. This approach is especially helpful for families looking for bespoke tutoring for students with chronic health conditions. 
• Academic continuity, without the overwhelm. For students who are often off school or learning in fragments, we provide the glue that holds everything together. We create structured revision plans, liaise with schools, and offer gentle but ambitious progression. In one case, a student who had missed almost a year of school sat their English Literature GCSE with us  – and passed with flying colours.
• We support the emotional journey too. Our tutors become trusted adults. They’re the ones who say, “It’s OK if today is a tough day,” and who celebrate the little wins. Whether it’s a full lesson completed or the confidence to sit up at the desk again, we recognise that progress looks different for every child.