School Avoidance/School Refusal Part One

In addition it's worth considering if the child is suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This, instead of school itself, could account for a child being upbeat and active in the summer, but not in the fall and winter.

A fact worth noting is that clinical depression and anxiety can cause unexplainable symptoms, including stomach aches and head aches, even in adults. We still don't know exactly why this happens, but it's very possible that the child is not faking the vague, unexplainable symptoms.

So for parents in this position, advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics  suggests a two pronged approach. Find out what the underlying cause is, but also focus on getting the child back to school. 

Links
Link between psychiatric disorders and school refusalSchoolbehavior.com
Separation Anxiety (School Refusal is halfway down the page) Back to school - time for depression?