A school girl says she feels "betrayed" and "let down" by the Government over its handling of the pandemic.

Rachel Gore, a year 11 pupil, says has "suffered massively" from the disruption caused by coronavirus.

"Just like thousands of children across the country I feel betrayed", the 15-year-old said.

Having previously gone through cognitive behavioural therapy for obsessive compulsive disorder, she says, following years of stability, her return to school in September was coupled with increasing anxiety and she had to return to therapy.

"What caused it was the enormous pressure placed on me as I navigated the idea of exam cancellations and the constant uncertainty of the world around me", she explained.

"And what fixed it was the incredible support I managed to receive from my psychiatrist, family but mainly my school. My school offered me all the support they could and from that I grew and was beginning to feel like I had done pre pandemic. I was excited to return to school in January so that I could continue to see my friends, be educated and know that at all times there would be a teacher that I could turn to."

When Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced schools would not be reopening in January Rachel was "confused, furious and ultimately terrified."

The announcement of 'alternative exams' and teacher assessed grading further fuelled her anxiety.

"Now there’s pressure to constantly perform instead of just in the exam hall", she said.

"If I’m thinking all of this while living in a great home with a great family that has a stable income I dread to think how young people are feeling that live in significantly worse situations", she added.

"Before March 2020, I rarely watched the news and didn’t really have any interest in politics. Just under a year later I actively try to educate myself on what’s happening in the world and after watching members of the government be asked questions I’ve noticed that they can’t even listen to what’s being asked. How can they help if they can’t listen?

She added: "I think they need to stop going on about how amazing young people have been. They need to stop saying that we’ve made great sacrifices because we already know we have. Words without actions are wasted words. We don’t want sympathy, we want help. We want promises that won’t be broken and support that will be of use.

"I don’t think a betrayal can ever be forgotten. Maybe we’ll forget the words that were said but we’ll never forget the way that the uncertainty has made us feel."