Imaginary companions of school age children are a relatively unexplored phenomenon. This article reports on a qualitative study carried out in the UK investigating British children's perceptions of their imaginary companions. Eight children aged between 5 and 11 years were interviewed. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to explore individual and cross-case themes. It was found that imaginary companions provided friendship, playmates and entertainment, enabling children to overcome times of boredom and loneliness. They appeared to provide a level of wish fulfilment for some children. Children's interactions with their imaginary companions provided support when there were problem situations in the children's lives.

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Children in school are in a system which is as much social as academic. Schools which plan and take account of this to promote acceptance and inclusion will also be optimizing achievement. Proactive social intervention, at whole school, class and individual levels, addresses many issues including attendance, self-esteem, behaviour, bullying, emotional support and collaborative skills. The increase in research on children’s friendships together with knowledge about the development of children’s understanding, perception and social skills provide the basis for psychologists to work with schools on these vital issues. Here we give an overview of recent research on children and their friends in school, a summary of developmental aspects of friendship and introduce some ideas for moving into this exciting and effective area of educational psychology.

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