Emotionally Based School Non Attendance (EBSNA)

Introduction

We receive a high number of calls from parents whose children are unable to access education because of anxiety or similar difficulties which can be linked to their special educational needs (SEN). Sometimes parents refer to it as 'school refusal' but is also known as Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA) or Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA).

EBSNA or EBSA is a term used to describe children and young people who experience challenges in attending school due to negative feelings (such as anxiety). EBSNA is commonly associated with emotional and physical distress, and a reluctance to attend school, which can lead to reduced attendance and further anxiety regarding school.

First considerations

See your GP

Explain the difficulties your child is experiencing and ask for their help. Their help could include referring your child to Mindworks, writing to the school to confirm that your child has an anxiety disorder and is currently medically unfit to attend school, recommending that the school request the input of the Educational Psychologist (EP) linked to the school.

Keep a diary

Keep a diary/file documenting everything related to the school refusal/anxiety and school attendance. For every absence send an email to school so you have a paper trail of evidence of when and why each time. (You will need this information to prove you are doing all you can, if it goes to prosecution for non-attendance).

  • Describe what happens with your child.
  • Keep notes and records of all conversations with school or medical staff (follow up with email summaries of conversations so that you have written records)
  • Keep records of all medical appointments and any assessments.
  • Keep all relevant letters and print outs of emails.

How to work with school to achieve the best outcomes

Although some schools have a positive approach to supporting pupils with anxiety, young people can come up against problems and sometimes be misunderstood. The school may have contacted you because they feel there is a difficulty but this does not mean that they fully understand what is causing this.

You may have raised the subject with the school but they appear to be having difficulty in knowing how to manage the situation. This could be due to requiring better knowledge and understanding of anxiety disorders.

Educate yourself thoroughly on everything to do with your child's condition. It would be useful to read up on other anxiety disorders too as symptoms often overlap.

Be aware of your child's rights. Anxiety can be a Special Educational Needs and/or Disability issue (SEND), as clearly defined in the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice, since it is likely to impact on your child's ability to learn if left untreated. You can obtain a copy of the school's SEND policy either from their website or by asking at school.

Advice

  • Put together some notes to give a 'picture' of your child from birth to present day, including how they present when not anxious, when their condition was first noticed, and any events or triggers that may escalate the difficulties.
  • Prepare the school by sharing as much information about your child as possible. This information can be given to the form teacher and Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO). You may also ask for copies to be shared with support staff, or other staff who teach your child.
  • Enlist the support of others such as by obtaining letters from people who have knowledge of your child's difficulties, e.g. previous school, GP, school nurse, therapist.
  • Arrange a meeting with the SENCO and class teacher/Head of Year to discuss your child and the provision the school can give, or has been giving. Ensure they have time to read the information you have provided before you meet.
  • Assure the school that you want to work with them to help them support your child. Keep all communication as friendly and amicable as you can and try to help the staff feel appreciated and needed. Staff may noy feel confident in knowing how to support your child; you can help them with this.
  • Prepare for all meetings and telephone conversations by listing in advance what you want to say and any questions you want to ask. Make notes at the meeting and confirm in writing after the meeting anything that has been agreed. This should avoid any misunderstandings. Record who was present, date and time of meetings or calls, and take someone with you as a support if you feel it may be a difficult meeting.
  • Be prepared to compromise to some degree. Sadly, no school has the resources to re-organise everything for one child, nor do they have an obligation to do so if this would disadvantage other pupils. Try to stay as calm as possible.
  • If the school still does not feel able to support your child then you may need to follow the school's escalation process. The school complaint's procedure should tell you who to approach and in what order.

Consider contacting the Inclusion Officer

Consider contacting the Inclusion Officer for the school and explain the situation. Tell them you want your child to attend school and that is what you are trying to achieve, but there are significant anxiety issues - explain to them how you are trying to support your child and what your concerns are. The Inclusion Officer will probably become involved at some point if the attendance difficulties continue, so consider contacting them proactively:

Mental Health difficulties as a disability

The following are examples of mental health difficulties that could be defined as a disability under the Equality Act 2010:

  • Anxiety, low mood, panic attacks, phobias, eating disorders, bipolar affective disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, personality disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, some self-harming behaviour, depression, schizophrenia.

If a child or young person falls within the definition of disability above then the school has particular obligations. Schools are under a duty to make reasonable adjustments to put disabled students on a more equal footing with pupils without disabilities. If an adjustment is reasonable then it should be made and there can be no justification for why it is not made.

The duty to make reasonable adjustments is also anticipatory. This means that schools should give thought in advance to what disabled children and young people might require and what adjustments might be needed to prevent disabled students from being disadvantaged.

If you feel that a school has not complied with its duties under the Equality Act 2010, then the child's parents can bring a claim within 6 months of the incident in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST).

Education for children out of school for health reasons

When a school is aware that a child is likely to miss more than 15 days of school due to health/medical reasons they should notify the Local Authority (LA) so that alternative education can be arranged.

Government guidance

Where full-time education would not be in the best interests of a particular child because of reasons relating to their physical or mental health, the LA should provide part-time education on a basis they consider to be in the child's best interests. Full and part-time education should still aim to achieve good academic attainment particularly in English, Maths and Science.

The LA should:

  • Have a named officer responsible for the education of children with additional health needs, and parents should know who that person is.
  • Have a written, publicly accessible policy statement on their arrangements to comply with their legal duty towards children with additional health needs.
  • The policy should make links with related services in the area - for example, Special Educational Needs and Disability Services (SEND), Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), Inclusion Services, Educational Psychologists, and, where relevant, school nurses.
  • Review the provision offered regularly to ensure that it continues to be appropriate for the child and that it is providing suitable education.
  • Have clear policies on the provision of education for children and young people under and over compulsory school age.

Taken from - Ensuring a good education for children who cannot attend school because of health needs – statutory guidance for Local Authorities January 2013.

Formal Diagnosis

Schools do not have to wait for a formal diagnosis before providing support to pupils. Any support offered should be based on the child's needs. A formal diagnosis is also not required when requesting an Education, Health and Care needs assessment.

High quality teaching that is differentiated and personalised will meet the individual needs of the majority of children and young people. Some children and young people need educational provision that is additional to or different from this. This is special educational provision under Section 21 of the Children and Families Act 2014. Schools and colleges must use their best endeavours to ensure that such provision is made for those who need it. Special educational provision is underpinned by high quality teaching and is compromised by anything less.

SEND Code of Practice

Useful sites

These sites may also be useful resources of information: