Emotional Barriers to School Attendance
What is Emotional Barriers to School Attendance (ESBA)?
Emotionally Based School Avoidance, is a definition that refers to reduced or nonattendance at school by a child or young person. The term “EBSA” is a pathway that recognises that this avoidance can be caused by emotional, mental health or wellbeing difficulties and is used by educational settings to support young people back into education using a graded approach. This pathway has also been referred to in the past as the Anxiety Based School Refusal Pathway.
What support can I get as a parent?
It is essential that parents and families work closely with us as a school because ESBA is complex and cannot be effectively addressed by one side alone. When parents and schools collaborate, we can create consistency, trust, and timely support for the child.
- As part of Kent’s local offer, parents are entitled to have a free 30 mins consult with the EP service. These can be booked by emailing kepscommunitysupport@kent.gov.uk.Further information can be found here.
- School nurse emotional health referral is also available
What support can my child receive?
• Contact your GP to highlight concerns around your child’s anxieties. They will be able to provide appropriate support and signposting from a medical viewpoint.
• School nurse emotional health referral
• SALUS referral for therapy
• NELFT Emotional Wellbeing Team support
(Click the link for more info and has a video to describe their services.)
• Drawing and Talking therapy in school
• Tailored adaptions within school (following a meeting between parents/guardians and the Senior Leadership Team to commit to a home/school agreement plan). This can include adaptions such as soft starts in the mornings, early collection, additional wellbeing checks with an adult, and their own visual timetable.