Emotionally Based Barriers to School Attendance (EBBSA)

Emotionally Based Barriers to School Attendance (EBBSA) is a term we use when trying to get a better understanding of a child or young person’s barriers for school attendance.

The intention is to identify and understand the things this might be affecting how easily the child or young person finds going to school. Some of these things might be ‘within the child’, others exist in those things around the child, both inside and outside of school.

We encourage people working with children and young people experiencing EBBSA style challenges to work together to understand each of those factors, how they interact with one another, and how we can find creative ways to overcome those.

The resources here are free for all of our community to use, and to work together to create a personalised EBBSA support system.

How to create an EBBSA Support System

An EBBSA Support System is a relational, holistic approach to proactively identify barriers to education and support successful engagement with learning.

It involves three key stages.

Being aware of the situation at the earliest possible stages. Early signs of EBBSA can include:

Change in attitude toward school
Student and/or family share distress around attendance
School notice student’s distress around attendance before and/or whilst at school
Attendance reduces

Be aware

Anna Freud is a national mental health charity, and have produced this information guide:

Anna Freud – Addressing EBSA (PDF, 2MB)

NAViGO CAMHS Workshops for Professionals

Be curious

All education settings were provided with a copy of the ATTEND framework during the EBBSA project, and it is recommended that these are used to support further exploration of what things might be contributed to EBBSA.

ATTEND Framework – BEEM

Using a variety of tools, resources and techniques to truly understand all of the different things that might be affecting how easy it is for that child or young person to attend and get the most out of their education setting. This will take time, and will depend strongly on the relationships and conversations that take place. To be truly successful it will need to be based on the views of the child or young person, and the adults around them.

This stage is not simple. When children and young people find attending school challenging, the adults who care for them (both in school and outside of school) can find this incredibly emotional themselves. It is important that they all take time to understand one another’s experiences, views and perspectives. There is not usually one thing that is contributing to EBBSA, but taking time to work through this stage together will build a strong foundation for a well coordinated plan.

Be responsive

Once you have a shared understanding of what might be contributing to the EBBSA and what strengths might support a plan, then it is time to work together to develop a personalised EBBSA support plan. This will work best if all people agree to the content and timeframes, while understanding that things don’t always go smoothly, and sometimes the plan will need to be adjusted.

EBBSA Support Plan – Editable Template (Word, 183KB)

When a stronger, shared understanding of the things affecting EBBSA is created, this can form the basis of a personalised EBBSA support plan which both addresses the things that make EBBSA more likely (risk factors), and grows the strengths within the child or young person, and in the environment around them at home and at school (resilience factors).

The NELC Local Offer page has further information about what is available for further support in NEL.

EBBSA Aware

These schools have attended a EBBSA aware webinar and have worked to consider how to make their schools EBBSA aware and supportive.

Primary

Canon Peter Hall Church of England Primary School
Coomb Briggs Primary School
Eastfield Primary Academy
Elliston Primary Academy
Fairfield Academy
Grange Primary School
Healing Primary Academy
Lisle Marsden Primary
Littlecoates Primary Academy
Macauley Primary Academy
Old Clee Academy
Ormiston South Parade
Pilgrim Academy
Reynolds Academy
Stallingborough C of E Primary School
St Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy
Scartho Junior Academy
Signhills’ Infants Academy
St Joseph’s Catholic Voluntary Academy
St Mary’s Catholic Voluntary Academy
Thrunscoe Academy
Weelsby Primary Academy
Woodlands Academy
Wybers Wood Academy
Yarborough Academy

Secondary

Beacon Academy
Havelock Academy
Healing Academy
John Whitgift Academy
Oasis Academy Wintringham
Orchard Independent Schools
Ormiston Maritime Academy
Phoenix Park Academy
Sevenhills Academy
St James School
The Academy Grimsby
Waltham Tollbar Academy

Colleges

Learning 4 Life

These agencies and practitioners have attended EBBSA aware sessions.

Compass Go… mental health service
NELC Education Welfare Service
Early Help
Families First Practioners
NELC Social Workers
School Nursing Team
NELC Virtual School
Young Minds Matter/Navigo (CAMHS)

Contact details

If you would like to find out more about the Community Educational Psychology Service or make an enquiry:, email [email protected]. We will respond as soon as possible and guide you to the most appropriate support.