Emotionally Based Barriers to School Attendance (EBBSA) Support Team

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

The intention is to emphasise the barriers that exist for the child or young person and to not assign blame. The term EBBSA has previously, and sometimes still is, referred to as ‘school refusal’ or ‘school avoider’.

We have developed the term EBBSA to reflect a growing understanding that there are often several different things which affect a child or young person’s attendance at school and a variety of things that make school attendance easier or more difficult for them. While some of these are ‘within the child’, others exist in those things around the child, both inside and outside of school.

We believe that, by seeking to understand each of those factors and how they interact with one another, we can better understand those emotionally based barriers to school attendance and find
creative ways to overcome those.

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.

The term Emotionally Based Barriers to School Attendance (EBBSA) reflects a growing understanding that there are often several different things which affect a child or young person’s attendance at school and a variety of things that make school attendance easier or more difficult for them. While some of these are ‘within the child’, others exist in those things around the child, both inside and outside of school.

Early signs of EBBSA

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

View how to create an EBBSA Support System (Word, 107KB) .

Be Aware

Be Curious

Be Responsive

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

Educational Psychology Service, Civic Offices, Knoll Street, Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, DN35 8LN

Email: [email protected]