Initiative to Address Emotionally Based School Avoidance EBSA
In response to the concerns surrounding Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA), Wirral has initiated a comprehensive strategy aimed at supporting children, families, and schools grappling with this issue. EBSA, a phenomenon where children experience significant anxiety or worry about attending school, has become increasingly prevalent, necessitating a coordinated effort to address its root causes and provide necessary support systems.
EBSA manifests in various forms, including difficulty in attending school or specific lessons, expressions of distress when confronted with the prospect of going to school, or citing reasons for feeling unwell or sick, particularly on Sunday nights or before the start of the school week. Recognising the complexity of EBSA, the initiative emphasises a collaborative approach involving schools, families, and support agencies to identify and address the underlying factors contributing to a child's reluctance or inability to attend school.
Among the factors that may lead to EBSA are incidents within the school environment, changes in schooling such as transitioning to a new school or starting secondary education, alterations in the home environment such as parental separation or illness, and the presence of special educational needs that require additional support and understanding.
Importantly, the initiative stresses the importance of language and approach in addressing EBSA. Rather than attributing blame or resorting to punitive measures, the focus is on fostering understanding and collaboration to create supportive environments where children feel valued and empowered.
Central to Wirral's EBSA strategy is a commitment to providing accessible resources and support networks for affected children, families, and schools. Plans include the development of free online videos offering guidance on supporting children with EBSA, conducting workshops, and disseminating informative resources aimed at raising awareness and fostering understanding of EBSA within the community.
Wirral’s EBSA Strategy
Wirral are currently co-ordinating a project to explore support for schools, families and local authority teams around EBSA.
The Wirral EBSA strategy has been developed in response to the increasing number of children and young people who feel unable to attend school or lessons due to feeling worried or anxious. This can be described as Emotionally Based School Avoidance. The video explains this strategy and outlines the local plan to create support for young people, families and Wirral schools.
This page will be updated regularly to keep you informed about the strategy and the release of any new resources. Currently, this strategy is developing and in the future there will be:
Free online videos to give you advice on how to support a child with EBSA
Free workshops around EBSA
Free resources
Wirral support networks and groups
Information on how to seek advice/guidance from professionals
The project team are keen to ensure that this strategy is embedded across Wirral, therefore it will take time to roll out materials discussed above. Please check this page for updates. In the meantime, please see Emotionally Based School Avoidance for further information to help support a child.