Supporting School Attendance: Understanding Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) and what to do about it

This whole day training programme will provide schools with support to develop their Ordinarily Available Inclusive Provision around school attendance, with a focus on Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA). Drawing on research and current good practice, the training will provide an awareness of the early indicators and risk factors associated with EBSA and how schools can intervene early to promote positive outcomes for school attendance.

As part of this programme, school staff will be trained in using:

• The ATTEND Framework - an intervention for school staff to use collaboratively with parent/carers and pupils aged 5-16 to identify any ‘barriers’ to attendance and create an action plan of support through an ‘assess, plan, do, review’ approach.
  
• School Wellbeing Cards – a set of child-centred tools to gain the voice of the child and young person, enabling them to provide insight into the barriers they experience attending school focusing on school connectedness, belonging and wellbeing.
• Copies of these resources will be provided FREE to those schools in attendance on the day.

This training is for school SENCos, pastoral leads, school-based family support workers, and school attendance leads. Initially, this training is for mainstream primary and secondary schools. A broader training offer is under development.

There will be a maximum of two places available per school.