EBSNA and absence
Last updated:EBSNA and absence coding
It is the legal duty of parents to ensure that their children receive an education. Where this education is provided in a school they must ensure regular attendance, under the Education Act, 1996. If a child does not attend school then it is the school’s responsibility to code the absence according to specific codes.
Schools must adhere to the Department for Education's advice. The guidance states that schools can authorise absences for limited reasons. It does not provide specific guidance for EBSNA. Head Teachers are responsible for determining whether an absence can be listed as authorised.
Absence due to illness
Schools must record absences as authorised where pupils cannot attend due to illness. This includes both physical and mental health-related). For many children experiencing EBSNA, the significant emotional component might be considered mental ill-health. It could therefore be authorised on that basis.
In the majority of cases, a parent’s notification that their child is ill can be accepted without question or concern. Schools should not routinely request that parents provide medical evidence to support illness.
Schools are advised not to request medical evidence unnecessarily. This is because it places additional pressure on:
- health professionals
- staff
- appointment systems
These are particularly true if the illness does not require treatment by a health professional. Only where the school has a genuine/reasonable doubt about the authenticity of an illness should medical evidence be requested.
Deciding to code an absence as either authorised or not should lead to clear plans about how to address the needs of the child and the situation they are in. Make sure that you follow your attendance policy. You can request support from the local authority County Attendance team if you are unsure of your role or responsibilities as a setting.
Absence due to EBSNA
There is no specific guidance for schools on how to manage the absences of children who present with EBSNA. Head Teachers must decide whether they agree to authorise an absence as illness in line with the view that a child’s absence has a significant emotional element. Decision-making should be:
- transparent
- based on the best available information
- have clear actions linked to any chosen code
The questions below are to guide schools in their decision-making. They should be shared with parents to help them understand the situation, the implications for their own responsibilities and what actions will be taken:
- Does there appear to be an emotional element to the child’s avoidance? What signs of emotional distress have been documented/observed in the home and/or school setting?
- Do any of the risk factors for developing EBSNA apply to this child?
- Using the EBSNA screening tool (Appendix 1), are there significant concerns about the child?
- Is the child avoiding other environments or social situations?
- Are parents encouraging school attendance/have they in the past?
Answering yes to any of the above might indicate that EBSNA is a reasonable explanation for the young person’s attendance. It is important to note that the child ‘being fine when they are at home’ does not mean they are not experiencing debilitating levels of anxiety. Removal of an immediate stressor often leads to a reduction in anxiety.
Children may seem ‘fine’ when they are in school. We should take seriously the emotional needs presented in the home, according to their parents. The ability to mask our emotions in public is a prosocial skill. It enables us to behave in line with social norms. It does not necessarily imply that we are able to cope with that level of emotion over a sustained period of time.
Parental concerns are often a key early indicator that a child or young person’s needs are not being met.
Provision for longer-term absence
Pupils with long-term illness or other health needs may need additional support to continue education. This includes alternative provisions arranged by the local authority. Local authorities are responsible for arranging suitable education for children of compulsory school age who, because of health reasons, would otherwise not receive suitable education.
To do this the Local Authority commissions Aspire to provide a medical needs provision for children unable to attend school. It is the responsibility of the school to make a referral to Aspire. There is more information about home tuition and hospital teaching services on the Buckinghamshire Council website.
The Local Authority have responsibility for ensuring that provision is made for children who cannot attend due to illness. This may involve you as a setting. You may be best placed to make appropriate provision whilst maintaining valuable relationships that might promote attendance in the future. For example, you may consider making the following provision available:
- Using a discrete part of the school for the child to access direct teaching if they are able to engage. For example, learning support base.
- Sending work home with a detailed explanation of activities and expectations for completion.
- Using Google Classroom or similar to deliver the above. There must be appropriate technology available at home and the child is able to access it.
- ‘Face-to-face’ online teaching sessions individually or in small groups.
- Meeting the child at home to teach or provide emotional support.
- Providing home tuition through an external provider.
Any medical provision that is put in place should not be considered a long-term solution. It should be a bridge towards eventual reintegration. Continued assessments of needs to ensure appropriate provision will be available before building up to a reintegration plan. This should be based on graded exposure principles and is essential for children experiencing EBSNA to have their needs met in the longer term.
Reduced timetables and EBSNA
There is no statutory basis upon which to establish a reduced or part-time timetable. In certain circumstances, schools may agree to implement one for a time-limited period in order to support a pupil who cannot attend school full-time.
The aim of a part-time timetable should be to reintegrate a child into full-time provision. Any longer-term reduced hours can only be considered due to the recognised medical needs outlined above.
A reduced timetable cannot be implemented without written agreement from parents or carers. It should only ever be considered if it is in the best interests of the child and to act as a phased return to the school.
In relation to pupils experiencing EBSNA a reduced timetable might be useful to allow:
- A period of rest and recovery from significant anxiety. If it is thought that this might be beneficial then it means you think the child has some additional needs. It should only be put in place as part of a wider strategy of support. Appropriate assessment and planning should continue to happen even if a reduced timetable is in place. For example, allowing the child to spend time engaging with the following to understand what is contributing to their situation:
- learning mentors
- SENCOS
- external professionals
- Reasonable adjustment. For example, allowing the child to avoid lessons or elements of the school day they find particularly challenging. During this time school should work towards developing an understanding of what support/provision is required to reintegrate them into this class/part of the school. Long-term reasonable adjustments or alternatives should also be considered.
A reduced timetable will not resolve EBSNA in itself. We know that avoiding difficult situations can maintain and increase anxiety.
There must be clear steps towards reintegration. It should be based on working towards what the child finds difficult, not just the amount of hours in school.
EBSNA and unauthorised absence
If you have taken the decision to code absences as unauthorised, there is an implication that there are issues to be resolved in the home setting. For example, that parents are not fulfilling their parental obligations. Or there are unresolved familial difficulties which are a primary barrier to attendance.
- facilitate support
- remove barriers in school
- help pupils and parents access the support they need to overcome the barriers outside of school.
This might include early help or a whole family plan where absence is a symptom of wider issues. For more information see the Department for Education's advice.
School responsibilities to children experiencing EBSNA
Regardless of whether you record absences as authorised or not, you have clear responsibilities for safeguarding and educational provision. Whilst a child remains on the role of the school you must ensure that you continue to:
- Carry out welfare checks
- Develop an Individual Health Care Plan in partnership with the school, parents, pupils and any relevant healthcare professional (where appropriate)
- Liaise with outside agencies to ensure that actions are undertaken on your behalf
- Provide educational and other ordinarily available activities
- Monitor progress
- Coordinate SEN provision and review needs at the SEN and EHCP levels
Off-rolling
Off-rolling is the practice of removing a pupil from the school roll without using a permanent exclusion. This is when the removal is in the best interests of the school, rather than the best interests of the pupil. This includes pressuring a parent to remove their child from the school roll.
A school cannot legally remove compulsory school-age children from the roll, even if a parent makes the request in writing. This is the case unless specific criteria are met, as set out in Deletions from Admission Register in The Education (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2006.
Further advice on absence
For advice on absence please visit the Buckinghamshire County Attendance Team page or contact or contact them at countyattendanceteam@buckinghamshire.gov.uk.