School's Guide to Emotionally Based School Avoidance.

Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) is a term used to describe the difficulty some children and young people experience in attending school due to emotional factors, often leading to extended periods of non-attendance. Anxiety is frequently the main emotion experienced by children and young people displaying signs of EBSA. Some children might be able to talk about what their fears are, for others this fear may be apparent in their behaviour and some, particularly younger children, may experience physical feelings linked to their feelings of fear and worry.

The impact of EBSA can be extensive. Research shows that EBSA can be linked to poor academic attainment, reduced social opportunities and limited employment opportunities.

This page aims to provide guidance for schools on how to support pupils who may be experiencing, or are at risk of experiencing EBSA.