EBSA - working with your school

What can I expect from school?

Schools should:

• Listen carefully to you and your child and acknowledge the challenges faced by your child and you as their parent/carer.
• Maintain close contact with you and your child, especially during extended periods of non-attendance. An agreed member of staff should be named as a link person.
• Work in partnership with you and your child to find out what difficulties your child is experiencing and find ways of making school a happier place and improve their attendance.
• Hold meetings to devise a plan with you and your child. The plan should include what the next steps will be.
• Respond to any school-based needs, such as academic support, SEND needs, dealing with bullying or support with social relationships.
• Consider the support your child might require upon arrival at school. This might include meeting with a friend at a specific place and time, using a quiet space to settle before school starts, engaging in a preferred activity or being given a responsibility such as a monitor role.
• If difficulties persist the school should consider requesting involvement from other professionals.
• The school should refer to the local EBSA Guidance.

Work together with your child’s school

Tell the school there is a problem as soon as possible and work in partnership with the school to address the issue. A plan should be made with the school to help your child. It is really important that all adults, both at home and school, work together to agree a supportive and consistent approach. If you have any concerns about the plan, share these with the school privately and try to maintain a positive ‘united front’ with the school.

Research shows us that there are better outcomes when schools and families work together.

Arrange a meeting with your school by asking who is responsible for EBSA.

The following documents could be completed together at this meeting

• Formulation Sheet (Word document)
• Support Plan - School (Word document)
• Support Plan - Young Person (Word document)

Work with your child’s school to support your child to have a voice

Your child’s school has access to local guidance which includes resources to work with young people to find out what might be causing them to feel worries about school. It may be that your child tells you different things at home, or you know an adult who they respond well to in school. Share this information with school so that your child’s views can be heard. Research shows that generally people are more likely to follow a plan they
are involved in making. Young people experiencing EBSA have reported that they want to be listened to.

Consultation offer

We have received positive feedback from our free consultations so will continue to provide this offer to schools and families.

Intervening early is key to preventing entrenched attendance barriers. To provide a timely response when schools have implemented the guidance or feel uncertain about how to respond, we are offering fortnightly consultations where school staff and parents can discuss concerns with a member of the Educational Psychology Team to help think about next steps.

Due to the importance of a joined up approach, requests for a consultation must be made by a member of school staff with signed parental consent. Talk to your school if you feel that this is something which might be helpful and they can get in touch at ebsa@bradford.gov.uk to find out more.