The EBSA support thread (emotionally based school avoidance/absence)

[BrambleyHedge]

Following this thread https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4996315-a-question-to-all-those-who-think-school-refusal-in-schools-is-increasing-due-to-lazy-enabling-parents?latest=1

I wondered if some people would welcome an EBSA support thread. I haven't seen another one so if there is already one I can delete this one. For those dealing with EBSA - I don't know about you but sometimes I just want to cry and scream with all the stress and I thought it might be healthier to write it down and share with others going through similar issues.

My son is 15 yr 11 and is currently upstairs refusing to go to his mock GCSE this morning. He is too anxious. He is only doing 5 GCSEs and has small group tutoring in his school rather than the normal classes. There are several in his year with EBSA so they have their own group. He is finally being assessed for ASD after 2.5 years in CAMHs list and also finally being assessed for EHCP after mediation due to council refusal to assess. He is what they used to call high functioning but unable to deal with education. I am practically in tears this morning trying to get him to go in. He usually doesn't go in until about 11 so this is early. He doesn't sleep.

So enough about me. If you too are having a crappy morning then please talk.

It would be good if this thread can be for those who are dealing with EBSA. Well meant advice or judgement from others may not always be welcome or helpful. I have tried literally everything over the last two years to get my son to school and am learning much of this is beyond my control. Sometimes there just isn't an answer.

I have put this in Chat for now so it gets seen. It could fit in education, SEN, or some other subjects.

My other DD who ended up home ed then college for y11 did her access cert then nursing. And there were still times she struggled even at uni with peer groups and tutors. She still suffers from terrible anxiety but is a nurse and has done her masters - all on her own steam really but the damage from school has always been done but you can get along your own path.

My DS is finding it really hard that DD has EBSA and is off school so much. He finds it unfair. Not sure how to handle this one really as it is a difficult situation. Any advice welcome. We have offered treats and tried to explain the situation. He just sees her having a nice time at home although there are lots of tears too which he witnesses.

Well we had a good few weeks before half term and now it is a struggle again. There was a different lady in reception yesterday's and she asked for the reason they were so late. Apparently they are autistic and their needs are not being met in mainstream education was not the answer they we're looking for. It ended up as "resistance".

@Differentway

Exactly the same here. I am finding it increasingly more difficult to get DS up in the morning for this reason. I think also that I wfh quite a lot is that he feels like he's the only person leaving the house.

I don't know what the solution is but I have done 2 things in the last week. I have told DD that even though she has her own challenges that mean she can't go into school, she still needs to recognise and support her brother going in.

I also called the head of year 9 (who also knows my DD well) and asked him to have a sit down chat with DS about the importance of taking school seriously as he heads into year 10 next year.

I don't know if any of this will have any impact but like you, I'm really struggling!

Can anyone advise on alternative provision within a mainstream school. My daughter has been placed in this in the last week. She managed to go in last Friday but she’s not been back in since despite my best efforts. Her behaviour hasn’t been great. Her attendance is sitting around 70% but this is deteriorating.

@Beaniebeemer alternative provision is provision delivered outside of the mainstream school. If the school has a unit/classroom/base they are calling alternative provision but DD still can’t attend, then the LA still has a duty to ensure DD receives alternative provision if she can’t attend school and is compulsory school age.

Yes they call it that but it’s within her mainstream school.

Does anyone know anything about managed moves? Do you get a choice where you get moved to?

@Beaniebeemer you could ask for a specific school,but there is no guarantee that school would agree to the managed move.

If DD can’t attend the current school full time, have you requested actually alternative provision? Have you requested an EHCNA?

I haven’t yet. I’m really not clued up on any of this. Madly trying to get my head around it.

@Beaniebeemer On their website, IPSEA has model letters for requesting an EHCNA and alternative provision under s19 of the Education Act 1996.

can anyone help with some questions I have. Can you leave your child on roll with their school even though they are unable to attend but also enrol them at an online school? Is this allowed? The circumstances are that I don’t know if online school would be a good fit or not. Or do you have to choose one or the other? Trying to understand everything before making our mind up for DS. If you home educate are you then not able to apply for an EHCP? How can I find answers to all the questions we have related to our son and his ongoing difficulties getting to school. Is it Sendiass?

@Quantumlaughter be careful with SENDIASS. Some are good, but far too many repeat the LA’s unlawful policies. IPSEA and SOSSEN are far better. It is worth reading the SENCOP too.

Personally, I wouldn’t deregister. It is easier, although not easy, to get support when DC remain in the system. Crudely, at the moment you are someone’s ‘problem’. If you EHE, it is easier for others to sweep DS’s needs under the carpet. If DS can’t attend school full time and is compulsory school age, the LA has a duty to ensure they still receive a suitable full-time education. IPSEA has a model letter you can use to request provision. However, if you deregister and EHE the LA will say you are making suitable alternative arrangements thereby relieving them of their duty. Having said that, if you decide to deregister you can still request an EHCNA.

If you decide to keep DS on the school’s roll but he is unable to attend and you fund an online school, you need to make it clear to the LA you have not deregistered and you are not EHEing, you are making provision for DS who is unable to attend because they have failed in their duty to ensure he receives an education under s19 of the Education Act 1996 (assuming DS is CSA and they have in fact failed to provide provision).

Thanks @SearchingForSolitude . Is it not illegal to be at two schools or does online not count as it isn’t under the LA? Also what does CSA mean?

@Quantumlaughter CSA is compulsory school age.

It isn’t illegal to be on the roll of 2 schools. Some pupils are dual registered. However, the majority of online providers aren’t actually registered schools. And so DS isn’t deregistered, you need to make it clear you aren’t deregistering to EHE, DS is unable to attend and you are ensuring he still receives an education because the LA has failed in their duty to ensure that.

Thanks for this @SearchingForSolitude . I am going to ring IPSEA as well. Thanks for recommending.

@Quantumlaughter they are very busy so you have to persevere.

If DS can’t attend school, have you asked about alternative provision? That can actually be online provision.

We have asked but there isn’t enough money to provide it. The only school aim seems to be reintroducing DS to school slowly but he can’t do it and he and we have tried for months.

@Quantumlaughter the school and LA are lying to you. That isn’t how it works. Ultimately, under section 19 of the Education Act 1996, the LA is responsible for ensuring CSA pupils unable to attend school still receive a suitable full-time education. Lack of money is not a lawful excuse.

Send IPSA’s model letter to the Director of Children’s Services requesting provision. If the LA refuse, delay or ignore you, email threatening judicial review. Then, if that fails, you need a pre-action letter. SOSSEN can help with a pre-action letter if you need it, but there is a wait so you may want to look elsewhere.

Alongside that request an EHCNA using IPSEA’s model letter.

Thank you so much for this @SearchingForSolitude and I will let you know how we get on. We were probably days away from deregistering our son as we felt we had no choice.

Such knowledgeable posters here. Can I ask, if a child is able to attend part-time but not full-time, whose obligation is it to provide the rest of their education? DD had some success with only doing until break time. She's now supposed to be going up to lunchtime but not doing well. Any days she was in full time she spent part of each day in the pastoral area with no work.

School have said teachers will send work but most of them haven't. I'm not sure they are obliged to, although DH who is a secondary teacher says they do at his school. I don't want to create extra work. I would be happy with just a learning objective so I could find something online but most teachers haven't contacted us at all. DD goes into Y10 soon and so I want to have a clearer understanding before she starts GCSEs.

I agree that the LA are being untruthful about "no money for alternative provision " @Quantumlaughter. My dd has also been unable to attend since October 2023. I requested alternative provision (which she is getting in the form of on line tutors), but sadly the ECHNA was turned down. We plan to reapply next term if she's no further forward, but the complication is that she is in year 10. It feels like she has to get back into school now or never.
We are trying some reintegration now that she is taking antidepressants, using ear loops etc., but I'd say its 50/50 whether it'll work.😟

@lavenderlou as far as I can tell if the child is able to attend some school then school are seen to be doing something. The onus is on trying to catch up the rest of the work missed which school can direct you to although this varies greatly. @SearchingForSolitude might know something different? @48wheaties We’re in the same boat as DS is coming to the end of year 10. He has missed so much school we feel the only option is to provide year 10 online again. He basically has been unable to access any year 10 education. However I don’t know how this will be viewed if his EHCP is successful. I think the preference is to remain in your year group.

@lavenderlou ultimately, the duty to ensure CSA DC who are unable to attend school full-time still receive a suitable full-time education lies with the LA. The school sending work home does not discharge this duty. Have you requested an EHCNA?

@Quantumlaughter being educated out of DC's chronological year group can be included in EHCPs. You would need evidence it is required and may have to appeal, but it isn't rare.

@48wheaties request another EHCNA now and appeal if refused.

Thanks for the advice @SearchingForSolitudeI will reapply for ECHNA. It doesn't help that I'm already about to appeal my other child's EHCP (on B and F) as well. Might as well dive in . I'd laugh if it all wasn't so exhausting. How I'll get my day job done I'll never know...

Hi everyone. Haven't RTFT because it's so long, so sorry if someone has asked something similar already.

My daughter, who is 10, has been having issues with EBSA this year. Over the last few weeks the school has put a few things in place to help her (excused from various activities she doesn't like, calm spaces, commitment to her not being asked a question by the teacher etc) and we've seen improvements in her attendance.

Soon we will be starting to attend open days for local post primary schools, her primary school SENCO has advised we speak to the SENCO in each post primary school to get a feel for how they would handle EBSA and what supports their willing to put in place.

Apart from asking "how does the school handle EBSA and what supports will you put in place?" are there any other questions I should be asking or things I should be looking out for?