Physical illness
A child may be unable to attend school because of ongoing medical conditions or other physical or mental health issues.
Emotionally-Based School Avoidance (EBSA)
Attending school may cause children with EBSA to experience challenging emotional distress. This can lead to reduced attendance and further anxiety about school.
Advice and guidance on EBSA can be found on the SEND IASS website.
See below a link to some excellent EBSA guidance produced by West Sussex Educational Psychology Service.
Parents choosing to let their child stay at home
Parents may allow their child to stay at home. This could be:
- to help with care
- following a disagreement with the school
- to keep their parent company
- to educate their child at home
Information and support available for Young Carers can be found on Empowering Children and Transforming Lives - The Junction Foundation
Children choosing to stay at home
When a child chooses to stay at home, it may be called a self-determined absence when:
- there are no signs that the child is emotional distressed at the thought of attending school
- they are seeking a pleasant or rewarding experience by not attending school (sometimes this may be staying in their room)
Parents and carers may also be unaware of their child’s location.
You can find practical ideas to support children and young people to attend school, including those with self-determined absence, on The Young Minds website.
Who to speak to
The first person to speak to could be the school attendance officer or the child’s teacher. They may seek further advice from the SENDCo or Mental Health Lead in school. Every school in Redcar and Cleveland has a mental health team in school. Your school's SENDCo or Mental Health Lead will be able to offer advice about accessing this service. SENDCo can also make a referral through Resource and Support Panel to request support from the Specialist Teaching Service or to the Educational Psychology Service at Redcar and Cleveland Education Department. SENDCo can also seek advice from the school nursing service (0-19 Service).
You may feel your child’s attendance difficulties are a result of their special educational need or disability. Speak to the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) at the school.
There are services such as Kooth who can help support your child's mental health.
There are apps such as Molehill Mountain, n app to help autistic people understand and self-manage anxiety and Positive Penguins, a resilience building app for children aged 9-11yrs. Helps children to understand their thoughts and feelings and what to do when feeling anxious.
If you are working with social care, they can also support you.