EBSNA - Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance

Good Practice Guidance for Schools

Please note: These resources are designed for school staff and professionals to support children, young people, and families facing barriers to education.

While parents and carers may find the information helpful, they are encouraged to contact their child’s school or a relevant professional for personalised support.

Supporting attendance starts with a whole-school approach to wellbeing. The resources in this section outline the systems required and includes an audit tool to help schools evaluate their current support for children and young people.

Guidance documents:

Please see our training video on: 

The role of the EBSNA Champion

Educational settings in Warwickshire  are encouraged to choose at least one Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA) Champion. 

  • This role can be shared by more than one staff member. 
  • It can be taken on by anyone with a strong interest in inclusion and supporting children and young people (CYP) who find it hard to attend or engage in school. 

Possible EBSNA Champions may include: 

  • Pastoral leads 
  • SENCo or Assistant SENCo 
  • Assistant headteachers 
  • Teaching assistants 
  • Learning mentors 
  • Any other staff member  

Key actions for schools/settings and EBSNA Champions

As part of selecting and implementing EBSNA Champion(s), schools are encouraged to: 

  • Understand Warwickshire’s EBSNA graduated approach
    Ensure staff have a solid grasp of Warwickshire County Council’s (WCC) Graduated Approach to EBSNA, helping to maintain consistent practice across the school. 
  • Complete the whole-school EBSNA audit
    Members of the senior leadership team should carry out the audit to identify training and development needs within the school. 
  • Raise awareness among all staff
    Help all staff gain a basic understanding of the WCC EBSNA Graduated Approach through briefings or introductory sessions. 
  • Share key messages across the school
    Promote EBSNA-related information informally or formally, for example during staff meetings. This includes signposting staff to the WCC EBSNA webpages and EBSNA toolkit. 
  • Plan for EBSNA training
    Understand the WCC EBSNA training offer and include relevant sessions in the school’s INSET training calendar for all, or targeted staff. 
  • Support staff with online training
    Encourage key staff to engage with the online EBSNA training videos as part of their professional development. 
  • Coordinate a support team
    Organise a team around the EBSNA Champion to provide additional support, such as using the EBSNA assessment tools with CYP and families and building on existing relationships. The team could include SEND support assistants, pastoral staff and teaching assistants. 
  • Oversee support plans and interventions
    Monitor and manage any EBSNA additional support plans and strategies developed for each CYP. 
  • Provide feedback to WCC
    When requested, share feedback with WCC on the EBSNA Graduated Approach, including suggestions for improvement or areas needing further support. 
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