As part of Northumberland’s Attendance Strategy we are targeting support from central services to where it is most needed. We have a range of data, information and intelligence to help us to do this.
However, we share the concerns of schools and parents/carers about the high and increasing number of pupils whose attendance at school is affected by their emotional, mental health and wellbeing. Professionals are sometimes unsure about whether or not this group of children’s needs can be met in school, but they do not meet the threshold for health services such as Primary Mental Health or CYPS. They are broadly being referred to as children with EBSA (emotionally based school avoidance).
We want to know more about this group of children to understand better the help they need to recover and engage fully in their education. We have therefore asked all schools and education providers to complete an excel spreadsheet providing characteristics of the children at your school whose attendance is affected by their emotional or mental health.
Please return your information to sarah.wintringham@northumberland.gov.uk asap
