Schools and families confront rise in emotionally based school avoidance
Parents, headteachers and psychologists report growing numbers of pupils too anxious or traumatised to attend school as persistent absence rates remain elevated since the pandemic
Families, headteachers and educational psychologists across England say they are seeing a rise in pupils who find attending school traumatic, a condition clinicians call emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA). Schools have opened specialist provision and local authorities are offering new training, while ministers point to increased investment in special educational needs (SEND) and mental health support.
Parents describe prolonged distress before withdrawing children from mainstream education. Persistent absence rates — defined as missing 10% or more of lessons — have remained well above pre-pandemic levels, with almost 19% of pupils persistently absent last academic year compared with 11% in 2018–19.
Julie, 48, whose daughter Rosie, now being educated out of school, said she regrets having pushed her child to attend until she "broke". Rosie, who has autism, began exhibiting acute symptoms at primary school, including panic, sleeplessness, self-harm and night terrors, Julie said. An educational psychologist later assessed Rosie and concluded she was experiencing EBSA.
"She was in fight and flight the whole time," Julie said. She recalled taking Rosie, then eight, into school on the final day in July 2023 when staff praised her for getting the child into class. Julie said her daughter was wearing a dirty pyjama top, had not eaten and could barely speak. "It just felt as if I was walking her into the lion's den every single day," she said.
Headteachers say that transition points, such as entry to secondary school, can be key triggers. Anna Hewes, headteacher of Prince William School in Oundle, Northamptonshire, said the start of the school year brings EBSA "to the forefront" as Year Seven pupils join the school. She said the sensory environment of a busy secondary school — noise, movement between classes and crowded corridors — is especially challenging for students with sensory needs.
Prince William School has created a unit intended for pupils experiencing EBSA and has recruited staff focused on belonging and inclusion, Mrs. Hewes said. The unit, funded by North Northamptonshire Council, has homelier classrooms and on-site mental health provision, with plans to expand. Four students are enrolled so far and the school expects to have capacity for 48 by 2028, the head of inclusion at East Midlands Academy Trust said.
Dr. Joanne Summers, principal educational psychologist for Luton Borough Council, said EBSA can emerge suddenly but usually follows a longer pattern of anxiety around school. Luton’s Compass Centre and associated services have tried to move away from interpreting absence as defiance or truancy and instead seek to understand the underlying causes.
"We are being curious about what's going on for that young person," Dr. Summers said. She warned that without early intervention, children can fall behind academically and lose contact with peer networks, which may exacerbate anxiety.
Former school leaders and researchers also point to wider factors. Geoff Barton, a former headteacher and a researcher on SEND provision, said those he has spoken to describe rising anxiety among pupils. He added that poverty and the lingering effects of Covid-19 school disruption are also drivers of persistent absence. "There should be more emphasis on the humanity of our schools rather than draconian discipline over absences," he said.
Education sector leaders caution that data on EBSA specifically are limited, making it hard to quantify the scale of the problem. National statistics capture persistent absence but do not always distinguish between causes such as illness, exclusion, family circumstances or EBSA.
Local authorities have responded with training for schools and new pathways for support. North Northamptonshire Council said it has offered courses to help staff learn strategies for supporting children with EBSA. Luton has invested in multi-disciplinary teams that work with pupils and families to tailor education access.
The Department for Education said it is increasing specialist places in mainstream schools and expanding the roll-out of mental health support teams. A department spokesperson said, "Schools should take a 'support first' approach for children who are facing barriers to regular school attendance, and we are expanding access to mental health support teams in all schools, ensuring that every pupil has access to early support services in their community." The government has pledged about £740 million to create more specialist places in mainstream settings and to place SEND leads in new family hubs.
Parents whose children are withdrawn from school for medical or psychological reasons say the decision is rarely straightforward. Julie said removing Rosie was not a lifestyle choice but a response to trauma and distress. She and her husband have since campaigned for reform to the SEND system so other families get earlier, better-tailored help.
Educators and clinicians interviewed for this report urged early, individualized intervention, integration of mental health support in schools and clearer data collection on reasons for absence to inform policy. They said approaches that prioritise understanding a pupil's needs and adjusting the school environment can help some children return to full-time education, while others may require alternative arrangements, specialist provision or a phased approach to reintegration.
As schools prepare for new cohorts, leaders said they will continue to monitor attendance trends closely, expand support for pupils with sensory and social anxieties, and work with local services to reduce the risk that short-term absence becomes entrenched.