Starting school each day can sometimes feel difficult for children, especially if they are experiencing worry or anxiety about coming into school. When children feel overwhelmed or anxious, it can make leaving home or entering the school environment challenging. At Pirbright, we understand that every child’s experience is different. We are committed to working closely with families to understand each child’s needs and to provide support that helps them feel safe, confident and ready to learn. By using supportive strategies at both school and home, and by working together with parents and carers, we can help children build the confidence they need to attend school regularly and feel successful.

On this page you will find information about Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA) as well as practical strategies and ideas for supporting children to come to school in a positive and manageable way.

Pirbright's 3 Key Principles

Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA) is when a child finds it difficult to attend school because of worries, fears, or strong emotions about school or being away from home. It is not about a child being “naughty” or a family not valuing education. Instead, it often means a child is feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or unsafe in some way. Children experiencing EBSNA may show their worries in different ways. For example, they may say they feel unwell in the morning, become very upset about coming to school, or find transitions such as leaving home or entering the classroom particularly hard. With understanding, patience and the right support, children can build confidence and feel more comfortable returning to school.

How school can help

At school we aim to create a safe, supportive environment where children feel understood and valued. Support may include:

• Providing a calm and welcoming start to the day
• Identifying a trusted adult a child can check in with
• Using emotion coaching and supportive conversations
• Making small adjustments to routines or transitions
• Gradually building a child’s confidence and independence
• Working with families and, where needed, other professionals

Our goal is always to help children feel safe, connected and ready to learn.

Come and join us for our Parent Workshop where we will discuss all things attendance and give you some practical strategies about what you can do at home and share with you the things we do at school. Please email cdow@pirbright.surrey.sch.uk if you are able to come along. 

Resources to Support at Home 

The ‘Perfect Week’ activity helps us understand what school feels like for a child and what changes or supports might help them feel happier and more confident attending. By describing what a “perfect” school week would look like, the child can share what helps them feel comfortable and what might be making school feel difficult.

Mapping the Landscape helps us understand the different factors in a child’s life at school that may be affecting how they feel , so we can work together to plan the right support. The activity looks at school in great detail to see what minor things might be causing anxiety. Feeding this back to school can help us understand and put things in place to support your child. 

The Ideal School activity helps children share what a school environment would look and feel like if it worked really well for them. The activity encourages children to share their thoughts and ideas about what helps them feel safe, comfortable and ready to learn at school, so adults can make supportive changes where possible.

The ‘Working / Not Working’ activity helps children and adults see what currently helps or hinders school attendance, so we can plan practical support together. The titles in the middle of the boxes can be changed to focus on other things such as...
Travelling to School 
Eating at School 
Assemblies etc