Addressing emotionally-based school avoidance (CPD33B)
Recognise emotional barriers to school attendance and apply practical strategies to support children’s emotional wellbeing
Emotionally-Based School Avoidance (EBSA) presents significant challenges for children, schools, their families and carers, impacting attendance, academic performance, and emotional wellbeing.
In this engaging live online course, specialists from Gloucester House Outreach Service provide clear insights into EBSA, highlighting key risk factors and effective intervention strategies.
Participants will gain practical skills and evidence-based techniques to confidently support children, young people, and colleagues experiencing EBSA. This training uniquely combines clinical expertise with real-world educational practice, offering actionable strategies tailored to diverse school environments.
Aims and learning objectives
After completing this course, you will understand:
- identify key risk factors contributing to EBSA within the child, family, home, and school contexts.
- apply practical classroom strategies to effectively support young people experiencing EBSA.
- implement targeted interventions to help young people manage emotional barriers both in and outside the classroom.
- gather and sensitively incorporate children’s perspectives to promote empathetic, inclusive, and collaborative support.
- understand emotional regulation techniques to foster resilience and wellbeing among students.
- communicate effectively with colleagues and families to ensure consistent and unified support approaches.
Who is this course for?
This course is ideal for professionals, parents, and carers who support children and young people experiencing attendance issues related to emotional difficulties. It is particularly relevant for:
- SENCOs and learning support assistants
- Teachers and school leaders
- Mental health and pastoral care leads
- Educational psychologists and counsellors
- Social workers and local authority education staff
- Healthcare assistants and care home workers
- Professionals working within charities or voluntary organisations supporting children and families
- Parents and carers seeking effective strategies to support their child’s emotional wellbeing and school attendance.
Participants will benefit from having direct experience or responsibility for supporting attendance, emotional wellbeing, or mental health within educational, care, or home settings.
Course details
This course consists of a live, interactive three-hour session delivered remotely via Zoom. You’ll join a supportive group environment, benefiting from direct engagement with a leading practitioner who will share the latest educational and clinical best practice. The workshop content is tailored to the specific needs of your cohort, providing ample opportunity for questions and discussion. You will leave the session equipped with practical resources and strategies ready to implement in your setting.
| Session | Date | Start time | End time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session 1/2 | Wednesday 4 February 2026 | 2pm | 5pm |
Pre-course activity
Before attending, participants are required to complete a short pre-workshop activity (approximately 30 minutes). Full details will be provided in the joining instructions, sent one week before your online training session.
Technical requirements
You will need a device with a microphone and camera together with a suitably fast internet connection. Although mobile devices and tablets can be used, we recommend the use of laptop or desktop PC for the best experience. Some devices provided by employers may have restrictions in place. Please use the Zoom test link to check your set up before booking.
You will be sent the necessary login link about a week before the course start date. Should you have any concerns about the accessibility of remote delivery please contact us at CPDEvents@tavi-port.ac.uk to discuss how we can best help you.
Through interactive discussions, case studies, and reflective exercises, you will learn how to:
- define and understand emotionally-based school avoidance (ESBA), recognising its symptoms and underlying causes.
- identify key transitions and environmental changes that significantly impact EBSA in children and young people.
- support young people in recognising and managing physical signs of emotional dysregulation linked to EBSA, such as anxiety symptoms.
- use emotion coaching techniques to effectively support children who experience difficulties with school attendance due to emotional barriers.
- engage young people creatively using art, visual tools, and facilitated dialogue to better understand their perceived barriers and anxieties related to school.
- implement practical and reasonable adjustments within school environments, facilitating successful reintegration and sustained attendance
The course prioritises active participation, collaborative discussion, and real-world application of strategies, ensuring participants feel confident in addressing EBSA within their professional or personal context.
No formal pre-requisites or assessments are required. The course is suitable for direct booking without prior approval. Participants are encouraged to have a professional or personal interest in supporting young people’s emotional health and attendance issues.
You may also be interested in…
For further information about Gloucester House Outreach Service, find out more on their website.
Why study with us?
This course has been carefully developed by Gloucester House Outreach Service (GHOR), an integrated team of clinical and educational specialists, as part of the renowned Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust. GHOR brings together extensive expertise in mental health, systemic practice, and education, providing participants with a unique, holistic approach to understanding and managing Emotionally-Based School Avoidance (EBSA).
You will benefit from evidence-informed content, delivered by experienced practitioners actively working in educational and clinical contexts. Our approach ensures you receive up-to-date, practical strategies that directly address current challenges in supporting children’s emotional wellbeing and school attendance.
Testimonials
Course facilitators
-
Siobhan McKee
Social Worker & Systemic Practitioner, Clinical Lead – Gloucester House Outreach Service
-
Rav Narula
Outreach Teacher – Gloucester House Outreach Service
Book your place today
You can book a place at any time.
Please use the “book now” button to pay for your course by either personal or organisational credit/debit card. This is the quickest and easiest way to book your place.
If your organisation can only pay by invoice, please email a Purchase Order to CPDEvents@tavi-port.ac.uk clearly stating the course you wish to book, and its start date. Requestions, emails from managers and other similar documents cannot be accepted. You will then be sent a code to enable you to complete your booking, bypassing the payment stage.
After booking you’ll receive confirmation by email, and we will be in touch approximately one week before the course starts with detailed joining instructions.
*Working together to improve school attendance (publishing.service.gov.uk), Department for Education, 2022
Related courses
CPD certificate 