‘I think the school listened…and they were flexible enough to act on it’. Emotionally based school avoidance: an exploration of factors contributing to positive outcomes for secondary school children

School absence affects children's social, emotional and academic development, reduces social opportunities, limits employment prospects and can result in/foreshadow poor adult mental health. Tackling this problem early is crucial for improving children’s future opportunities. UK statistics indicate an incremental increase in persistent absences, exacerbated following COVID-19. The UK government has recently highlighted that working to improve attendance is ‘everyone’s business’. Educational Psychologists, who work with children, families and schools, are well placed to support children experiencing emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA). This study explores perceived factors that helped two secondary-age school students to reintegrate into school, following EBSA. It seeks to understand their cases within a local context, with a case study design, to build ‘practice-based’ evidence that can support the development of an EBSA pathway for the Local Authority, as well as contribute to a larger set of qualitative data on what is a highly relevant current topic. A qualitative methodological approach has been employed. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews, to capture the perceptions of children and young people (CYP), parents, school staff and professionals regarding the factors that contributed to CYP’s reintegration into school. Reflexive Thematic Analysis indicated that trusting relationships promoted CYP’s sense of safety in school, supporting their reintegration. Additional themes identified were ‘the importance of a positive, supportive and inclusive school ethos’ and ‘the key role of a collaborative supportive network around the child’. CYP’s individual qualities and intrinsic motivation were also found to contribute to their reintegration in school, while a person-centred approach promoted their sense of competence and autonomy. These results support the idea that EBSA is a complex, multi-faceted phenomenon, which can be tackled if various factors come together to support reintegration. The findings raise implications [and lessons] for schools and professionals, for policy makers and, in particular, for Educational Psychologists.