EBSA Guidance
In Milton Keynes, as well as nationally, we are seeing an increase in children and young people experiencing difficulty in attending school due to emotional reasons like anxiety. Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) is a broad umbrella term used to describe this. EBSA can present differently across individuals, but can often involve fear and anxiety, misery, complaints of feeling ill without an obvious cause, and/or reluctance to leave home.
The following guidance documents were developed by Milton Keynes Educational Psychology Service as part of the Milton Keynes EBSA Working Group and they complement the Milton Keynes EBSA Support Pathway.
Literacy Guidance
The purpose of this document is to provide clarity for school staff about how to best support children in developing their literacy skills. It will also be helpful to all those involved in teaching children to read and write.
This document presents an overview of the way in which children learn to read and write; the skills required and why some children might experience additional difficulties. We also talk about how to intervene when difficulties are noted.
Reading and writing are complex processes that involve a number of other sub skills including language development and comprehension, fine motor skills, auditory discrimination skills, and visual recognition skills. Some children and young people experience difficulties in one or more of these areas, or with the ability to bring all these skills together.
To read the guidance, please click here.
Critical Incident Guidance
A critical incident is an event, usually sudden, which involves the experience of personal distress to a level which has the potential to overwhelm individuals. These incidents are wide-ranging and unpredictable in their form. For guidance on this, please see guidance on critical incidents: using your Educational Psychology Service.
