The Ferns EBSA Provision: A Trauma-Informed Mission Statement
The Ferns is a nurturing, neurodivergence-affirming provision designed to support pupils experiencing Emotional Based School Avoidance (EBSA), grounded in a relational and trauma-informed ethos.
Located a short drive from Longdon Hall School’s main site – and registered as part of the same school – The Ferns creates emotionally safe spaces where pupils can gradually reconnect with learning through trust, flexibility, and personalised support. We recognise that children, young people and their families often arrive at our doors with a history of fractured educational experiences, and that this can shape how they engage with school. As such, we do not simply view attendance as a target – we view connection as the foundation. We aim to foster joy, agency and outcomes for pupils through pathways that honour their individual stories.
National Context & Importance of Attendance
The Department for Education and Ofsted have identified a critical concern: pupil attendance has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, with ongoing implications for academic performance and wellbeing. The guidance ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ (May 2022) outlines two essential reasons why attendance matters:
- There’s a correlation between high academic performance and high attendance.
- Regular attendance is a protective factor for more vulnerable students.
At Longdon Hall School, including The Ferns, we uphold attendance not as a rule, but as a protective mechanism – when emotionally appropriate. We promote presence by prioritising emotional safety and relational consistency, allowing pupils to engage with school in ways that feel manageable and empowering.
With this in mind, we are committed to promoting positive attendance and engagement:
- To facilitate a high-quality education
- To provide our children and young people with the support they need
- Enhance the quality of life and development of life and social skills
- To reduce the risk of further trauma and/or potential involvement in crime or abuse
EBSA: Understanding the Emotional Roots
We interpret non-attendance as communication: a reflection of unmet needs. Our role is not to suppress avoidance behaviours, but to understand and support the pupil until the school becomes a safe and purposeful space. EBSA is characterised by difficulty attending school due to emotional distress, often rooted in anxiety, trauma, or neurodivergence. It differs from truancy in that avoidance is emotionally driven and often reflects significant unmet needs and past trauma experience. We acknowledge that EBSA stems from psychological needs and that families require support, patience, and understanding. An approach that is too punitive can increase anxiety and worsen absenteeism. We are committed to working collaboratively with families to address these challenges sensitively and helpfully.
“School refusal occurs when stress exceeds support, when risks are greater than resilience and when ‘pull’ factors that promote school non-attendance overcome the ‘push’ factors that encourage attendance” (Thambirajah et al, 2008: p. 33).
Trauma-Informed Principles at The Ferns
Staff practice is rooted in a trauma-informed, therapeutic ethos focused on emotional safety, flexibility, and relational depth. Key approaches include:
Relational and Access-Oriented
- Connection and emotional safety precede expectation.
- Learning becomes possible when environmental and emotional barriers are reduced.
- Academic pressure is replaced with strategically reduced learning demands, allowing engagement at a pupil’s own pace.
Trauma-Informed Practice
- Staff responses are empathetic, predictable and regulated.
- Punitive approaches are avoided; instead, consistency and adaptability are offered.
- Staff attune to the emotional states of pupils and adjust responses in the moment.
Therapeutic Team Culture: Connect, Co-Regulate, Co-Reflect
- Staff are selected for their relational strengths and trained to co-regulate during times of distress.
- Reflective practice groups and clinical consultation support staff in understanding pupil needs and managing their own responses.
Creative and Vocational Engagement
- Staff are encouraged to share their interests (e.g. mountain biking, bushcraft, creative arts) to build rapport and offer meaningful curriculum choices.
- Learning is shaped around vocational and real-world activities to promote reconnection.
Personalised Pathways and Reintegration
Every pupil at The Ferns receives a termly review from a member of the Senior Leadership Team in liaison with parents/carers. This ensures regular assessment of support strategies and timetable arrangements. Key tools include:
- One-page profiles detailing pupil strengths and needs.
- Flexible timetables and individualised targets.
- Gradual reintegration plans, designed in collaboration with families and pupils.
- Reintegration to the main school site is approached with sensitivity, and the timing is bespoke to each pupil. Success is not judged solely by attendance but by relational progress, emotional regulation, and restored engagement.