School Attendance and Pupil Welfare
Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) Support
It is important to note that not all individuals who show non-attendance or anxiety will experience EBSA.
What is EBSA?
Emotionally-based school avoidance (EBSA) is used to describe children and young people (CYP) who find it difficult to attend school due to emotional factors, mainly feelings of fear and anxiety. These factors can lead to long periods of school absence. It is important to implement support as soon as possible, as the longer the concerns are not addressed the more difficult it can become to change avoidance behaviours. Approximately 1-5% of young people are out of school due to EBSA. However, literature suggests the prevalence including pupils who are in-school but may not be attending all lessons is not yet known.
Signs of EBSA
You may notice some behaviour or physiological changes in the CYP that may be signs of EBSA. These may be particularly noticeable on Sunday evenings and before school.
These could include:
- Worrying that increases when they are due to attend school.
- Expressing negative thoughts or concerns about school e.g. coping with schoolwork, being judged by teachers or peers, being different to everyone else, something bad happening at school of they attend etc.
- Physical symptoms such as headaches or stomach aches.
- Symptoms of anxiety such as dizziness, nausea, shaking, increased heart rate, butterflies in their stomach, ringing in ears etc.
- Difficultly falling asleep at night and getting out of bed in the morning
- Being distracted or difficulties concentrating.
- May appear short-tempered or fearful, especially when discussing school.
Anxiety and EBSA
Anxiety is a physiological response to potential threat and can feel quite scary. We need to support our CYP to recognise the early signs of anxiety and develop relaxation techniques or strategies so that they can manage their feelings.
A little anxiety or stress can be a positive thing as it motivates us to do things such as prepare for an exam. We actually perform better when we experience some challenge as it makes us more alert and task-focused. However, when the challenge outweighs our coping, and the anxiety builds to the point that we are feeling overwhelmed, this impairs our thinking and ability to reason rationally and cope with the challenges that life throws at us. This is a cumulative effect and it can then take just one stressor to ‘tip us over the edge’ to a point where we feel overwhelmed and unable to cope.
People can experience anxiety in different ways. The following feelings can be experienced individually or simultaneously:
- Dizzy, lightheaded, or can’t concentrate
- Tunnel vision
- Blushing cheeks
- Dry mouth
- Difficulty breathing / swallowing
- Tense muscles
- Heart racing
- Sweating, feeling like throwing up, diarrhoea
- Butterflies in the stomach
- The need to urinate
- Trembling / shaking
- Feet running
When anxiety and EBSA is linked, the young person is likely to experience anxious and fearful thoughts around attending school or the ability to cope with school work. This leads the CYP to attempt to avoid the overwhelming feelings and situation that is invoking the anxiety and they will withdraw, possibly by refusing to get ready for school/leaving home or not entering the school. The CYP could also present hostile behaviours in order to not only avoid the situation but feel as they have some control over a very ‘out-of-control’ situation (Thambirajah et al., 2008). The avoidance of thinking about or attending school is likely to reduce anxiety and create a sense of relief, which can lead into a cycle that maintains EBSA overtime, as described further below.
The EBSA cycle is the idea that the CYP’s anxious feelings about school could lead to increased school avoidance. This can be due to negative thoughts about school and the CYP’s own ability to cope, possibly leading to the avoidance of the situation evoking the anxiety, and the relief felt as a result. The potential immediate reduction in anxiety could also lead to increased school avoidance, where the anxious feelings around school are reinforced.
As a result of this cycle, the CYP may also experience additional difficulties: school avoidance may result in falling behind in school work, loss of friends and increasing isolation. In turn, this can increase the anxiety felt around school and emphasise the pleasurable activities available at home, therefore decreasing the CYP’s motivation to attend school.
Autism and EBSA
It is important to note that not all individuals with Autism will experience EBSA.
Feelings of anxiety are commonly regarded as an integral part of Autism. Anxiety may worsen during adolescence, as children face increasingly more complex social interactions and often become more aware of their differences and interpersonal difficulties. The world can seem very unpredictable and a confusing place to people with autism. Additionally, being out of school could possibly become the young person’s new routine. The desire for maintaining this routine could lead to the young person spending more time out of school. Sensory processing differences may also be a contributing factor to feelings of EBSA for young people with Autism.
Acknowledgments to Conwy’s local authority and West Sussex EBSA Guide
Pembrokeshire Education Support Grant
(formerly the Pupil Development PLUS Grant)
This is a Pembrokeshire specific grant and is separate to the Welsh Government School Essentials Grant.
Pembrokeshire Education Support Grant is a scheme to help parents in difficult circumstances with school uniforms.
From April 2019, we will offer a grant of up to £125 per statutory School age pupil for:
- School uniform including coats and shoes.
- School sports kit including footwear.
- Uniform for enrichment activities, including but not limited to, scouts; guides; cadets; martial arts; sports; performing arts or dance.
- Equipment e.g. school bags and stationery.
- Specialist equipment where new curriculum activities begin such as design and technology.
- Equipment for out of school hour’s trips such as outdoor learning e.g. waterproofs.
This is not an exhaustive list, and there is some discretion about what could be funded – but it must be something that will support the achievement of the child. Decisions on applications will be made by the Education Welfare Service for your school.
Examples of difficult circumstances may include:
- Families experiencing moving over to Universal Credit and experience significant delays in receiving benefit payments.
- Loss of possessions due to an event beyond your control such as fire or flood.
- A child who has to move schools at short notice at the advice of the Local Authority.
Other assistance for low-income households
There are other limited potential sources of financial help:
- Parents receiving Income Support
- Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance,
- Pension Credit
or payment on account of one of these benefits or entitlements for at least 26 weeks may be able to apply for a social fund budgeting loan under the category of clothing and footwear from Jobcentre Plus. Claimants currently claiming Universal Credit can apply for a Budgeting Advance.
Help may be available from governing bodies or parents' associations of schools. This may be financial support from a hardship fund, a savings scheme or through the provision of second-hand clothing.
For further information please speak with the Pupil Support Officer for your school or request an application form from SUGS@pembrokeshire.gov.uk
Get help with School Essentials
Contents:
Overview
If you are the parent or guardian of a child in school, you may be eligible for a grant to help to pay for essential school items.
The official name of this grant is School Essentials Grant.
This is also known as the Pupil development grant, PDG access or Uniform grant.
How much is it?
The grant amount is:
- £200 for children in year 7, and
- £125 for children in all other years.
You can apply from 1 July 2024 to 31 May 2025.
If you received the School Essentials Grant last year and continue to be eligible, we expect your automated payment to be made mid-July. If you do not receive this payment there may be an issue with your eligibility.
How you can use it
You can use the grant to pay for:
- school uniforms and footwear,
- sports equipment and kit,
- school activities, including musical lessons, school trips and after school clubs,
- classroom essentials, including pens, pencils and school bags,
- laptop or tablet if you cannot loan it from the school.
Eligibility
You are eligible if your child receives free school meals.
Please note that this is different to those who receive free school meals under the Welsh Government Universal Primary Free School Meals Scheme, which provides free school meals to all Primary school students in Pembrokeshire from September 2024. Even if your child receives Universal Primary Free School Meals, you should apply for free school meals if you meet the eligibility criteria for the School Essentials Grant.
You may be eligible if you receive one of the following:
- Income support (income based),
- Employment and Support Allowance (income based),
- Child Tax Credit, with a household income of £16,190 or less,
- Pension Credit (guarantee),
- Universal Credit with net household earnings of less than £7400,
- Help under Immigration and Asylum Seekers Act 1999.
- All looked after children/foster children qualify for the grant, whether they receive free school meals or not. An application form will need to be completed for those that come under this.
In some cases, you may need to receive one of these even if your child receives free school meals.
Check other help available if you are not eligible for this grant.
Apply
You will need your:
- contact information,
- child's school name,
- national insurance number,
- bank details.
You can apply from 1 July 2024 to 31 May 2025.
After applying
You will receive a confirmation email of your application, and we will let you know what happens next.
School year 2024/2025
The School Essentials Grant for the next academic school year 2024/2025 are expected to be available in July/August. As in previous years the payments will be automated to those who are eligible.
Contact
If you have any questions about your application or need help to apply, you can:
Call 01437 775845
Email SUGS@pembrokeshire.gov.uk
Challenging Bullying
As a parent/carer you have a role to play in helping your child to learn to understand and cope with the positive and negative sides of friendships and socialising, both online and offline. You can help your child to learn to stay safe and happy and to treat others with respect and kindness. You are often the first to notice if your child is not acting like themselves, is unhappy or appears aggressive.
Parents/carers can feel a range of emotions when discovering that their child is being bullied or is bullying others. While initial feelings may include upset, anger, sadness and guilt, it is important to remember that there is a way forward.
We expect parents/carers and their children to work with schools to prevent and challenge bullying.
Pembrokeshire County Council define bullying as;
‘Behaviour by an individual or group, repeated over time, which intentionally hurts others either physically or emotionally’
Bullying is a form of unacceptable behaviour, but not all unacceptable behaviour is bullying. Bullying usually has three key elements, and can take place face-to-face or online:
It is intentional or deliberate hurtful behaviour.
It is repeated behaviour that usually happens over a period of time.
The person or people being bullied feel powerless to defend themselves.
Types of bullying
Bullying can take many forms, including:
- being called nasty names, teased, made fun of, threatened or put down
- being hit, kicked, punched, tripped up or knocked over
- having belongings stolen or deliberately damaged
- having rumours or gossip spread about you or people talking about you behind your back
- being left out, excluded or isolated
- being forced to do something you don’t want to do or that you know is wrong.
Online bullying is bullying behaviour that is displayed through technology such as mobile/smart phones or the internet. This could include:
- hurtful, embarrassing or threatening material posted online (e.g. on social media)
- nasty messages sent as text messages, e-mails or via other websites or apps
- being excluded from an online game or chat forum
- fake profiles on a social network to make fun of others
- misuse of intimate explicit images of the person targeted (the target).
Prejudice-related bullying is when the bullying is focused on what is different about a person’s identity. It can be targeted at one person or a whole group of people because they are thought to be different, whether this is true or not. This is known as prejudice.
Prejudice-related bullying involves aspects of a person’s identity such as:
- race
- religion or beliefs
- culture or family background
- disability
- gender identity – the way someone looks or acts
- sexual orientation – whether someone is heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual (who someone is attracted to)
- sex – because of someone’s gender (often in a form of harassment).
When is it not bullying?
The following examples are examples of unacceptable behaviour but are not examples of bullying:
- a disagreement or ‘falling out’
- an argument or one-off fight
- relationship issues where children or young people need to learn how to get along better
- someone being ‘nasty’ with unkind or disrespectful words or action.
All unacceptable behaviour must be challenged, whether bullying or not.
What can you do to help?
There are lots of things you can do as a parent/carer to support your child, the guidance linked below gives you ideas about how to talk to your child about bullying, how to spot the signs, how you can help them and how to build your child’s confidence and self-esteem. The guidance also gives information about dealing with bullying online, it covers coping with the effects of bullying and managing your own feelings and actions
Guidance for parents and carers
What can you expect from your child’s school
Schools have a duty of care to protect all their learners and provide a safe, healthy environment.
All schools must, by law have a school behaviour policy. We expect schools to also have an anti-bullying policy setting out how they will address bullying in their school. Your child’s school’s anti-bullying policy or its school behaviour policy, should set out the stages for you to report a bullying concern. These policies should be available on their website or you can request a copy directly from the school.
You will need to refer to your child’s school’s policy for specific details of their reporting stages but below are the general stages which you will need to complete in writing. You should complete all steps in order; allowing the school suitable time and opportunity to put in place action to remedy the situation and giving the action time to take effect. It may not be possible to completely resolve the situation immediately, but you should feel confident that timely action is being taken; if not, move to the next stage in the process.
Step 1 – report to the class teacher/form teacher/head of year
Step 2 – report to the headteacher
Step 3 – report to the school governing body
Step 4 – report to the local authority
At every step, keep a diary or event log of all contact you have made and received, making a note of:
- who you spoke to
- how you contacted them (e.g. by phone, email, face to face etc.)
- when (date/time)
- what actions were agreed and who was responsible for these actions.
Please note: You should not take to social media to complain about the school or insult, offend or threaten individual school staff. It may cause more harm but it will not resolve the issue. Remember, schools have a duty of care to their own staff as well as to your child. In severe cases, legal or other action may be taken by the school against you if you endanger staff.
You should also not take matters into your own hands and attempt to tackle other children or young people involved in the incident or their families, be this in person or via social media or other online platforms.
Child Employment and Child Performance
Child Employment
Pembrokeshire County Council believes that children of compulsory school age can benefit from experience gained in undertaking work, providing that this work is suitable and there are proper safeguards in place. The official date for leaving school is the last Friday in June in the school year in which the pupil is 16. Before this date children between the ages of 13 and 16 must have an employment permit from the Council if they wish to be employed.
The Council has a set of byelaws setting out the conditions under which children of compulsory school age may be employed. These legal provisions include requiring the employer to send to the Council notification of the child’s employment with certain details being required in that regard.
The notification application form must be completed by a parent and the employer, and submitted to the Principal Education Welfare Officer within the Education Welfare Service for consideration.
The Council will only then issue an employment permit for the child, if it is satisfied that the proposed employment is lawful, the child’s health welfare and ability to take full advantage of his/her education would not be jeopardised, and the child is fit to undertake the work for which he/she is to be employed.The child may be employed only in accordance with the details shown on his/her employment permit.
Child Employment guides for employers, parents and pupils and the Notification Application Form can be downloaded from the links below. The byelaws can be obtained on request from the Principal Education Welfare Officer.
Contact details:
Kelly Hamid
Education Welfare Service Manager
Education Directorate
County Hall
Haverfordwest SA61 1TP
Tel: 01437 774658
Email: kelly.hamid@pembrokeshire.gov.uk
Child Performance
The legislation governing children in entertainment covers children from birth to statutory school leaving age (the last Friday in June of the school year in which a child reaches 16 years of age).
The requirement to licence:
The legislation requires Performance licences to be issued by each Local Authority to children who take part in the following categories:
- A live broadcast or recorded performance for example, a television or radio programme or film.
- A theatre performance where a charge is made
- Any performance on licensed premises
- Child modelling and sport where the child or any other person is paid (other than payment for expenses)
The person responsible for the production of the performance in which a child is taking part is the person who should make the application for the licence.
The application must be made to Pembrokeshire County Council who will process the application.
When does a child not need a licence to perform?
- If the child performs for only 4 days in any 6 month period and they do not need time off school to undertake the performance
- If a child takes part in their full time school performance (this is an educational school not a school of dance).
- Performances put on by a ‘Body of Persons'
- Any activity that the Local Authority does not consider to be a performance such as a child being interviewed or filmed whilst taking part in some normal activity not specifically arranged for the purpose such as doing school lessons, playing in the park
- If the activity is directed in any way it may be reviewed and converted into a performance.
If a Child Performance Licence is not required we still request that the organiser of the performance/show register all children taking part. This allows us to keep a register of all Pembrokeshire children taking part in a performance. Even if a licence is not required most of the rules and regulations still apply.
Completed application forms together with all documentation needs to be submitted to the Business Support Unit, 21 days prior to the date for which they are required. The Local Authority must be satisfied that arrangements for the supervision and protection of the child are adequate and that the disruption to the child's education is kept to a minimum, prior to granting a licence. The person who applies for the licence will be the licence holder and will be responsible for ensuring the conditions of the licence are met.
If you a require an application form for any of the following then please contact educationwelfareservice@pembrokeshire.gov.uk
- Body of Persons Application
- Child Employment Application
- Child Performance Application
- Chaperone Application
This notice explains why we collect and keep your personal information, how your information is used and what we do with the information we collect.
Penalty Notices
Penalty Notices for Regular Non-Attendance at School/Alternative Education Provision
Overview
In 2013, the Welsh Ministers made the Education (Penalty Notices) (Wales) Regulations.
The regulations say that a Council must have a Code of Conduct that sets out measures to ensure consistency in the issuing of penalty notices.
What is a Penalty Notice?
A penalty notice is one of the interventions available to promote better school attendance. A child that attends school regularly will benefit more from the opportunities that school provides than a child that does not attend school regularly.
Where the circumstances for issuing a penalty notice are met, a penalty notice can be issued to a parent whose child fails to attend school/alternative education provision regularly.
A penalty notice offers a parent the opportunity of discharging any liability to conviction for an offence under Section 444 of the Education Act 1996* which is specified in the notice, by payment of a penalty in accordance with that notice. (*Section 444 of the Education Act includes provision that if a child of compulsory school age who is a registered pupil at a school fails to attend regularly at the school, his parent is guilty of an offence).
Penalty notices can apply in respect of children who are compulsory school age. PCC will therefore not use penalty notices for nursery age children or pupils who are in a sixth form (years 12 and 13).
If a penalty notice is issued, the penalty is £60 if paid within 28 days of receipt of the notice. This rises to £120 if paid after 28 days but within 42 days of receipt of the notice.
Pembrokeshire's Code of Conduct for Penalty Notices Irregular Attendance at School/Alternative Education Provision.
Absences
Authorised / Unauthorised Absence
A school's head teacher or another person in the school who is authorised on behalf of the school, has the responsibility to decide whether or not a pupil's absence should be authorised. Welsh Government has produced guidance to help this decision making.
Holidays in term time
It is important that your child attends school regularly throughout the term in order to gain the maximum benefit from the education provided. Any applications for leave for a holiday during term time made by a parent with whom the pupil normally resides, will be considered on an individual basis by the head teacher or another person in the school who is authorised in that behalf, and it is at their discretion as to whether or not to authorise the absence. Save in exceptional circumstances, the pupil must not be granted more than ten school days leave for that purpose in any school year.
Who can issue a Penalty Notice?
Only the Local Authority should issue fixed penalty notices in accordance with the Code of Conduct.
If the police or a school asks PCC to issue a penalty notice, PCC will review all the paperwork provided and an authorised officer will decide if it is appropriate to issue a penalty notice.
This is to ensure that a consistent approach is used for issuing penalty notices.
When will a Penalty Notice be issued?
The Code of Conduct sets out the circumstances for issuing a penalty notice, setting out that the key criteria should be as follows:
When a pupil has a minimum of 10 sessions (five school days) that have been lost due to unauthorised absences during the current term and this brings the pupil's overall attendance to below 90% in the school year to date (these absences do not have to be consecutive).
*unauthorised absences include:-
-unauthorised non-attendance at school;
-unauthorised holidays in term-time; and
-unauthorised late arrival after registration has closed.
Education Welfare Service
It starts in school
Success, creativity, friendship, resilience, support… it starts in school.
When children miss school, they miss more than classes – they’re missing important social and development opportunities that will shape their future. Because school is more than grades, timetables, and homework – it’s friendships, shared memories, and character building.
Regular attendance is more important than ever.
Access support
With access to free school meals, life-changing support and so much more, there’s a lot more to school than education. But we know that school isn’t always easy. If your child is anxious or worried about coming to school, help is available.
If your child is missing school for whatever reason, we’re here for you. Talk to your school or call us on 01437 764551 for the support your child needs.
Get involved
Want to get involved in our campaign to get children back into school? Follow us on social media for the latest news and read inspiring stories about how school shaped the lives of people from Pembrokeshire, and what success looks like to them. Don’t forget to share your own experiences using the hashtag #ItStartsInSchool.
Education Welfare Officers
Education Welfare Service
The Education Welfare Service offers advice and guidance to primary and secondary schools and families across Pembrokeshire for pupils who do not attend school on a regular basis and a child's level of absence reaches over 15%.
The service comprises of an Education Welfare Officer (EWO) within each cluster of schools. Support is provided to improve school attendance in order for children to reach their best potential and support families where needed.
The EWO provide practical support to improve school attendance rates; reduce unauthorised absences; and to assist schools in the management of vulnerable children and young people.
Code of Conduct for Penalty Notices
Education Welfare Officers
All schools in Pembrokeshire are served by one of a team of Education Welfare Officers who provide a link between the school family, the Education Service and the families of pupils.
The Education Welfare Officers main task is to encourage regular attendance at school. The Education Welfare Officer is able to offer advice and information to assist parents with their role in ensuring their child attends school. They can also advise about other support services when there is an identified problem restricting a pupil's access to education, or in relation to social and welfare issues.
The service can also give advice on the restrictions and regulations relating to the employment of children of compulsory school age.
The Inclusion Service Education Welfare Officers can provide information booklets to parents regarding school attendance issues and their responsibilities to ensure regular school attendance according to the law; the Pupil Support Officers assist parents to fulfil this role.
The Education Welfare Officers can be accessed via the school or the Education Service at County Hall.
For further information please contact:
Kelly Hamid
Education Welfare Manager
County Hall
Haverfordwest
SA61 1TP
Email: kelly.hamid@pembrokeshire.gov.uk
Tel: 01437 774658
This notice explains why we collect and keep your personal information, how your information is used and what we do with the information we collect.
Child Protection
Safeguarding
Safeguarding is Everybody`s Business and if you or others have concerns about the safety or welfare of a child, young person or adult it is your responsibility to act on those concerns.
Record the concerns in writing and pass them on to the Child Care Assessment Team OR the Adult Safeguarding Team without delay.
Record:
- The child or adults name
- Address
- Date of birth
- What the concern is
- Name and contact details of the referrer
If in doubt you can contact the Child Care Assessment Team or Adult Safeguarding Team to seek advice.
Never assume someone else will report your concerns. Take positive action and report it immediately. Children or adults at risk should not be expected to take responsibility for themselves or others.
- If the person is physically injured call for medical attention.
- Listen and keep on listening
- Don’t question
- Avoid passing judgement on what you are told
- Never promise confidentiality
- Explain what you are doing and don’t delay taking action
- Contact the Adult Safeguarding Team or Child Care Assessment Team
- Write down the contents of your conversation as soon as possible.
This is a quick guide and not a substitute for the National Protection Procedures. Make sure you are familiar with the policies to which you are working.
Contact us
Child Care Assessment Team: 01437 776444
Adult Safeguarding Team: 01437 776056
Social Services out of Hours: 0300 333 2222
Police
In an emergency ring 999
Non-emergency: 101
Other Useful Telephone Numbers
NSPCC: 0808 8005000
Childline: 0800 1111
Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 8010800
Care Inspectorate Wales: 0300 7900126
Family Holidays during Term Time
It is important that your child attends school regularly throughout the term in order to gain the maximum benefit from the education provided. Any applications for leave for a holiday during term time made by a parent with whom the pupil normally resides, will be considered on an individual basis by the head teacher or another person in the school who is authorised on behalf of the school, and it is at their discretion as to whether or not to authorise the absence. Save in exceptional circumstances, the pupil must not be granted more than ten school days leave for that purpose in any school year.
For further information on term time holidays, please contact your child's designated school.
For other issues relating to school attendance please contact:
Kelly Hamid
Education Welfare Service Manager
Education Directorate
County Hall
Haverfordwest SA61 1TP
Tel: 01437 774658
Email: kelly.hamid@pembrokeshire.gov.uk
Children Missing from Education (CME)
There are many reasons why children and young people disappear from the education system and are at risk of ‘going missing'. These range from failing to start in a new school or appropriate education provision to simply not re-registering at a new school when they move into the country.
The Education and Inspections Act 2006 places a statutory duty on local authorities in England and Wales to make arrangements to identify children and young people of compulsory school age (aged between 5 and 16) missing education within their area.
If you think a child and/or young person is missing from education (in whatever capacity), please inform the Education Service.
You do not have to give us your personal details but if you do these details will be treated with the utmost confidence and not revealed to anyone other than Education Officers responsible for dealing with children missing from education.