Helm Education Consultancy

In the lead up to our Families EBSA Webinar on the 2nd September, we are posting 14 Days of EBSA - a short daily post to try and squash the myths of EBSA and offer small bits of practical advice, as we prepare for a new academic year.

Follow us for daily guidance, support and tips and watch out for our flash sale with a 50% off code for attendance to our webinar coming soon!

📆 Day 14 | What is EBSA?
EBSA is Emotionally-Based School Anxiety, being experienced by a rising number of families as our children try to navigate an increasingly tough battleground in what should be their formative years.

Practical tip:
For a week, notice and jot down when school-related distress appears, rather than just recording whether your child attended.

Look for patterns:
When does anxiety start?
Is it worse on particular days?
What happens before it?
What seems to help?
What happens after school?

Try this: Keep a simple “what happened before / during / after” note. You're gathering clues, not looking for someone to blame.

Understanding EBSA for Families: From Anxiety to Attendance

Date: 2 sept • 17:30

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/understanding-ebsa-for-families-from-anxiety-to-attendance-tickets-1986773325499?aff=ebdsshother&utm_share_source=listing_android&sg=3c640ee6af8fc5224c21950681c8ca5fd34e4aead73d8cf9f682b2f0647ea2452470a3af61efaa4017a4caaca92644f34c861157d0e24a47c26b5ce30357005800b19ac1fef7f7d0761b19d948c3

Let's take a moment to appreciate these three amazing human beings that I've brought into the world.

They each have their strengths and they each have their flaws and challenges. But, on the whole, they are all growing into smart, independent, confident kind and funny young people. And I'm so bloody proud of them ❤️

Yesterday, we really pushed Isaac out of his comfort zone.
We took a boat trip to Phi Phi Islands and he was terrified! Isaac catastrophises situations and genuinely worried that we were going to capsize and drown (even though he's a stronger swimmer than I am). There was a point where I did check in with myself and think am I pushing too far? Am I about to send him into full red zone? But, we got through it, together, and he overcame. And survived! 🤣 The fear was real. The resilience a huge accomplishment!

My daughter transitioned to secondary school surprisingly successfully.

Then Year 8 hit.

And we started seeing the early warning signs, although we didn’t recognise them as such at the time.

Tummy aches.
Beginning to withdraw into herself.
Shutting down.
Self-harm.

Two years on, we have worked hard to support her. To actually hear what she was communicating to us. To listen. And to respect what she was telling us, even when it was difficult to hear.

We involved services. We changed our approach. Most importantly, we stopped seeing her difficulties as something she simply needed to push through.

Now, two years later, she is successfully transitioning back into school and has made a fantastic start to Year 10.

She hasn’t suffered academically.
She hasn’t suffered socially.
And, perhaps most importantly, she is mentally and emotionally stronger for the approach we took.

For us, this is what a successful approach to EBSA looks like.

Not forcing.
Not punishing.
Not assuming that attendance is the only measure of success.

Listening. Understanding. Supporting.

And working with the young person rather than against them.

That’s why I’m really looking forward to the Wyse & Helm webinar on EBSA on 2 September.

Because we need more conversations about what EBSA actually looks like, what sits underneath it, and how we can respond in ways that genuinely help our children.

If you work with, support or parent a young person experiencing EBSA, I’d really encourage you to join us.
Like / comment for the booking link 💛

You're stranded on a desert island...

You can only take ONE comfort item.

What are you bringing?

Young person ↔️ Family ↔️ School ↔️ Young person 🟰 Empathy, Understanding & Success

Understanding EBSA for Families: From Anxiety to Attendance This webinar is designed to support parents and carers of children and young people experiencing school-related anxiety.

Do you think someone here told them we like reptiles ?? 😋
This was in our garden here this morning 😍

Wyse Inclusion T Bottriell Wyse Liz Evans - The Untypical OT Kirsty Roter The SEND Parent BIBLE

Understanding EBSA for Families: From Anxiety to Attendance This webinar is designed to support parents and carers of children and young people experiencing school-related anxiety.

On account of us being on holiday, if you could study anywhere in the world for one year, where would you choose?

🇬🇧 UK 🇦🇺 Australia 🇨🇦 Canada 🇺🇸 USA 🇳🇿 New Zealand 🇹🇭 Thailand 🇫🇷 France 🇩🇪 Germany 🇶🇦 Qatar 🇹🇿 Tanzania ❓️somewhere else
Tell us why in the comments!