Abstract
Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA) is a growing concern among secondary-aged pupils in the UK. Perspectives of families and professionals are widely documented, and many studies include both adult and pupil voices, with pupil views often considered alongside those of parents or education professionals. More recently, however, research has increasingly prioritised pupil voice, recognising the importance of understanding EBSNA from the young person’s perspective.
However, there is little research that explores how CYP presenting with EBSNA envision and perceive their educational experiences. Despite policy efforts such as Working Together to Improve School Attendance, no nationally agreed framework exists for supporting CYP experiencing EBSNA. Increasingly, pupils are being educated outside of traditional schools due to unmet social, emotional and sensory needs, yet the features of education including alternative pathways that support wellbeing remain underexplored.
This study aimed to explore how secondary-aged pupils experiencing EBSNA envision their ideal and non-ideal education, and changes that they believe could bring their current education closer to their ideal. A qualitative, constructivist, participatory design was employed. Six participants completed a bespoke, dichotomised “Ideal Education” activity. Data was collected through drawing, verbal and written dialogue and a scaling exercise.
The dichotomous nature of the activity elicited pupils’ perspectives on both supportive and challenging aspects of education. Using Reflexive Thematic Analysis, four overarching themes were identified: Adaptive Educational Structures, Relational Saftey and Emotional Support, Autonomy, Fairness and Pupil Voice, and Purposeful and Personalised Learning. These reflected shared domains of meaning across participants’ perspectives.
The findings highlight that CYP experiencing EBSNA can meaningfully express their educational needs through participatory methods. The study provides pupil-led insights into the relational, emotional and systemic factors shaping engagement and highlights the importance of emotionally attuned, flexible and inclusive practices. These insights have potential to inform educational environments, Educational Psychologist practice and future research.