What evidence do I need for an EBSA school meeting?

There is no fixed list. A dated record of what happens before, during and after school, what your child says, what has been tried and what helped is usually far more useful than a single letter. Bring what school has told you about the same days as well, so both pictures can be compared.

Can EBSA be included in an EHCP?

EBSA is not a diagnosis, so it would not usually appear as a need on its own. The underlying needs, such as anxiety, sensory, communication, social, emotional or learning needs, and their impact on accessing education, are what an assessment looks at. Whether an assessment or plan is agreed depends on your child's circumstances and the local authority's decision.

How long should I record before asking for a meeting?

You do not have to wait. If your child is distressed now, ask for a meeting now and keep recording alongside it. Where things are less urgent, a few weeks of dated notes usually shows a clearer pattern than a single week.

Who can ask for an EHC needs assessment?

A parent can ask the local authority directly. A school or college can ask, and health or other professionals can also raise it. Asking does not require the school's agreement first.

Does good attendance mean my child does not need support?

No. A child may attend while masking significant distress, and then collapse at home. Attendance shows whether a child was present, not whether school is accessible or sustainable for them.

Should I write down my own opinion?

Yes, as long as it is clearly labelled as your view and kept separate from what you observed. Professionals need to know what you saw and what you think it means, but the two should not be blurred together.

EBSA Evidence for School and EHCP Requests

Contents of this guide

Why a written record matters

Most parents we meet are carrying an enormous amount of detail in their heads and very little of it on paper. That detail is the evidence.

Memory fades, and meetings often happen weeks after the hardest mornings.
A dated line written at the time is far harder to dismiss than a summary from memory.
Patterns across weeks show more than any single incident.
It lets you describe what the school day costs your child, not only whether they were present.
It gives professionals something concrete to respond to.

What to record day to day

You do not need all of this every day. A line or two, written at the time, is enough.

The date, and whether it was a school day.
What happened the night before, including sleep.
What happened on waking, and any physical symptoms.
What happened on the journey and at the school gate.
Whether your child went in, stayed, arrived late or left early.
What happened after school, and how long recovery took.
Sensory triggers, lessons, transitions, places or people that appeared difficult.
Your child's own words, written as they said them.
What helped, even briefly.
What school told you about the same day.

The aim is not to build a case against school. It is to build an accurate picture of what your child is experiencing, so support can be planned properly.

How to describe it clearly

How something is written changes how seriously it is read.

Describe what you saw and heard, rather than what you concluded.
Use dates and times so a pattern is visible.
Separate what happened at home from what school reported.
Say what has already been tried, and what happened when it was tried.
Name the impact on learning, not only on attendance.
Avoid absolute claims about causes or diagnoses.
Keep your own view clearly labelled as your view.

"Tuesday: woke at 6.40, said her stomach hurt, cried in the car, did not get out at the gate. Home by 9.10, slept until 11." carries more weight than "mornings are terrible at the moment".

Taking it into a school meeting

Ask for a meeting in writing, and say what you would like to discuss.
Send your record ahead of the meeting so nobody is reading it cold.
Ask what school sees on the same days, and compare the two pictures.
Ask what adjustments could be tried, and who will do what.
Ask how the child's own views will be gathered.
Ask when the plan will be reviewed, and how impact will be measured.
Ask for the agreed actions to be written down and shared.

In England, schools are expected to use the SEND Code of Practice graduated approach of Assess, Plan, Do and Review, so what is tried is recorded and its impact looked at again rather than assumed. Where the Equality Act 2010 applies, the school may also need to consider reasonable adjustments for a disabled child. What that means in practice depends on your child's circumstances.

Using it in an EHC needs assessment request

An EHC needs assessment looks at whether a child may need support beyond what the school can provide from its own resources.
EBSA is not a diagnosis, so it would not usually be the need itself.
The underlying needs, such as anxiety, sensory, communication, social, emotional or learning needs, and their impact on accessing education, are what an assessment considers.
Your record can help show the impact over time, and what has already been tried.
A parent can ask the local authority for an assessment; school, health and other professionals can also ask.
Whether an assessment or a plan is agreed depends on the child's circumstances and the local authority's decision, so nobody can promise an outcome in advance.
There are statutory timescales and a right of appeal if a request is refused, and SEND advice services can explain how these apply to you.

What a request letter usually covers

There is no official form for asking. A short, clear letter or email in your own words is enough, and it usually includes:

Who you are, your child's name and date of birth, and the school they attend.
That you are asking for an EHC needs assessment.
A short description of your child's needs in plain words.
The impact on their ability to attend, remain in and learn at school.
What has been tried already, and what happened.
Any professional involvement or reports you already have.
That you are attaching your own dated record.
How you would like to be contacted, and the date you sent it.

Keep a copy of what you send and the date you sent it. If you would like help with the wording, your local SEND information, advice and support service can go through it with you.

Things that weaken a record

Only writing things down on the worst days, so the pattern looks smaller than it is.
Writing conclusions instead of observations.
Mixing several weeks into one undated summary.
Leaving out the days that went well, which are part of the pattern too.
Recording nothing about what helped.
Losing your child's own words, which are often the clearest part of the record.

What should happen next?

1Start recording today, even a line a day.
2Keep it somewhere you will not lose it.
3Share it with school and ask for a meeting.
4Agree what will be tried, and when it will be reviewed.
5Keep recording while the support is in place, so the review has evidence.
6Seek SEND, educational, medical or legal advice if the difficulties continue.

If your child is in crisis, please read urgent support first.

About the authors

Written by Jessica Buckle MABP and Nicola Middlehurst FMBPsS, authors of Unmasking EBSA.

Further support

EBSA support for parents
Who can help in the UK, what support may be available, and what you can record.
Read this page
What is an EBSA Support Plan?
What a plan contains, who can write one, and how to share and review it.
Read this page
The Unmasking EBSA book
The full guide to masking, hidden distress and emotionally based school avoidance.
Visit booksimplifiedsupport.software

Keep the record without the paperwork

Answer a few guided questions and it organises the patterns within what you and school report into a clear picture, practical next steps and a dated record you can track and share. It does not diagnose anything.

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Questions parents often ask

What evidence do I need for an EBSA school meeting?: There is no fixed list. A dated record of what happens before, during and after school, what your child says, what has been tried and what helped is usually far more useful than a single letter. Bring what school has told you about the same days as well, so both pictures can be compared.
Can EBSA be included in an EHCP?: EBSA is not a diagnosis, so it would not usually appear as a need on its own. The underlying needs, such as anxiety, sensory, communication, social, emotional or learning needs, and their impact on accessing education, are what an assessment looks at. Whether an assessment or plan is agreed depends on your child's circumstances and the local authority's decision.
How long should I record before asking for a meeting?: You do not have to wait. If your child is distressed now, ask for a meeting now and keep recording alongside it. Where things are less urgent, a few weeks of dated notes usually shows a clearer pattern than a single week.
Who can ask for an EHC needs assessment?: A parent can ask the local authority directly. A school or college can ask, and health or other professionals can also raise it. Asking does not require the school's agreement first.
Does good attendance mean my child does not need support?: No. A child may attend while masking significant distress, and then collapse at home. Attendance shows whether a child was present, not whether school is accessible or sustainable for them.
Should I write down my own opinion?: Yes, as long as it is clearly labelled as your view and kept separate from what you observed. Professionals need to know what you saw and what you think it means, but the two should not be blurred together.

EBSA evidence for school meetings and EHCP requests