EBSA toolkit

13. Post-16 with EBSA

Context

For young people who have previously struggled with EBSA at school, the transition into post-16 education can be a fresh and exciting new start, introducing a new environment, a course that matches the young person’s aspirations and interests, more freedom and independence and new friends/peers.

However, for some young people, it can also present with challenges and barriers that feel similar to those experienced at school, or new ones, triggering similar thoughts, feelings and behaviours that caused school avoidance.

Additionally, factors associated with vulnerability can emerge that could be the trigger for early EBSA behaviours (see summary EBSA Toolkit for ‘Risk factors associated with vulnerability’).

Although there is no specific EBSA data that evidences how well young people with EBSA have transitioned into post-16, the East Sussex data on Not in Education, Employment or Training, indicates that there has been a gradual increase in young people becoming NEET, both locally and nationally. Although EBSA isn’t shown as a specific circumstance, we can identify that 70% of our current NEET cohort had persistent absence (10% or more) in Year 11 and 33% had severe absence (50% or more).

Our data also indicates that young people with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) are 3 times more likely to be NEET than those without SEND, of which those with Social, Emotional and Mental Health challenges are most at risk of becoming NEET, followed by those with Specific Learning Difficulties and those with Autism, all of which are risk factors associated with the vulnerability of EBSA.

The National Centre for Social Research also identified in its ‘Risk Factors for being NEET among young people’ that having a mental health condition, being identified as SEN (special educational needs) and not having an academic qualification above Level 1 are within the top six risk factors strongly associated with NEET (National Centre for Social Research, 2023).

The impact of a young person becoming NEET can be far reaching. A recent report stated “Being NEET is also detrimental to a young person’s health, wellbeing and life satisfaction and increases the likelihood of ‘unhealthy behaviours’ such as drug taking and crime. Being NEET for six months before the age of 21 increases the risk of unemployment or low pay in later life. The impact of youth unemployment can endure for years, damaging individuals’ life chances and work prospects (Youth Employment UK, 2023).”

Commission on L2 & L3 Pathways for Young People Final Report

Furthermore, between 2018/19 and 2021/22 the national absence rate for young people who qualify as persistently absent in secondary schools has increased from 12.7% to 34%. Year 11 appear to be particularly affected by this. Discounting COVID absences reduced this figure to 20.8%, however, the absence rate is still 8% higher than the previous year evidencing a notable rise in this year group (Attendance in education and early years settings during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2022)

This evidence indicates a correlation between EBSA risk factors and young people who are (or at risk of) NEET. It also highlights the increase of young people in Year 11 who are persistently absent, a concerning trend which could continue into post-16 if not managed early on with appropriate interventions. It is therefore crucial that schools and post-16 settings adopt a proactive and flexible approach, and together with other key agencies, work collaboratively to identify young people with EBSA or at risk of, minimise the risk of young people becoming NEET and maximise opportunities to promote success (how this is measured is unique to each young person).

The Vulnerable Learners Protocol - Early preparation and planning for Post-16

Planning transition from the earliest stage is important to support the transition into post-16 education for vulnerable learners.

Early preparation and support for young people with EBSA or at risk of EBSA, particularly from Year 9 onwards is therefore key to securing an effective and successful transition and to prevent them leaving education early.

The main EBSA Toolkit outlines key challenges and recommendations for transition (EBSA and Transition). However, for schools and Further Education providers, there is one key recommendation to support the planning and transition for vulnerable young people which is the effective implementation of The Vulnerable Learners Protocol (VLP). The VLP was developed in partnership with schools, FE providers, East Sussex County Council Children Services and the Youth Employability Service to ensure that schools and further education providers are working together to identify vulnerabilities and ensure that additional planning for young people is in place from year 9 onwards.

The key objectives of this resource are to support all professionals that have a responsibility in supporting vulnerable learners transition into Post-16 education successfully.

The VLP highlights actions that need to be completed at each term throughout the academic year from Year 9 onwards and by who.

It is important that there is a whole school/setting approach when using the VLP, many of the actions will be supported by different staff members in the setting. By having a whole school/setting approach all staff will know who is responsible and how their role fits into the transition journey for young people.

A young person may be working with multiple professionals; however, it is imperative work is collaborative, with a lead professional coordinating the support. This will ensure information is shared appropriately with all professionals involved with clarity of who is responsible and how the young person will access the action. Working together will get the best result for the young person and will ensure that all aspects of transition are being supported.

Information Sharing

Sharing information to the relevant education setting that the young person is transitioning into is imperative to support the successful transition for them. It can help the Further Education setting plan and prepare the right support to safeguard the young person and support their needs effectively.

Schools and Further Education providers should follow the information sharing for vulnerable learners’ guidance. Transition for pupils with SEN | Czone

Further recommendations

Feedback was sought from schools, post-16 settings, parents/carers, and relevant agencies to help develop the post-16 EBSA content and to identify some key recommendations and opportunities within the ‘Assess, Plan, Do, Review cycle’ (which are not exhaustive) to support young people with a seamless transition from Year 11 into 12 and into adulthood (see also ‘EBSA and Transition’ in the summary EBSA Toolkit).

For Post-16 settings these include:

Assess

Listen - Listening to the young person’s voice capturing feedback as part of an ongoing cycle that can help inform the settings understanding of EBSA and plan how the young person can be effectively supported ensuring their wishes are at the centre of decision making. This can also support the post-16 provider to identify specific trends and patterns related to EBSA.
Adjustments and flexibility – Key leads working within the curriculum area can work with the school, young person, parent/carers to assess the need for reasonable adjustments to help improve engagement, attendance, and achievement e.g. consideration of the seating plan, adjusted methods of learning and assessment, soft starts. Moving forward, this could help inform curriculum planning and classroom delivery promoting stronger inclusion and retention strategies.

Plan

Planning - Person centred planning which should be a collaborative effort between the school, the post-16 setting, the young person/parent/carer from as early as Year 10 (see Assessing) - Early transition support and planning with the school that is tailored to meet the needs of the young person and prepares them for their journey into post-16 education based on their individual needs e.g. travel training. This planning should include the young person’s circle of support e.g. parent/carer, multi-disciplinary teams.
Connection - Create tailored social events between transitional settings including talks, taster days and Q & A sessions ensuring these are accessible and communicated to young people who are persistently absent, as well as their parents/carers. This could also include assigning students peer Mentors/Buddies to support their transition in.
Aspirations - Capture the young person’s aspirations as early as possible through close working with the school e.g. Vocational Profiling. This will support the young person to move onto a programme/pathway that is the right fit and reduce the risk of early withdrawal. Additionally provide young people with the opportunity to build relationships beyond the settings community e.g. volunteering, work experience
Timetabling – consider the impact of the students timetable e.g. having gaps/breaks and work with them to fill these gaps e.g. quiet spaces, study areas, enrichment activities, lunchtime clubs.
Information sharing – consider how, where and when you are sharing information and with who. Understanding the significance of appropriate and timely information sharing is key and enables others to take appropriate action. This could range from schools sharing information on vulnerable learners with colleges at key transition points, to schools and colleges preparing parents/carers and young people for the move to post-16 education e.g. information on similarities and differences, what to expect etc.

Information also needs to be accessible, visible and reach those families that may not have access through the usual platforms.

It is important that parent and carers can share relevant/appropriate information about their child/young person with the new education provider and encourage their young person to do so as they move into post-16 education. Safe and discreet opportunities/resources could be created to support this. Please see information in our SEND parent and carer transition guide.

Do

Support the young person to develop strong emotional and social skills from the start of their education, embedding this into transition and curriculum planning (see Action planning and intervention)
Training – Include staff awareness and training on EBSA within your CPD calendar to raise awareness, promote early identification and solution focused planning (EBSA training should be offered to all staff so there is every opportunity to identify and support at the earliest opportunity).
Collaboration - Working more closely with parents and carers, ensuring that they are aware of the differences between secondary school and post-16 settings, particularly in relation to policies and procedures e.g. attendance management, academic expectations, pastoral support, and input from multidisciplinary teams. Ensure that relevant documents are accessible and available as early as possible.
Partnership - working collaboratively with other professionals and agencies e.g. Youth Employment Service to create a safety net of support for the young person/parent and carer.
Consistency - Key adults/teams from the post-16 setting are introduced to the young person/parent/carer as early as possible and are a consistent source of support throughout the young person’s journey. These key individuals should have strong knowledge of EBSA, the young person, their challenges and background and be confident in person centred planning and solution focused strategies.

Review

Review - Reviewing your attendance policies and procedures, taking into consideration the needs and challenges of young people with/or at risk of EBSA as well as their parents/carers. Consider the use of language and a more flexible approach that is solution focused and maximizes opportunities for support and achievement (See main EBSA Toolkit)

Useful Resources

Useful reading

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