keynote speaker Carrie Grant MBE, shared numerous challenges of school avoidance, wranglings with authorities, plus helpful and hopeful stories of wins and successes.
Gateways, in partnership with PaJeS, hosted the first dedicated conference on Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) for the UK Jewish Community, who are as effected by the growing number of young people struggling to remain in mainstream education. The Department of Education recently issued a figure of 1 in 5 pupils in England are now persistently absent from school.
Bringing together leading voices in education, mental health, and special educational needs. The event took place at JW3, with 130 guests pre-registered for the event, this is a clear signal of growing concern across the sector, with families coming from as far as Manchester to attend.
Gateways is an alternative education provider, for young Jewish people, between the ages of 14-25, who are or have struggled to remain in mainstream education. Students are referred to Gateways with anxiety, depression, eating disorders, traumas of all kinds and often as a result of serious medical issues. Gateways believe that every young person should have the same opportunity to progress and thrive, regardless of the challenges they face.
PaJeS (Partnerships for Jewish Schools) supports Jewish schools across the UK, promoting excellence in education and wellbeing. Their work includes training, policy development, and advocacy, with a growing focus on mental health and inclusion.
The conference opened with keynote speaker, broadcaster, author, and advocate Carrie Grant MBE, whose work spans neurodiversity, mental health, and family support. With four children of her own, all of whom are neurodivergent, Carrie shared numerous challenges of school avoidance, wranglings with authorities, plus helpful and hopeful stories of wins and successes. One parent described this session as, “One of my best nights out in years, Carrie made us feel like there was light at the end of a very dark tunnel.”
Salise Dourmoush, a Partner at Geldards LLP and a leading SEN solicitor, took to the stage after Carrie, to outline the legal landscape surrounding EBSA and the rights of families. Her and her colleague gave out some really useful bitesize pieces of guidance and advice and offered all delegates a free consultation.
Later, Laurence Field, CEO and Founder of Gateways was joined by Gateways psychotherapist Ali Kosner, to explore the emotional drivers behind school avoidance and offered some supportive experience and professional led advise. The event concluded with a live Q&A session, with all speakers responding to some very insightful and useful questions. One participant described how “….uplifting it was to come together as a community of struggling families, all in the same boat, going through similar experiences and for the first time ever, to not feel so alone.”
Why This Matters
- Nearly 1 in 5 pupils in England are now persistently absent from school (DfE)
- 170,000+ children missed at least half of all lessons in 2023–24
- Girls are disproportionately affected – avoiding school 26.4 times per year vs. 16.7 for boys
- Over 500 children a day are referred to NHS services for anxiety – double the rate seen in 2019
- 50% of secondary pupils say they avoided school in the past year due to anxiety
- Exam pressure is the biggest driver – half cite fear of grades and falling behind
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Gateways – AvivaSteinberg
or
PaJeS – Niki.Ehrlich
