EHCPs linked to lower predicted school absences for children with mental health problems

Children experiencing mental health issues who have additional support, such as Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), specific SEND provision, and/or eligibility for free school meals, tend to have a decrease in predicted school absences.

The data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) examined the relationship between child mental ill health and school absence in England from 2021 to 2022. It includes a sample of 1.1 million children in England, aged 5 to 16, living in two-parent households, and was undertaken in collaboration with Loughborough University.

Children described as ‘experiencing mental health issues’ in the analysis are specifically children who attended a hospital and were identified as having a mental health condition or stress-related presentation.

EHCPs can help lessen school absences for children with mental health problems

It found that absences from school contribute significantly to children aged 5-16 experiencing mental health issues, and the greater the absences from school, the higher the probability of children experiencing mental health issues. It increases from 1.82% among those with no absences to 3.7% for those absent 20% of the time, and rises to 5.27% for those absent 30% of the time.

While having SEND support, an EHCP, a chronic physical health condition, or being eligible for free school meals is associated with a higher level of absence from school, the increase for those experiencing mental ill health is lessened for children with certain forms of SEND support or other vulnerabilities.

Louise Vesely-Shore MBE from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said: “This work suggests that absence from school can have a detrimental effect on some young people’s mental health.

“We also found that young people with mental health issues had a higher level of absence from school.  But for students with mental ill health who received additional support at school, such as Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans, free school meals and SEND support, the increase in absence was lessened.

“More work is needed to understand this better, but clearly schools can play a vital role in supporting some students with mental health conditions.”

New insights into drivers of mental health problems

Loughborough University’s Dr Simona Rasciute, who led the analysis for the ONS, added: “I have been privileged to work with colleagues at ONS through the British Academy Innovation Fellowship.

“This is the first large-scale data linkage initiative in England to connect children’s education and health records with both of their parents’ health records and socioeconomic characteristics, alongside household and neighbourhood factors. This innovative work has allowed us to uncover new insights into the drivers of the children and young people’s mental health crisis in England.”

The British Academy initially funded the project via the 2022-23 Innovation Fellowships scheme.

Children’s Commissioner says EHCPs should be restricted

This research follows a new report from the Children’s Commission, which suggests that EHCPs should be restricted to pupils whose needs span all three sectors: education, health, and care. This includes those with a social worker or who are at risk of extra-familial harm and those with acute or chronic health conditions or mental health challenges.

In addition, children with life-long, life-limiting, or life-determining conditions should be given statutory support plans until they are 25 automatically, and without a lengthy assessment process. Children in care or living away from home in institutions should also have EHCPs.

She added that no child with an existing EHCP should lose it, given “just how long and how hard those with existing plans have fought to obtain them”.

The survey found the experiences and progress of children with SEND were a top concern for 53% of primary schools and 40% of secondary schools.

A new School’s White Paper is expected this month.

Alison Bloomer

Alison Bloomer is Editor of Learning Disability Today.

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