School refusal
An older phrase for a child who cannot face going to school. Many people now say school avoidance instead, because the cause is usually anxiety, not choice.
Applies across the UK
If a professional has used this phrase about your child, you have not done anything wrong by repeating it. It is still the most common wording in schools and in health letters. But the word "refusal" quietly says the child is choosing, and that framing shapes what happens next: a refusal tends to get sanctions and attendance letters, while an avoidance tends to get curiosity and support.
The newer phrase you will see is emotionally based school avoidance Emotionally based school avoidance When anxiety or distress stops a child getting into school, however much they want to. It is not truancy, and this name opens the door to support instead of fines. Read the full definition of Emotionally based school avoidance , often shortened to EBSA. It describes the same thing from the child's side: school has become something their body and mind cannot face, most often because of anxiety. Naming it that way invites the question "what is making school feel unsafe?" rather than "how do we make them go?".
No national body has formally defined EBSA, so a school that still says school refusal is not breaking any rule. If the newer phrase gets your child a more helpful response, use it.
Other words for this
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You might hear emotionally based school avoidance
Many services now say emotionally based school avoidance, or EBSA, instead of school refusal. The newer phrase describes an anxiety response rather than a choice, and it often gets a family support rather than sanctions. No national body has formally defined it yet, so both phrases are still in use.
Where this comes from
- Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA) , West Sussex County Council. Checked 2026-08-15.
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