Evidence That Stands Up to Scrutiny
Commissioners need more than promises. Our impact data comes from rigorous evaluation across partner Local Authorities, comparing outcomes against national controls using multiple analytical methods.
Every claim on this page is grounded in real-world data from real partnerships. Where we are uncertain, we say so.
Measurable Impact at Scale
Based on partner Local Authority evaluations. All figures are standardised to a typical 100-school authority, with conservative attribution applied.
+10,000
Additional Pupil Days
Per year in a typical Local Authority partnership, valued at over £400K annually using DfE published rates. These are days where children are in school, learning, and building the routines that support long-term attendance.
20%
Illness Absence Reduction
Replicated across partner authorities with different demographics and implementation timelines. Illness-related absence is the strongest proxy for anxiety-related non-attendance in national data.
10–20×
Return on Investment
Conservative estimate converting attendance gains, avoided EHCP applications, and reduced specialist referrals into financial value. Payback period within the first three months.
96%
Rate Training as Impactful
Staff and professionals consistently rate the training as very or incredibly helpful for understanding and responding to EBSA. Completion rates exceed 80% across partner authorities.
Impact data evaluated using difference-in-differences methodology with matched national controls.
Attendance Improvement That Builds Over Time
As training embeds into daily practice, effects build gradually and continue strengthening across the partnership period. This progressive trajectory reflects a genuine shift in professional understanding and culture rather than a short-term surface-level change.
Illness-related absence reduced by approximately 20% across partner authorities, with effects replicated across several Local Authorities
Strongest impact on persistent absence in primary settings, where EBSA presentations are most common and where early intervention has the greatest long-term benefit
Partner authorities outperform comparable authorities on key attendance metrics following implementation, with effects sustained beyond the initial training period
Clear dose-response relationship: staff completing Level 3 training show measurably stronger impact than those at Level 1
Attendance improvement trajectory (illustrative)
Illustrative trend based on partner LA evaluation data. Detailed methodology and authority-specific findings available on request.
Why this matters
Dose-Response Evidence
Staff who complete more training show greater impact. Level 3 completers demonstrate definitively stronger outcomes than those at Level 1. This dose-response relationship is one of the strongest indicators that the training itself is driving improvements, rather than the effects being explained by other factors.
Replication
Multi-Authority Replication
The illness-absence reduction finding has been replicated across several Local Authorities, despite different demographics, geographies, and implementation timelines. Each new partnership adds to the evidence base, and so far the findings have been consistent.
Growing returns
Impact That Grows
As each partnership matures and more staff progress through the programme, impact compounds. Partner authorities consistently see attendance gains strengthen over time as EBSA-informed practice becomes embedded across more schools and more roles.
Workforce and Professional Impact
When confidence, knowledge, and awareness shift by 23–44% across an entire workforce of over 6,000 school staff in 1,000+ settings, this is population-level culture change.
0%
Confidence increase
Across the whole trained workforce, confidence in identifying and supporting pupils with EBSA increases from 61 to 88 (out of 100).
0%
Awareness increase
Workforce-wide awareness and attitudes towards affected pupils improves from 62 to 87, reflecting a collective shift to anxiety-informed understanding.
0%
Knowledge increase
Professional knowledge of EBSA mechanisms and evidence-based approaches increases from 71 to 87 across the workforce.
0+
Services aligned per authority
Different professional services typically access training in each partner authority, creating shared language across the whole system.
What This Means for You
Select your commissioning context to see how these outcomes translate into the priorities and pressures you are working with.
For Heads of SEND, Attendance Leads, Virtual School Heads, and Principal EPs
Fewer EHCP escalations and reduced High Needs Block pressure
When schools respond to EBSA earlier, fewer cases escalate to statutory assessment or alternative provision. Based on partner authority data, this equates to 15–20 fewer EHCP applications annually. Preventing just 2–3 AP placements saves more than the entire cost of the partnership.
Evidenced implementation of DfE statutory attendance guidance
Working Together to Improve School Attendance requires a support-first approach. EBSA Horizons provides the training infrastructure to deliver this consistently, with dashboard data demonstrating implementation across every school.
Stronger outcomes for looked-after and vulnerable children
Looked-after children are twice as likely to be persistently absent. EBSA Horizons ensures every Designated Teacher and professional shares the same understanding of attendance anxiety.
Enhanced EP and specialist capacity for complex casework
With illness-related absence reduced by approximately 20%, fewer pupils reach the point where specialist intervention is required. This frees EP and CAMHS capacity for the most complex cases.
How We Measure Impact
Designed and conducted by practising Educational Psychologists, our evaluation is transparent, methodologically rigorous, and accessible to commissioners.
Our impact data is updated as new partner evaluations are completed. Full methodology documentation and authority-specific reports are available on request. We welcome scrutiny and are happy to walk through the analysis with your data or performance team.
In Partnership with Local Authorities Across the UK
See What This Could Mean for Your Authority
Book a 30-minute discussion with our psychology team. We will share impact data from comparable authorities, walk through what realistic outcomes could look like for your context, and explore how the partnership would work alongside your existing strategy. No obligation, just a genuine professional conversation.