From Pressure to Safety: Rethinking EBSA with Jack Mallaby

Attendance is not the problem. It's the signal. And until schools start treating it that way, children with EBSA will keep falling through the gaps.
In this episode, Dale is joined by Jack Mallaby, Assistant Headteacher and SENCO at Chiltern Way Academy, a specialist autism provision, to discuss emotionally based school avoidance - and why the answer is never more pressure.
Together, they explore:
- Why bums on seats is not the same as safety, engagement, or belonging.
- Why celebrating 100% attendance without considering why a child achieved it misses the point entirely.
- How a relational approach - relationship before curriculum - reduces incidents, builds trust, and saves time in the long run.
- Why reasonable adjustments are rarely as complicated as schools fear, and why giving a little gets you so much more back.
- Why consequences should replace punishments - and what a genuinely reflective conversation looks like in practice.
- Why collaboration between schools, families, and young people is not optional: parents are the experts on their own children.
"The attendance is the effect. It's what you're seeing as a result of something. It's a flag saying something's going on - but schools often don't see it as a flag."
Jack Mallaby
About Jack Mallaby Jack Mallaby is an Assistant Headteacher and SENCo working within a specialist autism provision. He previously led Learning Support and SEND in a large mainstream secondary school, giving him experience across both mainstream and specialist settings.
Jack's work focuses on inclusive SEND strategy, EBSA, autism, SEMH, attendance, safeguarding, behaviour, curriculum access and EHCP processes. He works closely with families, schools, therapists, health professionals, local authorities, social care teams and commissioners to develop practical, person-centred support. He is particularly interested in moving EBSA conversations away from blame or compliance and towards understanding, safety, relationship, reasonable adjustments and sustainable re-engagement with education.
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