A set of child-centred cards that help children and young people communicate what school feels like for them. Grounded in resilience research, the cards reflect the key factors that shape a child’s sense of belonging, connection, and wellbeing. Using a simple card-sorting activity, children can share what is working well and what feels more difficult, giving adults a clearer understanding of the strengths and barriers influencing their experience of school.
Support for Practitioners
Dr Jerricah supports schools to better understand and respond to children experiencing barriers to attendance, anxiety, and wellbeing. Support is offered through practical tools and professional development, including the School Wellbeing Cards for use within school settings, and the EBSA Horizons programme, an online interactive training designed to build staff confidence and shared understanding.
School Wellbeing Cards
EBSA Horizons for Educational Psychologists
This online interactive course brings together video and engaging animations to explore the psychological models essential to understanding children who experience distress around school attendance. Moving away from the language of school refusal, the course centres a more compassionate, child-centred approach.
It introduces Dr Jerricah’s Integrated Model of EBSA, supporting education, health, and social care professionals to build a deeper understanding of the complex and multi-layered factors that underpin school avoidance. Designed as an in-depth CPD opportunity, the course supports practitioners from early identification and intervention through to working with children experiencing more significant and persistent non-attendance, helping to guide more informed, consistent, and relational approaches across systems.
Frequently asked questions
What age are the School Wellbeing Cards suitable for?
The School Wellbeing Cards are designed for children aged 7 and above, although younger children may sometimes use them with support from an adult. Adapted versions are also available, including the Special School edition with Widgit
symbols, and the College Wellbeing Cards for older young people.
How can the cards support practitioner-led or psychological work?
The cards help psychologists and practitioners explore a child’s lived experience of school in a structured and accessible way. The activity can help explore factors such as:
• emotional safety and anxiety
• environmental triggers within school
• peer relationships
• learning pressures
• sensory or contextual factors
• strengths and protective factors
By giving the child a structured way to share their perspective, the cards can contribute
valuable insight into what school feels like from the child’s point of view, which can
support formulation and collaborative discussion with schools and families.
Is there guidance or training available on how to use the cards?
Yes. When you purchase the School Wellbeing Cards, you will have access to a free video training explaining how to introduce and use the cards with children.
The training explores:
• how to introduce the activity in a supportive way
• how to use active listening
• how to explore the child’s experience with curiosity
• how to move towards collaborative problem-solving
Many practitioners find this helpful in supporting child-centred conversations and
formulation work.
Can I include the outcomes from the cards in a psychological report?
Yes. Many psychologists and practitioners include insights from the card activity within psychological reports, consultation summaries, or formulation work, as it can provide valuable information about the child’s lived experience of school. Practitioners may summarise the outcomes by describing:
• the cards the child identified as “True about me”
• the Top cards highlighting the most important themes for the child
• strengths, protective factors, or supports identified
• reflections shared by the child during the activity
Some practitioners also choose to include a photograph of the card layout within their report to help illustrate the child’s perspective. This is acceptable for professional reporting purposes, provided the cards themselves are not reproduced, copied, or redistributed as a resource, and the School Wellbeing Cards are credited appropriately.
What’s the difference between the physical cards and the web app?
Both the physical cards and the interactive web app follow the same card-sorting structure and explore the same themes around the child’s experience of school. The physical cards are often used during face-to-face sessions, where the child can interact with the cards and talk through their experiences in a conversational way. The web app provides a digital alternative that can be used across laptops, tablets, and phones. This can be particularly helpful when working:
• remotely with a child
• with children who are currently not attending school
• within services that require secure digital recording of outcomes
Both versions support psychological understanding and collaborative planning. Is the web app suitable for remote work? Yes. The School Wellbeing Cards interactive web app allows the activity to be completed digitally across laptops, tablets, and phones. This can be particularly helpful when working with children who:
• are not currently attending school
• are accessing support remotely
• feel more comfortable communicating through digital tools
Can practitioners purchase the cards individually?
The School Wellbeing Cards are designed to be flexible and can be adapted for different age groups and abilities. The standard edition works well for children aged 7 and above. For younger children or those with additional support needs, the Special School edition with Widgit symbols provides visual support. For older young people, the College Wellbeing Cards offer themes more relevant to their experiences. Practitioners can also adapt the activity by adjusting the number of cards used, the depth of discussion, or the way results are recorded.
Can services purchase the cards using a purchase order or invoice?
Yes services can purchase the cards using a purchase order or invoice if required. Many organisations prefer to order directly through the website, but invoices can easily be arranged for schools, local authorities, and services. If you require an invoice, please click here to email and request one.
Is there training available for psychologists and practitioners?
Yes. EBSA Horizons is an online interactive training platform designed for psychologists, practitioners, and services supporting children who are experiencing school distress or attendance challenges. The training explores:
• the psychological processes that can sit beneath school distress
• how to understand attendance difficulties through a child-centred and formulation-led
lens
• approaches to consultation and collaborative working with schools and families
• strategies for early identification, prevention, and supportive intervention
• how tools such as the School Wellbeing Cards can support psychological understanding and planning
The aim of the training is to support practitioners in developing compassionate, evidence-informed approaches that place the child’s experience at the centre of understanding and intervention.
"In my work as an Educational Psychologist, a visual resource like this is so valuable. The images used help to make ideas concrete, and support children to talk about their feelings. These cards are my go-to-resource to facilitate person-centred work with the child and the adults supporting them. The equal focus on resilience factors as well as risk factors, makes them as essential tool for positive, hopeful conversations and planning, as well as supporting children to identify where things are difficult at school."
Rosa Gibby-Leversuch (Educational Psychologist)