ROBOTS are being used to help children in Wirral who struggle with attending school for emotional reasons.

The 12 'AV1' robots are now available for children and young people experiencing emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA) in Wirral, making it the first local authority in Merseyside to adopt this initiative.

Emotionally based school avoidance refers to children and young people who find it extremely difficult to attend school due to emotional factors, leading to long absences or trouble engaging with lessons.

Councillor Stephen Bennett, chairman of Wirral's Children, Families and Education committee, said: "We all know the importance of school attendance to improve outcomes for children and young people.

"But, unlike truanting or 'bunking off,' the families of young people experiencing EBSA are often aware of their absence from school and the underlying emotional issues attached to it.

"Many of these families want to do everything they can to work with school and help their child begin attending again."

Young people experiencing EBSA may feel unwell, nervous or frightened about attending lessons.

This can be due to various reasons, including mental health needs, bullying or arguments, moving to a new school, or a lot of change at home.

The AV1 robots aim to make a significant impact.

They were part of a successful pilot project from April to July 2024, involving seven Wirral schools, which showed an average 21 percent improvement in attendance scores for pupils using AV1.

The number of hours these pupils engaged with lessons also improved by 42 percent.

A spokesperson for a Wirral school involved in the pilot said: "Prior to use of the AV1, the pupil had not attended any lessons with their class since Christmas, but they are now engaging in learning regularly."

The AV1 device allows the young person to access a one-way live stream, communicate via a microphone and has a variety of lights and emoji expressions to share how they are feeling.

Schools will use the AV1 as a short-term intervention tool to allow young people to gradually re-integrate back into school or re-engage with their learning.

With only a limited number of robots available, schools will apply to use one on a student-by-student basis.