We see you; we hear you – new creative project with Key Stage 2 & 3 school learners
12 February 2026
Seen and Heard is an eight week pilot project funded by West of England Music and Arts. Led by Super Culture in partnership with Priory Community School and with influence by Year 4 children from Worle Village Primary School, the pilot project will work with 30 young people across KS2 and 3, using creative arts to understand more about how children and young people feel about school and how they see their identity within it.
Seen and Heard was developed in response to nationally rising statistics in Emotional Based School Avoidance (EBSA). EBSA refers to reduced attendance or non-attendance at school where the avoidance is driven by emotional distress. Statistically, the rate of children who persistently miss school (absent more than 10% of the time) or are severely absent (absent more than 50% of the time) in schools in England has, according to the Education Statistics Service of gov.uk, been steadily increasing since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Figures gathered in 2024 show a 67% increase in those persistently missing school from pre-pandemic figures.
Statistics show that North Somerset has higher than national average levels of severe absenteeism (those missing more than 50% of school) and currently 4,880 children and young people are persistently missing school in North Somerset.
Seen and Heard aims to centralise young people’s voices in this area and find new and creative ways to engage in conversation around school attendance. Working with visual artists through weekly sessions, young people who have experienced persistent absence from school will explore concepts of belonging, community, school culture and discuss the barriers and experiences that can make going to school difficult. Conversations are led by young people and held with safety and care. Thoughts and opinions can be expressed through verbal contributions, through writing or through creative artworks.
Through the sessions young people will inform and influence the development of a toolkit to be used by educators and caregivers. This young-person led toolkit will include everything the young people want adults to know about their feelings on school attendance and how we can best approach conversations and support that feel helpful and meaningful. This toolkit will be supported by Learning Everywhere CIC.
There are plans for the learning from the Seen and Heard pilot to evolve into a longer-term residency programme in North Somerset schools, using learning from the pilot and exploring how creativity, arts and culture and placemaking can play a role in supporting schools and pupils to increase belonging and reduce rates of EBSA.