ELSA
ELSA
Our school ELSA are Mrs Martin and Mrs Lythgoe.
WELCOME!
Hello and welcome to our school ELSA page!
We are pleased to be able to share information with parents about Emotional Literacy Support on the school website. On this page, you will find links to websites to help you support your child with their social and emotional needs.
What is ELSA?
There will always be children and young people in schools facing life challenges that detract from their ability to engage with learning, and some will require greater support to increase their emotional literacy than others. ELSA is an initiative developed and supported by educational psychologists. It recognises that children learn better and are happier in school if their emotional needs are also addressed.
We are lucky enough to have two qualified Emotional Literacy Support Assistants at Heswall Primary. They have been trained by Educational Psychologists to plan and deliver programmes of support to pupils who are experiencing temporary or longer-term additional emotional needs. The majority of ELSA work is delivered on an individual basis, but sometimes small group work is more appropriate, especially in the areas of social and friendship skills. Sessions are fun, we use a range of activities such as games, role-play with puppets or arts and crafts.
In ELSA we aim to provide support for a wide range of emotional needs:
- Recognising emotions
- Self-esteem
- Social skills
- Friendship skills
- Anger management
- Loss and bereavement
How does ELSA work?
Children are usually referred for ELSA support by their class teacher, SENCO or Senior Leaders. With the programme aims in mind, we then plan support sessions to facilitate the pupil in developing new skills and coping strategies that allow them to manage social and emotional demands more effectively.
Each session lasts approximately 30 minutes once a week.
Supporting - not fixing
ELSAs are there to provide emotional support.
We aim to establish a warm, respectful relationship with a pupil and to provide a reflective space where they are able to share their thoughts and feelings.
Change cannot necessarily be achieved rapidly and is dependent upon the context and complexity of the presenting issues. For children with complex or long-term needs, support will be designed to target specific aspects of a child. The Educational Psychologist that works with our school would be able to offer advice on the suitability or nature of ELSA involvement in a complex case.
NM 2019