Who are our Emotional Literacy Support Assistants?

                                      Mrs Wood                                                          Miss Webster

What is an ELSA?

An Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) is a specialist teaching assistant with a wealth of experience of working with children. ELSAs are trained and regularly supervised by the Educational Psychologists in the Local Authority. An ELSA is a warm and caring person who wants to help your child feel happy in school and to reach their potential educationally.  Their aim is to remove the barriers to learning and to have happy children in school and at home.

ELSAs will help children learn to understand their emotions and respect the feelings of those around them. They can provide time and space for pupils to think about their personal circumstances and how they can manage them.

What do our ELSAs do?

Our ELSAs work closely together to support children throughout the school who may have difficulties in the following areas:

• Loss and bereavement
• Support through a serious illness
• Self-esteem
• Social skills
• Emotions
• Friendship issues
• Relationships
• Anger management
• Behaviour
• Anxiety
• Bullying
• Conflict
• Relaxation techniques
• Separation (including divorce)

Our Christ Church ELSAs work alongside the SENDCos and Pastoral Manager.

How does ELSA work?

Children are usually referred for ELSA support by their class teacher, Senior Leaders or the SENDCo. A meeting is regularly held to discuss the referrals and to identify and prioritise which children require a 6 to 8 week programme. With the programme aims in mind, ELSAs then plan support sessions to facilitate the child in developing new skills and coping strategies that allow them to manage social and emotional demands more effectively.

Supporting - not fixing

Remember, ELSAs are not there to fix children's problems. What they can do is provide emotional support. They aim to establish a warm, respectful relationship with a child and to provide a reflective space where they are able to share honestly their thoughts and feelings.