ELSA
Emotional Literacy Support
An introduction…
Emotional Literacy Support is offered to children who are experiencing a form of emotional difficulty. The Emotional Literacy Support programme helps children with their emotional literacy and can be used as one avenue of support for emotional development, improving relationships and understanding challenging situations. At Whitewater C of E Primary School our Emotional Literacy Support program is run by Mrs Miles who is a fully trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA).
Mrs Miles has been trained to help children with a range of emotional difficulties. She receives regular supervision from The Hampshire Educational Psychology Service, who oversee the ELSA program.
Our ELSA Program
Typically, at Whitewater C of E Primary School, Mrs Miles sees children for a 1 to 1 session once a week to explore their emotional needs and develop strategies to support them.
The ELSA program runs for six weeks at a time, after which children are given a six week ‘embedding’ period where they do not receive 1 to 1 sessions but are supported in class by their class teacher to practise the skills they have be learning with Mrs Miles. After this embedding time, their progress is reviewed and it is decided if children would benefit from another six week block of 1 to 1 sessions.
Parental Involvement
At the beginning of the ELSA program, parents are invited to share any relevant information with Mrs Miles that could support the understanding of their child’s situation. Parents are also invited at the end of the six week block to explore the work their children have been doing with Mrs Miles.
What to do if I feel my child would benefit from ELSA support.
Any parent who feels their child would benefit from support should speak with the class teacher first. The class teacher will then discuss a potential referral with Mrs Miles to make sure that ELSA is the best support mechanism for the child at that time. If deemed appropriate, the class teacher will complete a referral form.