Moorlands Junior School
What is an ELSA?
At Moorlands, we are dedicated to supporting the emotional well-being and mental health of our students. That is why we are proud to offer the Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) program. ELSAs are specially trained members of staff, who are supervised by Educational Psychologists. They aim to remove barriers to learning and support children in finding solutions to the social or emotional challenges they may be facing. Through individual sessions, ELSAs provide a calm and safe space for children to express themselves, develop resilience and build effective coping strategies. Within the space children feel supported, listened to and nurtured. The ELSA program is adapated to meet the individual needs of each child, focusing on equipping them with essential skills to manage the challenges of daily life.
What can an ELSA help with?
- Loss and bereavement
- Self-esteem
- Social Skills
- Friendship issues
- Relationships
- Managing strong feelings
- Anxiety and worries
- Conflict
- Emotional Regulation
- Growth Mindset
- Problem solving
How does ELSA work?
Children are usually referred for ELSA support by their class teacher. In addition, pupils may be eligible if parents voice concerns about their child's mental health at home, which they may be masking at school. The Wellbeing Team meets regularly to discuss the referral forms and to identify and prioritise which children require the weekly sessions. They 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.
Supporting - Not Fixing
Remember, the ELSA is not there to fix children's problems, but rather teach them strategies to cope with the demands of everyday life. ELSAs offer emotional support by fostering a warm, respectful relationship with pupils and creating a reflective environment, where they feel safe to express their thoughts and emotions openly.
It is important to recognise that change may not occur swiftly and largely relies on the context and intricacy of the issues at hand. For children with complex or long-term needs it is unrealistic to expect ELSA intervention to resolve all their difficulties, however support will be designed to target specific aspects of a child's need. The training and development of ELSAs is a continuous journey, requiring wisdom to identify situations that exceed the reasonable scope of an ELSA's expertise. In such instances, we can guide you toward external support better suited to addressing more complex challenges.
External Providers
Alongside ELSA support, we also work with external agencies, including Place2Be and a children's psychological therapist. Both services are led by highly qualified professionals who provide tailored support for pupils with more complex needs. These practitioners play a key role in our triage meetings, ensuring coordinated and effective care.
Useful information for parents and children
Place To Beworth it
