ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) at St Martin’s 

There will always be children and young people in schools facing life challenges that detract from their ability to engage with learning. Some will require greater support to increase their emotional literacy than others. Emotional literacy is about understanding and coping with the feelings of ourselves and others. It involves developing high self-esteem and creating positive interactions with other people. Being emotionally literate helps children to focus better on their learning and has a positive impact on their general happiness and well-being. 

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. ELSAs are members of staff who 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.  

Children are usually referred for ELSA support by their class teacher or our SENDCo. Parents who have concerns about their child’s mental/emotional health should talk to the class teacher in the first instance.  The wellbeing team then meet, together with our school ELSA, to discuss the referrals and to identify and prioritise which children require ELSA support. With the programme aims in mind, we 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. Each session lasts approximately 30 minutes, happens once a week and will continue for 6-8 weeks. 

These sessions are not intended to completely ‘fix’ children’s problems but our ELSA is there to offer emotional support and guidance. We aim to establish a warm, respectful relationship with the child and to provide a reflective space where they can openly share their thoughts and feelings and learn some effective strategies and techniques for managing their emotions. 

The majority of ELSA work is delivered on an individual basis, but sometimes small group work is more appropriate, especially when the focus is on social and friendship skills. 

Sessions are fun and we use a range of activities including games, role-play with puppets, activity sheets or arts and craft. ELSA sessions take place in either 'The Burrow’ or ‘The Happy Shack’, both of which provide a calm, safe space for the child to feel supported and nurtured. 

In our ELSA sessions we aim to provide support for a wide range of emotional needs including:  

Please click this link for further resources from the ELSA website: