Welcome to our school ELSA page. 

What is ELSA?

ELSA stands for Emotional Literacy Support Assistant and training is delivered to a member of staff by an Educational Psychologist.

ELSA was developed by Shelia Burton (Educational Psychologist) and was designed to support the emotional needs of children within the school setting. 

“We acknowledge that children and young people learn best when they feel happier and their emotional needs are being addressed”.

Who is our school ELSA?

At Hinton St George Primary we are fortunate to have two qualified ELSAs.

Mrs Blunn and Mrs Fox have been trained by the Educational Psychologist Team to plan and deliver programs of support to children who are experiencing additional emotional needs. 

What can ELSA’s help with? 

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

• Social skills
• Bereavement
• Recognising emotions
• Anger management
• Self esteem
• Friendship
• Problem solving skills

The majority of ELSA sessions are delivered on an individual basis but sometimes small group work is more appropriate especially in some areas of social and friendship skills. The sessions usually run for 6 weeks meeting weekly.

How does ELSA work?

Children are usually referred for ELSA support by their class teacher, Headteacher or Senco. We then plan support sessions to aid the pupil in developing new skills and coping strategies that allow them to manage social and emotional demands more effectively.

Often children who are not ready to share emotions still benefit from being given the opportunity to sit with a trusted adult in a safe space.

Where are the ELSA sessions held? 

Our ELSA sessions are held in ‘The Peace Pod’ where we offer a calming safe space for children with lots of resources.