ELSA

Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA)

At Cavendish Church of England Primary School, we understand that children may face personal challenges throughout their time at school and we are conscious how that might impact their ability to focus on learning. Some children may need more emotional support than others to improve their emotional literacy. 

Our in-house ELSA can support children in the following areas:

  • Recognising emotions
  • Building self-esteem
  • Developing social skills
  • Enhancing friendship skills
  • Managing anger
  • Coping with loss and bereavement
  • Dealing with family illness or separation

It's important to remember that ELSAs are not here to solve children's problems. Instead, the role is to offer emotional support. We focus on building a warm, respectful relationship with each student and provide a space where they can openly share their thoughts and feelings.

Change may not happen quickly, as it depends on the nature and complexity of the issues at hand. For children with more complex or long-term needs, it’s unrealistic to expect ELSA intervention to resolve all of their challenges. However, support will be tailored to address specific areas of a child’s needs in collaboration with any other ongoing support.