ELSA Leaflet

RECOGNISING EMOTIONS

What if my child needs more help?

SOCIAL SKILLS

Your child’s progress will be carefully

RELATIONSHIPS

FRIENDSHIP ISSUES SELF ESTEEM FRIENSHIP SKILLS UNDERSTANDING ANGER

monitored during the ELSA programme.

Your child will be encouraged to use their new skills in class or in the playground.

LOSS AND BEREAVEMENT ANXIETY SADNESS

If the school feels the child needs further support the school has access to some

BUILDING RESILIENCE COPING STRATEGIES BULLYING ISSUES

external services e.g. Educational Psychologist and Primary Behaviour

Emotional Literacy Support Assistants

Service, who may be able to provide school with a wider range of strategies.

St. Michael’s CE Junior School Your ELSA contacts in school are:

Val Read Louise Doven Tel:01252 322933

An ELSA is a specialist Teaching Assistant who works with children

in

an

Each session is planned in advance

who are showing a range of

How can I help my child? 

by the ELSA and may include a

emotional or social difficul-

range of activities such

ties e.g. anxiety, shyness, low self confidence, sadness, angry feelings or friendship problems.

What happens ELSA session?

ELSA’s have been

chosen because of their ability to build good

Find time to listen to your child



Help your child to see things

as games, cooking, craft

from the other person’s point

activities,

of view

talking

and

listening role play etc.



Encourage your child to develop a ‘glass half full’ ap-

relationships with children. The ELSA plans

This sounds like fun!

with the Inclusion Manager to set individual

Yes, ELSA sessions should be fun.

proach i.e. look for the

objectives for the child.

The ELSA will

The activities are designed to moti-

positive

then work with the child, either individually

vate and engage the child. For ex-

or sometimes in a small group, using activi-

ample, when learning about anger

ties targeted to the child’s needs. Typically

the child may draw or make a fire-

ELSA work takes place over 6 weekly ses-

work to illustrate triggers, the fuse

your child’s emotional well-

sions. ELSA sessions are designed to be fun!

and the explosion.

being with your child’s class

Parents will be sent a permission slip which

then work on ways to reduce the

teacher or the Inclusion

will let you know the objective being

triggers for anger in the child.

Manager.

ad-

The session may

A

dressed. A progress update will be given to

further session may look at ways of

parents and discussed with the child at the

lengthening the child’s ‘fuse’ such as

end of the final session.

changing negative thoughts to positive ones.



Encourage peaceful problem solving



Discuss any concerns about