ELSA - Register Interest

What is ELSA? 

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The ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) intervention was originally developed within Southampton, then Hampshire, by Sheila Burton, Educational Psychologist. It was designed to build the capacity of schools to support the emotional needs of their pupils from within their own resources. This is achieved by training teaching assistants to develop and deliver individualised support programmes to meet the emotional needs of children and teenagers in their care. It recognises that children learn better and are happier in school if their emotional needs are also addressed. This intervention is now widely implemented by educational psychologists across Britain.

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The role of the ELSA is to support children and young people in school to understand and regulate their own emotions whilst also respecting the feelings of those around them.

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Schools Commitment

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The six-week training course delivered as one day per week for six weeks. Following this ELSAs will need to attend ongoing supervision. A commitment is needed from the school to ensure the ELSA is supported with time and space to deliver the intervention effectively.

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Before starting the training, Headteachers and SENCOs are invited to attend a short online discovery session to explain what the ELSA intervention is and why it’s vital to supporting the emotional needs of your children and young people. Whilst powerful and proven, ELSA needs commitment long after its six-week training course. This session will explain what that commitment requires and why.

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The training courses

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Starting in October 2023 the courses will run in the North West and Humberside. We are working on location and dates currently and will be able to update shortly.

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The courses will have a maximum of 16 people each, so we are inviting expressions of interest now. To register interest, for more information or to discuss ELSA please complete the form below.