Welcome to our Emotional Literacy Support page

ELSA- Emotional Literacy

Mental health is very important in our school & we want to give the children strategies to cope with the ups & downs of everyday life. Research supports the need for early intervention, to help children recognise & deal with their complex emotional responses. Indeed supporting children with their emotions also supports their learning in school; as they develop good resilience & self-esteem.

An ELSA provides specialist support following extra training from educational psychologists & specialists in areas like Bereavement. They have regular supervision within the area to support & provide strategies where needed. Their aims are to help the children talk about their concerns & develop ways to help them cope in a supportive atmosphere. Most of the work is play based which means that the child feels comfortable & learns valuable skills for the future.

Our ELSA supports the children in the following 7 areas either 1:1 or in small groups:

Emotions
Self-esteem
Anxiety/Worries
Anger Management
Friendship Skills
Social Skills
Loss & bereavement

We have a dedicated ELSA room, the 'Tree House' in which the children feel safe and secure and are able to express their feelings openly and honestly.  Children are referred either through the class teacher, or some parents refer via drop-in sessions that are available to parents on Monday & Thursday mornings after drop-off (or Monday afternoon before pick-up). 

Our Emotional Literacy Support Assistant

Ms Maria Cox is the ELSA at Mrs Bland's  she has been working in the school for almost 10 years! Maria came from a buying background and is a mother of two children, who attended Mrs Bland’s School.Since then she has gained a wealth of experience working with children & has developed her role of an ELSA over the past number of years. She has attended many courses to support this role and is passionate about supporting children at a young age to develop their own support mechanisms, to help them through life. She is happy to support families too.  To contact Ms Cox, please telephone or email the school office. 

EYFS Emotional Literacy Support Assistant