An ELSA in a school is an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant. ELSAs are specialists with a wealth of experience of working with  children and young people. ELSAs are trained and regularly supervised by Educational Psychologists. We are fortunate to have a number of trained ELSAs at Penmaes.

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Scope of practice

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In Penmaes  ELSAs work within their scope of practice and only cover things they are trained to cover. Any concerns out of their scope of practice should be discussed with their Educational Psychologist and potentially referred on to outside agencies. ELSAs support pupils and not fix them. If any further support is required then this takes place during an educational psychology consultation or is requested via the PIP panel in Powys.

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ELSA Relationship

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ELSAs are warm, kind and caring staff who want to make pupils feel happy in school and to reach their potential socially, emotionally and academically. They understand the barriers to learning that some pupils  might have and can help them with this.

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They can support the pupil’s emotional development and help them cope with life’s challenges. ELSAs will also help pupils to find solutions to problems they might have.

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An ELSA is not there to fix problems but to help them find their own solutions and offer that important support to pupils.

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Relationships are key in helping pupils to feel safe and nurtured. ELSA is about creating a reflective space for pupils.

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Please see the leaflet on ELSA

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What areas ELSA may help with?

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• Loss and bereavement

• Emotional Literacy

• Self-esteem

• Social Skills

• Friendship issues

• Relationships

• Managing strong feelings

• Anxiety and worries

• Bullying

• Conflict

• Emotional Regulation

• Growth Mindset

• Social and therapeutic stories

• Problem solving

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