ELSA

(Emotional Literacy Support)

At St Nicholas School. we recognise that children are happier and learn better if their emotional needs are addressed. We therefore provide a fully trained, experienced Emotional, Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA). Mrs Capes-King is able to support children through a range of emotional issues including anxiety, coping with family separation, bereavement, anger, low self-esteem and peer relationships. She is skilled in the use of Lego Therapy, Drawing and Talking Therapy, Play Therapy and Art Therapy.

It is important to recognise that ELSAs are not there to ‘fix’ children's problems. They can however, provide emotional support by establishing a warm, respectful relationship with a child in a calm, reflective space. The child then feels able to share honestly their thoughts and feelings, on a regular basis. Strategies may be shared, but ultimately it is about providing support for the child to enable them to manage their own emotions. Change cannot always be achieved rapidly and is dependent on the complexity and context of the issues presented.

Due to developing a trusting relationship with the child, the ELSA is unable to feed back to parents on issues discussed during the sessions. The Class Teacher has ultimate responsibility for the children in their class, and can keep parents informed about how the child is engaging in the sessions. If any safeguarding concerns are raised, they will be passed on to a Designated Safeguarding Lead. 

Mrs Capes-King is always very busy seeing as many children as she can. All cases are triaged according to need and sometimes, there is a waiting list. There is an application form for parents and the Class Teacher to complete, for any child to be considered for this service. There is at no additional cost to parents and children can access this during school time.

There is a hope that after a period of time, the child can ‘graduate’, having learnt how to manage their emotions and better deal with the issues they have encountered. Our children are very lucky to benefit from the care, guidance and support that Mrs Capes-King offers and there is no stigma attached to spending time with her. We have many success stories of the impact of her work.