Teach Primary Issue 19.6

you can dedicate solely to ELSA work, or a room you can timetable weekly for it. It needs to be somewhere quiet and confidential where sessions won’t be disturbed, as sometimes they include delicate conversations with pupils. • When and how often will sessions be held? Think about how often you can release staff, and which lessons you can spare adults and pupils from. ELSA work is incredibly important, but you don’t want the child to always be missing core lessons or their own break times. • How will you identify children in need of sessions? Think about who will identify the children in need and how they will bring them to the attention of the ELSA or the SENCo. Also consider whether ELSA is the right pathway for them or whether they need a different approach or alternative intervention. • How will you inform parents before sessions begin? Think about how you will communicate with parents about what an ELSA is and E motional literacy support assistants (ELSAs) have many possible identities. They could be a teaching assistant, teacher, family worker, or hold another position within the school. But the one thing they all have in common is their support of individual children who may need a little extra attention. ELSA is not an intervention used to manage pupils with challenging behaviour. What it can be used for is to help the child try to understand what is driving their behaviour and to look at their emotions. Behaviour is, after all, a form of communication, and it’s our job to try to understand and support our pupils. Topics are varied and may include: • Self-esteem • Confidence • Emotional regulation • Anxiety • Bereavement • Friendship • Social skills Be prepared There are lots of things to think about if you are considering training staff to deliver ELSA sessions. • Who will you train? Think about staff best placed to deliver sessions. They need to be appropriately experienced and able to be released to deliver sessions. • Where will sessions take place? Think about whether you have space why you feel their child would benefit from sessions. You can find a parent communication proforma at tinyurl.com/ tp-ELSAparentcomms • How will you feed back to parents and staff when sessions have concluded? Think about how you will tell teachers how sessions have gone and feed back anything relevant to parents, whilst also considering the child’s confidentiality. • Is everyone on board? Think about whether the headteacher and senior leadership team are keen for ELSA interventions to happen, and how much they and teachers understand about what happens and why it’s important. If you have everyone’s backing, it’s more likely to be a success and to keep happening. Tailor your sessions Lots of people ask whether children with SEND can take part in ELSA sessions, and the answer is, of course, yes! It would be prudent to consider the individual needs of each pupil you put forward for an ELSA and to ensure you make appropriate adjustments for them. Pupils with SEND often have additional difficulties linked to their everyday experiences, and it is important to address these and support them. For example, a child with autism who struggles to maintain friendships may benefit from individual or group sessions working on how to interact and converse with their peers, how to identify appropriate friendships, and strategies to help them start conversations with their classmates. A child with any additional need may experience low self-esteem as a result, and may therefore benefit from sessions focusing on building their confidence. These are hypothetical situations as examples; all interventions should be tailored to children’s individual needs. Review and reflect ELSA sessions should also be evaluated and monitored to record impact. This can be tricky, as much of what an ELSA does is Emotional health WITH ELSA This psychology-led intervention can let your pupils know that they are heard, and they matter, says Penny Lasham “ELSA interventions can help children try to understand what is driving their behaviour and to look at their emotions” 24 | www.teachwire.net