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ELSA

What is an ELSA

An ELSA is a specialist teaching assistant with a wealth of experience of working with children. ELSAs are trained and regularly supervised by the Educational Psychologists in West Berkshire. An ELSA is a warm and caring person who wants to help your child feel happy in school and to reach their potential educationally. Their aim is to remove the barriers to learning and to have happy children in school and at home.

Mrs Chester and Mrs Smith are Calcot's  Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs). 

There will always be children and young people in school facing life challenges that detract from their ability to engage with learning, and some will require greater support to increase their emotional literacy than others. When our children find themselves struggling and encounter difficulties with their emotional health our ELSAs will be there to listen, provide additional TLC and support them.To do this they plan and deliver programmes of support and these can be delivered on an individual basis, but sometimes small group work is more appropriate, especially in the areas of social and ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​friendship skills. Sessions are fun and we use a range of activities such as: games, role-play with puppets or arts and craft.  ELSA sessions take place in our very own 'ELSA room' which provides a calm, safe space for the child to feel supported and nurtured.

Our ELSAs can help with:

  • Loss and bereavement
  • Self-esteem
  • Social Skills
  • Emotions
  • Friendship issues
  • Relationships
  • Anger Management
  • Anxiety
  • Conflict
  • Relaxation Techniques

How does ELSA work?

Children are usually referred for ELSA support by their class teacher, Senior Leaders or on occasion the SENCo. Every half term there is a meeting with our Inclusion Manager Miss Kirkby, to discuss the referral forms and to identify and prioritise which children require a programme for the next 6-8 weeks. With the programme aims in mind, we then plan support sessions to facilitate the pupil in developing new skills and coping strategies that allow them to manage social and emotional demands more effectively.

Each session lasts from 30 - 45 minutes once a week. Each session includes time to talk (Emotional check-in) a planned main activity which will be interactive and may include a game, followed by some quiet,relaxation time.

 

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE OUR ELSA LEAFLET

  • We aim to establish a warm, respectful relationship with a pupil and to provide a reflective space where they are able to share honestly their thoughts and feelings. We can't necessarily fix their problems but we CAN provide emotional support.Also, change cannot necessarily be achieved rapidly and is dependent upon the context and complexity of the presenting issues. For children with complex or long-term needs it is unrealistic to expect ELSA intervention to resolve all their difficulties, however support will be designed to target specific aspects of a child's need. If additional support is needed, our ELSAs, along with the inclusion manager, can work with our families to organise extra help from other agencies such as the emotional health academy.

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So what do the children think?

On completion of their ELSA programmes, we ask the children to reflect on their experiences and to kindly leave us some feedback. Here are some of the lovely comments we receive:  

 

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News!

  • Open Mornings

    Calcot Infant School will be holding open mornings over the next couple of months to enable prospective families to view the school and get a taste of what our amazing school can offer.

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  • OFSTED 2023

    Our schools were inspected in 2023 and both schools were recognised for their excellent drive to provide children with an exciting, broad and balanced curriculum. It was commented upon that as pupils move through the school, there is a wealth of opportunities to enrich their lives, including lunchtime, after-school clubs, arts and sporting events.

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