Shield Road Primary School
ELSA - Children's emotional support
What is Elsa
Hello and welcome to Shield Road’s ELSA page!
As well as valuing our children's education at Shield Road, we also value their wellbeing as we recognise that children are happier and more ready to learn when their emotional needs are supported. All of us at some time in our lives will have worries or difficulties and we are here to support our children through these as needed. We are lucky to have an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) on site who can provide specialist interventions to help our children manage their emotions and reach their full potential at school.
What is an ELSA?
An ELSA is a specialist teaching assistant who is trained and supervised by an Educational Psychologist within the local authority.
ELSA sessions take place in our ‘Hive room’ which provides a calm, safe space for the child to feel supported and nurtured. Sessions are usually delivered on an individual basis but occasionally group work may be suggested.
ELSA’s can support:
v Emotional literacy
v Self-esteem
v Relationships
v Friendships
v Anxiety
v Loss and bereavement
v Social skills
v Managing strong feelings
v Growth mindset
Children are usually referred to the ELSA via their class teacher, senior leadership team or the SENCO but please do speak to the ELSA in school if you have any concerns about your child. There can occasionally be a waiting list for ELSA support but in the meantime, you can visit our parent self-help section below where you will find useful links to resources to support your child at home.
Mrs Barton – ELSA
Please contact me through the school office
*Parent self-help section*
v Anxiety
Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear. Most people feel anxious at some point in their lives, for example starting a new school or before a test. Anxiety can become a problem when children and young people are unable to control their worries and have constant feelings of anxiety that impact on their daily lives.
There are lots of useful tools and resources to support children with feelings of anxiety.
Finger tracing -
Slowly run your finger along the edge of the opposite hand, breathing in going up and out going down each finger. Focus on one hand for a few minutes before swapping hands. Here is a video link as a guide.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAt58vJLBsQ
Distraction questioning-
Choose something that the child can do quite simply for example, can you count backwards from 10,20 or 100? How many shades of blue can you see? can you count your teeth with your tongue?
Mind drawing -
Pick up an imaginary pencil and imagine drawing around your feet.
Grounding techniques-
How to Help Children Suffering From Depression & Anxiety | NSPCC
https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/get-help/support-for-children-young-people/
v Self-esteem
Self-esteem is the opinion we have of ourselves. When children have a healthy self-esteem, they tend to feel positive about themselves and their abilities. However, when their self-esteem is low, they may view their life in a critical and negative way.
How can I help my child with their self-esteem? - Support for Parents from Action For Children
Self-Esteem & Mental Health | Guide For Parents | YoungMinds
v Loss and bereavement
Children feel loss of a loved one just like adults but can show their grief in different ways. Here are some links to useful resources.
How children and young people grieve | Child Bereavement UK
Children and bereavement - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Children, young people and grief - Cruse Bereavement Support
Winston's Wish - giving hope to grieving children (winstonswish.org)
v Managing strong feelings (anger, frustration)
Anger is a very normal emotion for children to feel but some children may need extra support to understand these feelings and react to them appropriately.
Story for children about feeling angry - https://youtu.be/93_xPwApfqw
Helping your child with anger issues - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Managing Anger — Coping Skills for Kids
Helping a Young Person Manage Anger | Mental Health | YoungMinds
v Growth mindset
Developing a growth mindset in your child - BBC Bitesize
PSHE KS2: Growth Mindset - BBC Teach
Five ways to help your child move towards a growth mindset - BBC Bitesize
v Social skills and emotional development
Social and emotional development - Support for Parents from Action For Children
7 Important Social Skills for Kids and How to Teach Them (verywellfamily.com)
v Friendships
v
Short support video for parents- https://youtu.be/W5jie3xoH2k
Place2Be: Parenting Smart: My child has friendship issues
