The importance of Emotional Literacy for our children: 

Emotional literacy refers to a child’s ability to recognize, understand, express, and manage their own emotions, as well as respond appropriately to the feelings of others. Developing emotional literacy is vital because it lays the foundation for healthy social and emotional development. Children who are emotionally literate are better able to cope with stress, resolve conflicts, and communicate effectively.

In a school context, emotional literacy supports positive behaviour, stronger peer relationships, and improved engagement in learning. When children can identify and talk about their feelings, they are less likely to internalize difficulties or act out in frustration. Instead, they are empowered to seek help, use problem-solving strategies, and demonstrate empathy towards others.

By embedding emotional literacy into everyday practice—through activities, role modelling, and open discussions—schools and families can equip children with the lifelong skills they need to build resilience, maintain positive mental health, and succeed both academically and personally.

What is an ELSA?

An ELSA is an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant trained by educational psychologists. 

At Heatherley Primary School, Mrs Barton is our ELSA.

ELSAs aim to help ensure that your children feel happy in school and are reaching their potential educationally by identifying and reducing any barriers to learning.

ELSAs help children and young people to understand their emotions and respect the feelings of those around them. They provide a consistent private space, time and opportunity for your children to think about their personal circumstances and how they manage them.

ELSA sessions are mainly delivered on an individual basis, but sometimes small group work is more appropriate, especially in the area of social and friendship skills.

In ELSA we aim to provide support for a wide range of emotional needs including:

* Recognising emotions                                          *Self-esteem

*Social Skills                                                            * Friendship skills

*Anger management                                              * Loss and Bereavement

Sessions are fun! A range of activities such as games, arts and craft, workbooks, lapbooks and sensory equipment are used with the children.

How does ELSA work?

Children are usually referred for ELSA support by their class teacher, senior leadership, SENCO or by parent request. An ELSA will use the referral form to identify the area (s) your child needs support with. They 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.

Supporting - not fixing!

Remember, ELSAs are not there to fix children's problems. What we can do is provide emotional support. 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.

It needs to be appreciated that 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 needs..

Training and development of ELSAs is an ongoing process and wisdom is required to recognise when issues are beyond the level of expertise that could reasonably be expected of an ELSA. However, we can signpost you to outside support that may be more suitable in complex.

If you would like any more information, please do not hesitate to give Mrs Barton a call.