ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant)

At John Hampden School we believe that to enable our pupils to learn effectively, they need to feel safe in their environment and be both socially and emotionally ready to learn. We understand the importance of holistic development and offer nurturing and enriching experiences to enable the development of the whole child. We recognise that some of our pupils are not always emotionally ready to learn. Class teachers will refer pupils to ELSA for an increased level of support for them to access the wider curriculum.

Through ELSA we provide a modified curriculum in an environment based on the six principles of nurture.

We aim to:

• Encourage the development of positive social relationships with both peers and adults.
• Provide opportunities to understand emotions and develop pupil’s self-worth, confidence, motivation, trust, self-esteem and adaptability.
• Provide a safe, calm and nurturing environment, alongside a programme of activities structured to the emotional, social and intellectual needs of each pupil, while keeping them in close contact with their base class.
• Support pupils to understand their behaviour and that behaviours generally have a consequence and to develop strategies to self-regulate emotions and anxieties.
• Support the development of a whole-school nurturing ethos focused on inclusion to reduce fixed term and permanent exclusion.