School support assistants undertake emotional literacy training 

16 June 2022

Support assistants in Cheshire East’s schools have recently received new training to better meet the emotional needs of pupils within their settings. 

Emotional Literacy for Support Assistants (ELSA) training was delivered by members of Cheshire East Council’s Educational Psychology team: Jak Stewart-Armstead, Stephanie Lamboy, Katie Ayrebi and Andrea Soykan. 

Feedback from support assistants taking part has been fantastic, with many commenting on the positive changes it has led to in classrooms. 

The aim of ELSA training is to build schools’ capacity to support children and young people’s emotional needs from within their own resources.

Teaching assistants are trained to develop and deliver individualised support programmes to meet pupils’ emotional needs. 

Dr Alexandria Brightmore, Interim Principal Educational Psychologist at Cheshire East Council said: “ ELSA recognises that children and young people learn better, and are happier in school, if their emotional needs are also addressed. 

“The training is developed and supported by educational psychologists, who apply their professional knowledge of social and emotional development to areas of need experienced by children and young people. 

“They also provide ongoing professional supervision to help maintain high quality in the work undertaken by ELSA , thereby helping to ensure potent and safe practice for ELSA s and pupils alike.”

Further ELSA training places will be available soon for the academic year 2022/23. Information will be made available by CHESS or email Educational.Psychologists@cheshireeast.gov.uk for more information.