Staff develop skills to make a difference in Monmouthshire’s schools

Staff from eleven Monmouthshire schools who successfully attended five days of training across the spring term, received certificates of achievement from the Abergavenny mayor, Councillor Teslin Davies who attended as a guest at a ceremony in Magor this week.

The fifteen staff had trained to become qualified Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs) and the course enables them to develop skills to help pupils in the county's schools with temporary or longer term emotional needs.  The ELSAs will receive ongoing support from the Educational Psychology Service through regular supervision.

The ELSA programme forms part of the council's commitment to work with schools to ensure the inclusion, achievement and well-being of all pupils, including those whose learning is affected by emotional difficulties.  It was developed to build the capacity of schools to support the emotional needs of pupils from within their own resources.

ELSAs are trained to plan and deliver individual or group programmes of support.  They might work with pupils who present as anxious, shy, sad, or angry as well as supporting them to develop social and friendship skills or improved self-esteem.

The course was carried out by Monmouthshire's Educational Psychology Service (EPS).  Dr Casey Stephens of the EPS said: "The ELSA programme has been running for four years in Monmouthshire and there are currently 29 ELSAs working in our schools.  The programme continues to go from strength to strength and is becoming well embedded in many of our schools.  Evaluations of the project have shown that ELSAs make a positive impact on the emotional development of children and young people.  Specific outcomes have included academic success, increased school attendance and reduced referrals to outside agencies as well as positive changes in pupils with social emotional and behavioural difficulties."

Councillor Richard John, Monmouthshire's cabinet member for Children and Young People said: "Having completed their training, our latest members of staff to achieve the ELSA award will be able to help children with emotional difficulties and at an educational disadvantage to overcome their problems, improve their emotional wellbeing and to achieve in their schooling."