Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA)

Course overview

ELSAs are teaching assistants and pastoral support staff who have received specific training from Educational Psychologists to help them plan and deliver programmes of support to pupils who are experiencing temporary or longer term emotional needs. Programmes can be delivered one to one or within small groups and might cover a variety of areas

including: recognising and managing emotions, raising self esteem, improving peer relationships, recovering from loss and bereavement and resolving conflict effectively. ELSA’s work across both primary and secondary age ranges.
The ELSA project is based on the principle that emotional difficulties can create a barrier to learning. Increasing the capacity of school staff to identify pupil needs and provide appropriate interventions, within the context of a safe and supportive relationship, will help to improve pupils’ mental health
and wellbeing and enhance their ability to access learning in school.
ELSA’s receive regular group supervision from an Educational Psychologist to provide ongoing support and development, and to maintain ELSA status.
The ELSA project is nationally recognised and there is an ever increasing body of research to support ELSA work in schools. For more information visit: www.elsanetwork.org

DATES: Day 1: 31 Oct 2024.  Day 2: 21 Nov 2024. Day 3: 12 Dec 2024.  Day 4: 16 Jan 2025. Day 5: 6 Feb 2025.  Day 6: 6 March 2025.

TIME: 09:30 - 16:00

VENUE: NPH, 

The hall 

Cost: £600 for 6 sessions.

Two supervision sessions are included in the training costs, then ongoing supervision will be required to maintain ELSA status (at an additional cost).

This course will train delegates to become ELSAs and to deliver ELSA interventions in their school. The course includes 6 days of training across the Spring term and the first two sessions of EP supervision in the Summer term. Delegates will then become certified ELSAs.

Adverse Childhood Experience (ACES) Trauma and attachment

Adverse Childhood Experience (ACES) Trauma and attachment

Adverse childhood experiences have a significant impact upon a child’s ability to learn and build relationships. This course looks at how staff in schools can promote a sense of safety, resilience and secure relationships in the children they work with. This course is suitable for staff across all key stages.

Course outcomes:

• Participants will understand relevant psychological theories and research evidence about the impact of trauma and adversity.
• Participants will reflect on their experiences of working with children who have experience of adversity.
• Participants will learn relational and environmental strategies to support children who have experienced adversity.

Duration 3 hours

Dates: 7^th May 2025

Cost: £85

Venue: New Parks House, Pindar Road, Leicester, LE3 9RN

Executive functioning and cognitive load

Executive functions are the ‘air traffic control’ of the brain, keeping everything organised and running smoothly. When this goes wrong, children can be disorganised, struggle to structure thinking, understand and retain learning and manage their emotions. This course looks at different aspects of executive functioning and how to promote and accommodate skills in the classroom. The course is most suitable for teachers and support staff working in key stage through to key stage 4.

Course Outcomes:

• Participants will learn what executive functioning means and the variety of skills which fall under this category.
• Participants will learn to recognise children they work with who may need support with executive functioning.
• Participants will learn strategies to encourage the development of executive functioning and to accommodate differences in the classroom.

Duration 3 hours

Dates: 2^nd April 2025

Cost: £ 85

Venue: New Parks House, Pindar Road, Leicester, LE3 9RN

Understanding Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA)

This training looks to explore emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA). EBSA is not a deliberate act of defiance, but instead a complex issue inextricably linked with mental health and wellbeing. The training aims to develop understanding of the “push” factors that might make a child struggle to attend school, the “pull” factors that might help a child to be happy and to attend school, and what we can do to help.

Course Outcomes:

• Participants will develop an understanding of EBSA and good practice in this area based on relevant research.
• Participants will learn to identify children and young people at risk of EBSA.
• Participants will be supported to formulate the main ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors for a “live” school case Participants will learn strategies to use at a whole school and individual student level.

Dates: 5 June and 19 June 2025, 9:30am - 12:30pm

Venue: New Parks House, Pindar Road, Leicester, LE3 9RN