ELSA at Harrowgate Hill Primary School

Childhood can be a tricky time. Children face many challenges when they are growing up and some are more difficult to manage than others. We understand here at Harrowgate Hill Primary School, that every child’s experience is unique and believe that no child should feel alone in overcoming those obstacles. Through our robust Welfare provision, we work alongside our pupils’ families, aiming to build a strong support network for those pupils. ELSA is a vital part of that support.

ELSA is an initiative, developed and supported by Educational Psychologists, which acknowledges that children can only reach their fullest potential academically and feel happy in school, when their emotional needs are nurtured.

At Harrowgate Hill Primary School, we have three trained ELSAs. They have been trained by Educational Psychologists to plan and deliver support to pupils with additional emotional needs. The sessions run on a 1:1 basis and the time scale of which they run on, is completely dependent on the child, as an individual. Where appropriate, there may be some small group work, for areas such as social interaction and friendship skills.

The Nest team offer support in the following areas:

- Understanding and managing emotions

- Building self-esteem

- Developing social skills

- Building friendship skills

- Anger management

- Loss and bereavement

- Developing confidence