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

Staff from twelve Monmouthshire schools who successfully attended a five week educational training course received certificates of achievement from the council's Chairman, Councillor Maureen Powell at a ceremony in Magor this week.

The eighteen 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 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 Morwenna Wagstaff of the EPS said: "Although the ELSA project is still relatively new to Monmouthshire, the initiative has been used successfully across the UK and Wales for many years.  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."

The EPS has carried out the training for the past two years, involving staff from 28 of Monmouthshire's 35 schools.

Councillor Powell added: "It was a great honour to present certificates to the latest members of our staff to achieve the ELSA award.  Having completed their training they will be able to help those children with emotional difficulties who are at an educational disadvantage to overcome their problems, improve their emotional wellbeing and to achieve in their schooling."