Emotional Well-being and Pastoral Support

Zones of Regulation

At St Vincent’s we use Zones of Regulation ™ to help children to understand how they are feeling and to regulate their own emotions. We teach children that all feelings are ok. Over time, children are exposed to a range of ‘tools’ to help them to get into the Green Zone and be ready to learn.

Emotional Literacy Support (ELSA)

At St Vincent's, we also run the ELSA programme for pupils experiencing emotional difficulties. 

What is ELSA?

In schools, ELSA stands for Emotional Literacy Support Assistant. ELSA support in schools is a project designed to help schools support the emotional needs of their pupils. ELSA acknowledges that children and young people learn best when they feel happier and their emotional needs are being addressed. The initiative was developed and supported by Educational Psychologists, who used knowledge of how children develop socially and emotionally and apply this knowledge to the needs of pupils.

The role title of ELSA may only be taken by someone who:

● has attended a full ELSA training course (or is undertaking the training)

● regularly attends supervision groups led by Educational Psychologists.

● is currently developing bespoke programmes to support the emotional needs of children in their school.

ELSAs are trained to plan and deliver programmes of support to pupils in their school who may be experiencing temporary or long term additional emotional needs. A lot of work that ELSAs do will be on an individual basis with one child, however, there are cases where group sessions may be appropriate such as when working on social skills and friendship skills.

What can ELSAs help with?

There are a lot of emotional skills that ELSA can help with, including:

● Social Skills

● Bereavement

● Social Situations

● Therapeutic Stories

● Anger Management

● Self-esteem

● Real-life problem-solving skills

● Friendship