ELSA Network

ELSA Training & Supervision

What is an ELSA?

An ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) is a specially trained teaching assistant who works in a primary or secondary school to support children and young people with their emotional wellbeing.

ELSAs receive training from Educational Psychologists to help them understand how to support pupils who may be struggling with things like anxiety, friendships, self-esteem, or grief. After their initial training, they continue to receive regular supervision from an Educational Psychologist to help guide their work.

ELSAs work one-to-one or in small groups to help children and teens:

  • Understand and manage their emotions

  • Feel more confident and motivated

  • Cope better with challenges and bounce back from setbacks

  • Build and maintain friendships

  • Develop social skills

  • Feel like they belong at school

  • Work through grief after a bereavement or loss

Their support is personalised to each child’s needs and designed to help them feel more settled, understood, and ready to learn.

Watch our ELSA video

This 4 minute video gives an overview of what being an ELSA involves and the training programme we are offering. 

Register Interest in ELSA training

What does ELSA training involve? 

Initial Training Overview

The training begins with a 30-minute online introductory meeting where ELSAs and line managers are given an overview of how the course is structured and delivered. 

Following this, ELSAs will complete six 6 units of training. Each unit includes: 

  • 🎥 Video learning.  Two or three short videos (approximately 1 - 1.5 hours in total) introducing the key concepts for that unit.  
  • 📝 Independent learning tasks. Reflection activities to deepen your understanding of the ideas introduced in the videos. (Approximately 1 hour.) 
  • 👥 Face-to-face training.  A four hour face-to-face session meeting, led by an educational psychologist. These interactive sessions provide an opportunity to explore the content in more depth, practice key skills and reflect on real life experiences and challenges. 

Line managers - Line managers will be invited to attend the first hour of the first face to face meeting (Unit 1). Attendance is very strongly encouraged, as it helps to ensure they understand their role in supporting the ELSA and how best to embed the approach within the school.

Ongoing Supervision after Initial Training

  • Once ELSAs have completed their initial training, they will be expected to attend group supervision with an educational psychologist and up to 7 other ELSAs for two hours every half term. Supervision provides emotional support, continued learning and reflection and an opportunity for quality control. 
  • The ELSA Network considers supervision a vital part of ELSA and ELSAs must attend at least 4 out of 6 supervisions each year to continue to be registered as an ELSA. 

What is covered in initial ELSA training?

Unit 1

An introduction to ELSA training for ELSAs and their line managers.

Emotional literacy in schools. 

Unit 2

Self-esteem.  Security and belonging (friendship). 

Unit 3

Self-esteem.  Motivation, competence and self-hood. 

Unit 4

Managing emotions (including therapeutic stories)

Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA)

Unit 5

Supporting children with bereavement & loss. 

Reflective and active listening.

Unit 6

Social understanding for children with autism.

 

Details of our next ELSA training

 

When?

The next ELSA training will start in October 2025. 

Where?

The face-to-face elements of the training will happen in the Friends Meeting House, 91-93 Hartington Grove, Cambridge.  

 Cost?

The cost will be £700. This covers 6 units of training, one supervision session and one course book. 

 

I'd like to sign up for ELSA training

Where else can I access your ELSA training?

Odgers Psychology is delivering ELSA training as part of Psychology for Schools, a collaborative of four educational psychologist working in the East of England.  These colleagues will be delivering the same ELSA training in Hertfordshire and Essex.  

If you contact me and I feel it may be easier for you to attend training with one of my colleagues (for example, because their training will be geographically closer to you), I will pass on contact details. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Register your interest in ELSA training starting Oct 2025

Register your interest in ELSA training by completing the form below

Once you've done that, I'll send you an email with all the details and information about how to secure your place.