Julia
Katherine
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ELSA Review 2003/4
Southampton
Psychology Service.
There are 5 Emotional
Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs), employed
directly by the Local Authority, who support
individual children in the primary sector
of their education. ELSAs work within
the Psychology Service. They deliver programme
of Emotional Literacy, supervised by a
Senior Educational Psychologist. Referrals
are made by the Educational Psychologist
linked to the school, who is also involved
in reviewing the impact of this intervention.
ELSAs deliver intervention
programmes aimed at improving children’s
emotional literacy skills, social skills,
friendship skills, anger management skills,
self esteem, and ability to cope with
change. Programmes are planned and delivered
by an ELSA, working closely with school
staff so that the support can be continued
after an intervention has come to an end.
During the academic
year 2003-2004 the ELSA team worked with
139 pupils, 125 boys (90%) and 14 girls
(10%). The spread of ages/year groups
was as follows:
National
Curriculum Year |
Number of pupils |
Percentage |
|
Pre-school/Nursery |
3 |
2.0% |
|
Reception |
9 |
6.5% |
|
Year 1 |
13 |
9.5% |
|
Year 2 |
41 |
29.5% |
|
Year 3 |
14 |
10.0% |
|
Year 4 |
16 |
11.5% |
|
Year 5 |
22 |
16.0% |
|
Year 6 |
21 |
15.0% |
|
Total |
139 |
100% |
Support was provided
to pupils attending 56 schools and nurseries,
out of a possible 65 (i.e 86%). Many schools
made only one referral during the year,
while the maximum number of referrals
accepted from a single school during this
academic year was 8. Just 2 of the cases
were Children, Looked After. There were
7 re-referrals accepted during the year.
Transition cases are
prioritised during the Summer term, as
we know that pupils are particularly vulnerable
during times of transition and change.
During the Summer term, 22 transition
cases were accepted and ELSAs continued
working with these pupils until they had
settled in to their new schools in the
Autumn term of 2004.
The impact of programme
of EL support is assessed by:
- A Review and
Planning meeting held during the intervention
and involving the ELSA, referring EP,
parent and school staff. At this meeting,
pupil progress is discussed and any
future actions are agreed. ELSAs produce
a written Record of Involvement, as
agreed at this meeting, which is then
circulated to all concerned on closure
of a case.
- Pupil, parent
and teacher rating scales at the end
of an intervention.
Julia Katherine, Acting
Principal Educational Psychologist January
2005
Added April 2005
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