Wellbeing Support
Coupals Academy is a family school. We believe strongly in caring for our children, families and wider community. As part of our school based early help offer our Pupil Family Workers and ELSA support parents and children both in and out of school.
Sydney Allen is our school’s Pupil and family support worker, and Deputy DSL, Sharon Billings is our ELSA and works alongside Sydney within the Pupil and Family support Worker role. This pastoral role includes working closely with children, parents/careers, staff and outside agencies to ensure the well-being of individual pupils is fully supported.
For the child, they are someone supportive to talk to, share successes with, or provide help with difficulties or worries. They offer a ‘safe’ place and work with children to raise self-esteem, remove barriers to learning and thus allow children to reach their full potential. For the parents/careers, they offer a listening ear, can share positive parenting skills, lend resources and, where needed, refer families to external agencies for more in-depth advice.
Sydney Allen
Family and pupil support worker and Deputy DSL
Email: Sallen@coupalsacademy.co.uk
Sharon Billings
Family and pupil support worker and ELSA
What is ELSA support?
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.
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
Some of the areas we can offer support includes:
- Domestic abuse
- Bereavement
- Low self esteem
- Loss and separation
- Routines at home
- Online Safety
- Healthy Relationships
- Friendships in school
- Anxiety and Emotional well-being
- Transitions between classes
- Transitions between schools
- Attendance
- Young Careers
- Hygiene and self-care
- Self-harm.
Identified children can have the opportunity to spend designated periods with Sydney, or Mrs Billings, on a 1:1 basis, or within a small group to share information confidentially or talk through issues that concern them.
What are the benefits for pupils?
- Improved motivation
- Raised self-esteem
- Increased confidence
- Reduced challenging behavior
- Developed social skills
- Coping skills
- Knowing what safe behavior is
- Increased positive attitudes
- Positive Mental Health and Wellbeing
- Establishing and maintaining friendships
- Empathy for others
- Reach full learning potential
- Manage their own feelings successfully