Emotional Literacy
Supervision & Training

The Emotional Literacy Support Assistant project was designed to build capacity in schools to support the emotional needs of their pupils from within their own resources. It promotes the idea that children and young people learn better when their emotional needs are recognised and supported. Our ELSA training is for teaching assistants and staff in school who want to develop and deliver emotional literacy support programmes for pupils who may be struggling to understand, identify and manage their emotions.

The ELSA project is led by Educational Psychologists and is evidence based. Educational Psychologists Elinor Kelly and Cate Wilkes have over 12 years’ experience delivering and developing ELSA training and also providing ongoing supervision for ELSAs. We provide high-quality training and work with a committed group of Educational Psychologists to support and nurture our ELSAs.

For more information on the ELSA project please visit

www.elsanetwork.org

ELSA Training

The ELSA training six-day course is delivered by Elinor Kelly and Cate Wilkes who are Educational Psychologists registered with the ELSA Network. It is suitable for staff working in primary, secondary, and special schools. The training course is divided up into modules grounded in psychological theories, current research, and evidence-based strategies. The course content includes:

• The ELSA project and Emotional Literacy in schools
• Building Resilience – self-esteem and friendship skills
• Guidance on getting started, target setting, session planning, and ELSA systems
• Bereavement, Grief, and Loss
• Understanding and Managing Strong Emotions
• Therapeutic Stories
• Social stories
• Introduction to Autism
• Group work e.g. friendship groups
• Creating and working with a range of resources including puppets and games
• An information session for ELSA line managers

ELSA Training 2026–27 — places still available

Our next six-day ELSA training programme runs from October 2026 to March 2027, delivered by Educational Psychologists Elinor Kelly and Cate Wilkes.

Cost: £850 per participant, including six days of face-to-face training, a comprehensive ELSA training manual and two group supervision sessions.

Times: 9.15 am–3.00 pm on all six days. Please arrive ready to start at 9.15 am; we finish on time.

Venue: Newbury College, Monks Lane, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 7TD. Parking is available on site; please report to reception. Bring a packed lunch. Tea and coffee are provided.

Line managers’ session: Thursday 19 November 2026, 3.30–4.30 pm.

To qualify, participants must attend all six training days and five ELSA supervision sessions. Two supervision sessions are included in the programme fee. Please contact Cate or Elinor for arrangements and any costs for the remaining sessions.

Reserve your school’s place

To request the booking contract or ask about a place, email Cate Wilkes or Elinor Kelly. To reserve a place, complete and return the contract. The programme is subject to sufficient numbers; full details are set out in the booking contract.

Cate Wilkes: cate@hiveepa.com

Elinor Kelly: elinor@chrisdesouza.co.uk

To find out more or register your interest please contact us hello@hiveepa.com.

ELSA Supervision

Regular supervision with an Educational Psychologist is an essential part of ELSA practice and supports ELSAs to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding. HIVE offers two-hour group supervision sessions every half term, with six sessions across the year and groups of six to eight ELSAs. For 2026–27, the cost is £295 per ELSA. Please contact us for availability.