There will always be children in schools facing life challenges that detract from their ability to engage with learning and we understand some will require greater support to increase their emotional literacy than others. 

ELSA is an initiative developed and supported by educational psychologists to help provide children with the time, space, tools and support they need.

Mrs Wareham - our ELSA

Mrs Wareham is our ELSA, which is an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant. She supports our children in a variety of ways to help them deal with issues such as worry and anxiety, coping with bereavement and understanding their emotions. 

Mrs Wareham joined Field Lane in 1995, and has been a Learning Mentor since 2006, so has a wealth of experience in dealing with a variety of children’s needs.  She approaches these needs in ways that best suit each individual child and provides the support required. She has received training from educational psychologists to support the emotional development of children in school. 

One of her areas of focus is to develop social skills using social and therapeutic stories as well as teaching other interventions, such as anger management skills and activities, to boost children’s self esteem. She is driven by the fact she can see that her work has a positive impact on the wellbeing of the children she works with, which she finds extremely rewarding.

Mrs Wareham works with children across the school, usually on a one-to-one basis, but also in small groups. The sessions are designed to be fun and include a range of activities including; games, role play with puppets or therapeutic activities such as mindfulness, arts and crafts.

We have a specific space for our children who require ELSA support, The Den. It is a calm, safe and welcoming place where individuals or groups of children can access the tools and support they need. 

At Field Lane we recognise that children learn better and are happier in school if their emotional needs are also addressed, which is why we place high value on this area and the work that Mrs Wareham does.

We aim to provide support for a wide range of emotional needs including: 

     Recognising and understanding emotions 

     Self-esteem   

     Social skills    

     Friendship skills 

     Anger management 

     Loss and bereavement 

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Other in-school support:

Our Sanctuary room provides a space where children can go if they need time and a quiet place to regulate their feelings. There are a variety of mindfulness activities including yoga cards, small world play, colouring, stories and music to support young people to regulate their emotions.

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myHappymind is a mental health and well-being programme to support children in learning habits to support their own mental health.  Field Lane are proud to be a my happy mind school.  Please click the link below for more information.

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External support

ChEWs (Children's Emotional Wellbeing Service)

Focuses on raising awareness and providing self-help support for both young people and parents/carers, offering virtual information sessions on a range of topics relating to children’s mental health.

You can view and book onto current sessions here.