Emotional literacy support assistant (ELSA) intervention: medium-term impact on pupils’ emotional literacy in one local authority in Wales

ABSTRACT

The medium-term impact of emotional literacy support assistant (ELSA) intervention is unknown. Therefore, emotional literacy (EL) data were collected through intervention assessment records (IAR) and social and emotional support assessment (SESA) questionnaires from 18 children and young people (CYP) and 18 ELSAs and class teachers (CTs) jointly measuring the effect of a six-week intervention, employing a within-subjects design. Twelve primary schools, four secondary schools, one special school and one pupil referral unit (PRU) participated. A series of t-tests (95% CI) showed a significant positive impact on CYP’s EL following six weeks of ELSA intervention with CYP, p < .001 (g = 0.57) and CT and ELSA perspective, p < .001, (g = 0.45), with no improvements for the control group. EL gains were maintained 10 weeks post intervention with CYP p < .001 (g = 0.57) and CT and ELSA perspective p < .001, (g = 0.35), thus providing tentative evidence for the impact of ELSA intervention in supporting CYP’s EL that extends beyond a six-week interval time phase. Further research is suggested to build on the evidence base.

KEYWORDS:

• ELSA
• emotional literacy support assistant
• emotional literacy
• ELSA programme
• wellbeing

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the children and young people, ELSAs and class teachers who took part in the study and others that supported the study including other school staff and colleagues in the local authority.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).