Wellbeing and Mental Health
Emotional Literacy Support Assistant
At Ravenstone Primary, we are committed to supporting the emotional wellbeing and mental health of all our pupils. We know that children learn best when they feel safe, understood and supported. As part of our whole-school approach to wellbeing, we offer targeted emotional support through our ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) provision. Our trained ELSA, Alison Gibson, works with children who may be experiencing difficulties with emotions, friendships, self-esteem, or changes in their lives. You can find out more about what ELSA support involves in the poster below.
Drawing and Talking Therapy
We are delighted to introduce Drawing and Talking as part of our school’s SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health) provision. This is a gentle therapeutic intervention designed to help children process emotions and experiences that they may not yet have the words to express. Sessions are delivered one to one by our trained practitioners Lisa Powell and Wahida Rahman, who have been fully accredited by the official Drawing and Talking organisation. Each session lasts for 30 minutes once a week over a period of 12 weeks. Through the simple and natural process of drawing, children are supported to explore their feelings, reduce anxiety and build emotional resilience. The focus is on listening, containment and emotional safety, helping pupils feel more settled and ready to learn.
What is Drawing and Talking Therapy?
Education Well-Being Service
WHO ARE WE?
We are NHS wellbeing and mental health practitioners, working in your child's school providing evidence-based support programmes for parents and carers of children who are experiencing anxiety, fears and worries or everyday behaviour challenges.
WHO DO WE SEE?
Primary school parents and carers whose children sometimes struggle with:
Managing their emotions, leading to behaviours, such as tantrums, not listening or following instructions, difficulties at bedtimes or mornings, being rude to parents, etc
OR:
Anxiety and worry (e.g. shy, panicky, clingy or fearful of specific things, such as separation, school or social situations, avoiding situations or seeking high levels of reassurance).
Parents/carers who are not currently receiving support from CAMHS or Children & Family Services.
WHAT DO WE OFFER?
6-8 weekly, one-hour sessions, at school or online. Help to understand your child’s feelings/behaviour.
A chance to learn practical strategies that you can practise during and between sessions to support your child’s wellbeing.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Once we receive the completed form from you/your child’s school, we will contact you to arrange a time to hear a little more about your family and check that we are the right service for you. If so, we will arrange to see you for 6-8 sessions. Each session has a different topic and set of tools and ideas to help your child. We will ask you to try out these tools and ideas between sessions.
Private Therapy
We are pleased to host on‑site private therapy sessions one day a week, delivered by Sarah Turner, a qualified child therapist specialising in play‑based emotional support. These sessions offer a calm, nurturing space where children can explore feelings, build confidence and develop healthy coping skills through play, art, stories and role‑play.
