Westgate Community Primary Pastoral Care

As a core part of our work within the community, Westgate C.P. School has a strong pastoral team here to support you in a number of ways. We are very proud of our work with children and families, but now have the capacity to extend this even further, under the lead of Mr Marsh.

Mr Marsh: Safeguarding and Behaviour Lead

Mr Marsh has over 15 years of teaching experience and specialises in Safeguarding children and Behaviour Management. This has developed into a full-time role at Westgate C.P. School, offering specialised support, specifically tailored to the issues being faced by the child and the family.

Mr Marsh can support in the following way:

• Developing behaviour plans and offering suggestions that can support both the child in school and the family at home.
• Signposting children and families to specific professionals, groups and networks that can support the family further.
• Referring or helping families refer themselves to specific professionals, groups and networks that can support the family further.
• Supporting families in crisis, for example; domestic violence, substance abuse, poverty and relationship breakdown.
• Offering a private space in which to discuss issues affecting life within the family home and therefore affecting the child within the family home.
• Supporting families who are working with Children and Young People’s Services.
• Helping children and their families regarding possible bullying concerns, within the school environment.

To gain support from Mr Marsh you can:

• Speak to him directly on the playground or at the front of the school in the morning.  Alternatively, just stop for a chat if he is available.
• Ring the school office asking Mr Marsh to give you a call back for an appointment or a phone call.
• E-mail on barry.marsh@westgatecp.co.uk (Mr Marsh will respond as soon as possible, if not that day.)
• Mr Marsh also works closely with Mrs Spencer.  Mrs Spencer is a trained ELSA – Emotional Literacy Support Assistant, mainly working within a specialised resourced room.

ELSA - Emotional Literacy Support Assistants

        Mrs T Spencer                 Miss R Clifton

ELSAs are emotional literacy support assistants. They are teaching assistants who have had special training from educational psychologists to support the emotional development of children and young people in school.

ELSAs help children and young people learn to understand their emotions and respect the feelings of those around them. They provide the time and space for pupils to think about their personal circumstances and how they manage them. Pupils are helped to find their own solutions rather than ELSAs telling them what to do.

Children chosen for ELSA support are referred via their teacher or a professional within the school. However a parent/carer could suggest their child requires ELSA support via a conversation with Mr Marsh or Mrs Spencer. Mr Marsh and Mrs Spencer consider which children are most suitable to be successfully supported within the ELSA programme. Most ELSA programmes will last for 6 to 12 weeks, helping the pupil to learn some specific new skills or coping strategies. Clear programme aims (SMART targets) need to be set early on and each session has an objective - something the ELSA wants to help the pupil understand or achieve. ELSA sessions only take place when permission has been given by the parent/carer.

To gain support from Mrs Spencer or Miss Clifton email: elsa@westgatecp.co.uk