Peterborough City Council is delighted to announce that it has been awarded the ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) Quality Mark for 2026 – marking the fourth consecutive year the Council has received this recognition.
This ongoing achievement reflects the Council’s sustained effort to deliver the ELSA programme to a consistently high standard, including thorough training, supervision, and maintenance of its ELSA register. The ELSA Quality Mark shows the Council’s commitment to supporting the wellbeing of children and young people in Peterborough.
Peterborough City Council continues to be the only ELSA provider in Peterborough to hold the ELSA Quality Mark, which demonstrates its leadership in emotional literacy support.
Commenting on the achievement, Councillor Katy Cole, Cabinet member for Children’s Services, said:
“Securing the ELSA Quality Mark for a fourth consecutive year is a significant accomplishment for our team and reflects the standards we uphold. Our ELSA programme is an important resource for schools and families in Peterborough, and this recognition demonstrates our ongoing commitment to supporting the emotional wellbeing and resilience of our children and young people. I am proud of our staff, whose hard work has made this success possible.”
The ELSA programme, delivered by the Educational Psychology Service, provides teaching assistants with the skills and knowledge needed to deliver targeted emotional support to pupils, helping them address challenges and make progress. There are currently 77 ELSAs working in 46 settings across the city on the Peterborough City Council register. The Quality Mark is awarded to organisations that meet the ELSA Network’s highest training and supervision standards.
Peterborough City Council’s ongoing success with the ELSA Quality Mark helps set a benchmark for good practice and maintains its reputation as a leading provider of emotional literacy support in the region.