in primary schools, based on the findings of Place2Be, children’s social and emotional wellbeing had improved as perceived by their family members and teachers following interventions (White Et al., 2009). Supporting this Fox and Butler (2007) carried out a small-scale study on 219 pupils, attempting to discover whether counselling is successful in schools. The results suggested that the treatment delivered to the children, had less distress and fewer problems were observed. However, they recommended further research is required, to discover when and to who it was more of a success to.

The evidence suggests that pupils receiving psychological therapies were a success however, The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, 2010) expressed the opinion and recommended several forms of therapy as first-line interventions, not talk therapy or counselling in isolation. Another essential point regarding one:one counselling and emotional literacy is the relationship a child has with the facilitator. Mindmatters (n.d.) advocates how vital it is for children to have a trusting and caring relationship with the individual, as a result of this trust and understanding, will promote open communication.

Similarly, Bowlby (1969) suggested that children come into this world with an innate response of survival; form attachments to survive. Consequently, if secure attachments are not formed this would lead to distress and negative experiences concluding that a trusting relationship is not formed between the pupil and the facilitator. Belsky and Fearon (2002) support Bowlby and state ‘poor attachment outcomes are associated with long-term adverse consequences in cognitive, adaptive, and behavioral domains’.