Storytelling In Your Area - London: 2016

In 2016 we organised the following multi-sensory storytelling sessions:

Spa School, Southwark. 08/12/16

A Build-A-Book day involving seven children with severe learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder.

Arsenal FC, Islington. 03/12/16

A Build-A-Book day as part of Arsenal FC's Inclusion Day involving 22 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/orsevere autism spectrum disorder. The organiser commented, “The groups have had a chance to try new skills, make new things and design things on their own. They have had so much fun. Some of the group have done things we and their parents would never try - eg sawing, drilling etc… They were engaged and comfortable."

Sherwood Park School, Sutton. 02/12/16

A Build-A-Book day involving five children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. The teacher commented, "I think all the students benefitted from todays’ visit. It was very tailored to their needs and not something they had experienced before. One student spent a lot of time sleeping but the others were very focussed. One student actually looked at what she was doing (very rare). Another held tools and did not pull away. They will understand many aspects of the sensory story as they were part of the work in progress. It was perfect."

Hillingdon Manor School, Hillingdon. 30/11/16

Our Storyteller ran four multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 24 children with severe learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from four teachers who judged that all bar two of the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All four rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

• "The stories were engaging with great intonation from [the Storyteller]. Tactile and concrete materials. Kept even the lowest abilities entertained. The most important indicator of satisfaction was seen in the engagement of children for half an hour. Two of the seven would not normally engage for the length of time required yet they sat, listened and touched all materials. Brilliant to see. [In the longer term this will] help with their engagement in reading books."
• "Encouraged the participants to use spontaneous communication and included all students, verbal or non verbal. Great multi-sensory experience. A student who is sensitive to touch was happy to let the storyteller hold his hand to touch the multi-sensory book. Another student who is nervous around people became more confident and seemed to enjoy the session. [In the longer term this] will improve their attention and listening skills. From this session I think they will also be able to comprehend what happened in the stories."
• "Each child became more involved the more the story unfolded. The whole class was very focused and eagerly awaiting next page. We have a pupil who finds it hard to be engaged - he was fully focused for the full 20 mins! [In the longer term this will help] enable us to try to incorporate more visuals/hands-on in stories to enhance comprehension."
• "Very sensory - perfect for ICLSD."

Greenvale School, Lewisham. 28/11/16

A Build-A-Book day involving six children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. The teacher commented, "All students participated in creating a sensory story. Some students learned practical skills. Working as a team. More able were taught safety when using tools. All students had a turn at everything and enjoyed their workshop. [I was surprised to see] N using the glue gun, F using the glue gun and saw and S using the glue gun. All students enjoyed taking part in this wonderful sensory story. Some students showed more skills than we thought they were capable of doing. This will really help us in the future."

Camp Simcha, Barnet. 27/11/16

Our Storyteller ran multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 10 children.

Little Heath School, Redbridge. 21/11/16

A Build-A-Book day involving eight children with severe autism spectrum disorder. The teacher commented,“Our students definitely benefitted today. They had a lot of sensory experience using practical tools. We have just had world of work week and this group have now had experience of doing work they they wouldn't normally have had. GH used the glue gun - normally he is reluctant to try any new things. T actually used  a paint brush and painted - TSA had never seen this before - she even did sawing. They will benefit from waiting for turns, motor skills, working as a team. LSA's saw students doing things they had never seen before and will encourage new things."

Charlton Park Academy, Greenwich. 15/11/16

A Build-A-Book day involving seven children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/orsevere autism spectrum disorder. The teacher commented, "The students got to experience using tools they would not normally get a chance to use. All students enjoyed themselves and showed high level of engagement. Several students showed great skills in hammering, drilling etc and students who normally find it difficult to engage were looking and focussed. We now know new interests and skills of the students that we can work into daily routines."

Shenstone School, Bexley. 14/11/16

A Build-A-Book day involving eight children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. The teacher commented,“The children all fully participated in 12 very different tasks. Some of the activities such as drilling, using a glue gun and sawing they have not experienced before. The children watched the demonstration of each activity and then as a group such as painting or individually such as sawing had their turn. These children are extremely active and coped very well with watching while others had their turn. There was an excellent mix of waiting and watching and whole group activities so the children had a real mix of experiences. The children experienced using tools I have never used before. The majority of the class recognised all of the tools and excitedly listened and co-operated well when they were assisted to use them. These pupils love to try anything new and enjoyed the whole day. One pupil who in particular stays away from the whole group and works at his own table would see what was happening at each stage and watched eagerly as his peers had their turn - when asked if he wanted a turn he had to sit at the "big table" he eagerly sat and had is turn in everything. This is extremely rare as the child prefers to do everything at his own table. He was so keen to have a go that he needed no other prompting. One pupil who needs a lot more support than her peers, willingly joined in with all activities and made some excellent eye contact with the [Bag Books staff]. The spoken language used by some of the pupils throughout the day was "cor", "wow", "fantastic" and "great" and shows how much they were enjoying themselves. I watched the excitement of the children in using these tools and how [the Bag Books staff] enabled each child to have a turn in everything. I, as their teacher, would now feel more confident in allowing them to use hammers and nails and glue guns in particular. It personally reminded that as long as correct health and safety procedures are followed these children with severe learning needs can use / experience the tools. This particular class enjoy anything and everything and it could not have been organised better. [The Bag Books staff] were very flexible to the class routine and times and this enabled the children to still have their structure as well as experiencing a wonderful opportunity. I would give the whole day 10/10 and look forward to the next one!"

CILIP, Barnet. 11/11/16

Our Storyteller gave a demo and talk to 30 librarians.

Phoenix School, Tower Hamlets. 09/11/16

Our Storyteller ran multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 39 children with severe learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder.

St Giles' School, Croydon. 07/11/16

A Build-A-Book day involving seven children with profound & multiple learning disabilities. The teacher commented, "All the participants enjoyed the activities and learned new things. It really helped them understand how and why we use certain instruments. They all were very interested and some of them did more verbal expressions than normal. Some of them will definitely remember the activities and what we have done. Use this knowledge for the future. It was all very good."

Grangewood School, Hillingdon. 04/11/16

A Build-A-Book day involving eight children with severe learning disabilities. The teacher commented, “Lots of opportunity for hands on work. Opportunity to be independent. Lots of clear instruction and lots of time given. Accepted help for all activities. Knew what objects were. Will use Bag Books with the class more as they all know what they made. Great workshop."

Mapledown School, Barnet. 31/10/16

A Build-A-Book day involving seven children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities. The teacher commented,“The session worked at the speed of the students. All students were able to participate in activities. The instructions were clear and simple. [The Bag Books staff] interacted well with all students.One student who struggles with new faces, was encouraged gradually and by the end he was trying everything. Having taken lots of pictures I will make a power point so students can look back on their work."

Arsenal FC, Islington. 28/10/16

Our Storyteller ran multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 18 children.

Springhallow School, Ealing. 21/10/16

A Build-A-Book day involving seven children with severe autism spectrum disorder. The teacher commented, "New experience, team work, helping each other, taking turns, using new equipment and tools. [I was surprised with the reactions of] all of them!! Positive verbal communication: "It's my turn", "I want to do it again", "this is super". They were calm and engaged with new sensory experiences - noise , temperature etc. Getting over fears (saw). They will remember it as a positive experience when facing similar activities."

The Bridge School, Islington. 17/10/16

A Build-A-Book day at The Hub, Arsenal FC, involving seven children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. The teacher commented, “Greatly benefitted from using new and different equipment. Being part of creating something new from beginning to end. Expressive and new experiences. Storytelling and personal narrative experience. Held attention of all students across wide range of abilities. Students wanted to participate. Tactile defensive student more engaged than expected and enjoyed participating. Storytelling and narrative experience. More willing to try new things. Relate parts of story to other observed and generalised experiences e.g. red carpet to award ceremonies on TV."

Hillingdon Manor School, Hillingdon. 14/10/16

A Build-A-Book day involving six children with severe learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. The teacher commented, "A fab day! The students were very excited about "The Craft day". Each page involved different skills, some which were new and some had been learned in woodwork. As a new class group this academic year, it was a fun way to engage them as a team on a group task. I was really surprised at all of the students’ level of engagement and excitement about the workshop. This was a new experience for them all and they were so positive about the change - an area that is very difficult for them. The students really used their imaginations as well. It really helps bring their story reading to life and know it will help with group texts and creative writing. [The Bag Books staff] were great."

St Nicholas School, Croydon. 07/10/16

A Build-A-Book day involving six children with severe learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. The teacher commented, "The children were able to use tools that they wouldn't normally use i.e. drilling, hammering and using a new saw. They have also seen that working as a team that they have made something worthwhile to keep and share. [I was surprised to] see that a couple of the children really enjoyed using the equipment after a quiet start. Some of our children might enjoy making their own story boxes. They will enjoy telling their friends all about it in year group assembly."

Red Gates School, Croydon. 03/10/16

A Build-A-Book day involving six children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. The teacher commented, "I feel our children benefitted by being imaginative, using their fine motor skills and sitting patiently. They used new skills and tools, i.e. drilling, sawing, glue gun. They all dealt with the change of routine really well, all stayed focused and interested in making the book. The children got to experience new tools and media they have not used before which they will remember in the future. It would be great if you could come back for a few more days so more children could benefit from this experience, even the younger ones."

Ickburgh School, Hackney. 30/09/16

A Build-A-Book day involving six children with severe learning disabilities. The teacher commented,“Our students experienced activities and used tools they wouldn't be able to use otherwise- such as a drill, glue gun, stapler - they really enjoyed it. They had an excellent day. They did good waiting and turn taking. They could practice their functional maths as well. IK is new to the school and hasn't really joined in as much as he did today. He talked a lot more and had fun with his friends- making jokes. So far he's mostly looked at the floor and been covering his ears a lot. [In the longer term this will] enable them to work as a group, share their experiences and watch each other complete tasks. It was brilliant -Thank you!"

Rutherford School , South Croydon. 23/09/16

Our Storyteller ran multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of six children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities.

Droop Street Hub, Kensington & Chelsea. 17/08/16, 24/08/16, 07/09/16

There were a total of six adult participants across the three sessions. There was one trainee who rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good" and added, "Really good. Maybe more please."

Lisson Grove Hub, Westminster. 17/08/16, 24/08/16, 07/09/16

There were a total of five adult participants across the three sessions. There were two trainees who rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". One added, "Bag Books offers great multi-sensory stories to our customers, promoting concentration and participation within a group." The other commented, "All pages should be on boards, as these are the pages and it helps to keep them in order. Keep things on string where possible so that can be held and help the participant to join in. It was good to have a break between sessions and reflect. Good replies from emails and advice and continued support."

Lewisham Hospital, Lewisham. 30/08/16

Our Storyteller ran multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of two children. The teacher judged that all of the children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They commented "Great books and thank you for spending so much time going over the stories with me. Already I can think of one young man I have next week and they will be a great help to entertain him."

Belvue School, Ealing. 15/07/16

A Build-A-Book day involving seven children with severe learning disabilities. The teacher commented,“Students were patient and took lots of turns. They used the tools very safely. There were lots of opportunities for O.T. and satisfying their sensory needs. Lots of teamwork. Some impatient students waited really well in periods of turn taking [which was unexpected]. [The longer term benefits will be] remembering the story they have actually created and bringing them closer together as peers and friends."

RNIB Sunshine House School, Hillingdon. 11/07/16

A Build-A-Book day involving eight children with severe learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. The teacher commented,“We love using the Bag Books in school and it was fantastic to be able to make our own multisensory story. The hands on practical work was great. It really engaged the students. "They smell nice" (the flowers), "that was exquisite" (using the drill), "this is breathtaking" (using the saw) and "that's unbelievable" (using the hammer). These were one students comments during the workshop. Everyone really enjoyed the day and engaged with all the activities. One student (ASD/NO vision)gets unsettled in new situations- but remained engaged and on task the whole time. No behavioural issues either. I will be looking at doing more DT projects with this class next year as they enjoyed it so much and were really interested in the new things they got to do - Using a drill, saw, glue gun etc. [The Bag Books staff] were amazing- we loved having you. Thank you so much."

Marlborough School, Bexley. 08/07/16

A Build-A-Book day involving 12 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities. The teacher commented,“[The children benefitted in many ways]: to see the process from start to finish; to use tools they haven't used before; to work as a team; to show enjoyment at something new; and to have fun and enjoy. T took part which surprised everyone. V remained and enjoyed throughout. C and A were calm throughout. [Moving forward this will help] to improve waiting skills, tolerance of each other and working without staff supporting them. The students were learning to be part of something worthwhile. It was brilliant."

William Morris School, Waltham Forest. 29/06/16

Our Storyteller ran five multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 35 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from five teachers who judged that all bar one of the 35 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All five rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

• "Overall a great session. All students were engaged and anticipating outcomes. Good base to build on for creating stories. All students enjoyed it. Maybe make more with interactive music."
• "Students enjoyed their sensory storytime. They particularly enjoy things they can feel and visualise and so they like that they can touch as they read along to help understand the story a bit better. Thank you for visiting us!"
• "Students showed a great deal of interest in the stories. They found them interesting and they enjoyed the tactile and multisensory elements."
• "All students enjoyed both the stories and were very engaged. The storyteller was very friendly and was telling jokes which the students really enjoyed. Very interactive and fun. Thank you!"
• "The kids found it very entertaining and really enjoyed themselves. Thank you very much! Excellent!"

Marjorie McClure School, Bromley. 17/06/16

A Build-A-Book day involving seven children with severe autism spectrum disorders. The teacher commented,“Each pupil learned new skills using different tools and equipment. They all benefitted in enhancing their fine and gross motor skills too. They all developed their listening skills, following instructions. Each pupil worked really well to work together as a group developing their communication skills. They all really enjoyed the day and this was refelected when they got to see their final masterpiece. All pupils reacted better and interacted better than expected. I was really impressed to see how well A took part in each activity, using his mirror to help him see what he was doing- he also really showed how relaxed he was and his enjoyment. V really got into each activity and was extremely determined to do as much as independently as possible. All pupils interacted really well with each other and demonstrated they were able to turntake easily and during times where they were not sawing or drilling etc , they all waited very patiently. This session has allowed the class to be involved in reading, writing and storytelling. They will carry forward the understanding of working as a team and turn taking. They also learned new skills allowing them to develop their confidence and fine and gross motor skills. It was a brilliant workshop!"

Phoenix School, Tower Hamlets. 13/06/16

A Build-A-Book day involving six children with severe learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorders. The teacher commented,“[The students benefitted by] working with new people, working with new materials, communication with new adults, fine motor skills, listen and reading skills. All pupils were able to take something from the learning activity. It will give all pupils more opportunities to listen and learn from a book."

John F Kennedy Special School, Newham. 10/06/16

A Build-A-Book day involving five children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorders. The teacher commented,“[The students] experienced resources they are not familiar with, eg saw drill , glue gun. All students were engaged - [the Bag Books staff] allowed students time to process information - catered for individual needs. Resources used were motivating and stimulating, providing a positive learning experiences. Students really enjoyed peeling the plastic from the page. Enjoyed interacting with the finished story, eg cleaning the window. Enjoyed using the drill - noise, vibration from drill. Interacted well when painting - glitter paint especially. Had the opportunity to experience new activities/ resources. All students dealt with change that can be applied throughout the timetable."

Willow Dene School, Greenwich. 08/06/16

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 37 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all 37 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All six rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

• "Children sat through two stories- they find it difficult to sit normally. Great session, good resources and very engaging."
• "Pitched really well for the needs of the class. Good quality resources to help the pupils understand the story."
• "The children were engaged and really enjoyed the props."
• "Fantastic session. All the children maintained attention and engaged. Can see so many possibilities and look forward to using the bag books in class."
• "It was very engaging for all of our children. Pupils attention was very good. Great amount of language and repitition."
• "This was a fantastic session. We have some very different levels of childrens abilities and this story session kept all five children engaged. The children gave good eye contact and were very focused. The storyteller was fantastic making the story so real and intereacting with all the children throughout the stories.The children were able to get involved and explore lots of pages of the Bag Book."

Kingsley High School, Harrow. 06/06/16

A Build-A-Book day involving eight children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. The teacher commented,“[The pupils] benefitted by spending a whole day on one progressive activity. Extremely kind and patient [Bag Books] staff. All students experienced every activity and this was a pleasure to see. It's an activity with an outcome and an object that the students can show others, keep and take pride in. Students are also using equipment they wouldn't normally use so this is a great experience for them. Today has been brilliant. An improvement could be the option of adapted equipment for students with limited mobility to use, i.e. Adapted Scissors."

Newbridge School, Redbridge. 27/05/16

A Build-A-Book day involving six children with profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorders. The teacher commented,“All our students got the opportunities to use various tools e.g. drilling, saw, glue gun, painting, sticking and hammer and nails, of which otherwise they would not be able to use. They had a good experience. All of the students enjoy taking part and interacted with making the story bag which was "The Queen's Visit." Waiting and taking turns worked very well which sometimes they find difficult to wait. They all enjoyed the session. [The Bag Books staff] worked very well with the students. They were very calm and patient. Very happy with the outcome. Well done."

Paddock Secondary School, Wandsworth. 20/05/16

A Build-A-Book day involving nine children with severe learning disabilities. The teacher commented,“Thank you so much for an amazing session on Friday which the students absolutely loved. The resources you brought for them were fun and interactive and they really enjoyed taking pride in the work that they did. They have gone round and shown their story to other classes this morning which has given them a great sense of joy! They were engaged throughout the day and I think it helped them work together successfully with their peers."

Trinity School, Barking & Dagenham. 16/05/16

A Build-A-Book day involving five children with profound & multiple learning disabilities. The teacher commented,“They all thoroughly enjoyed making the story pages - each child (despite their varying difficulties) was encouraged to use all the tools needed and were supported to finish the pages (this included sawing wood and using a glue gun - all new to these children). They were very attentive on their turns - each child was made to feel important and needed.We have one pupil who is visually and hearing impaired and was not feeling in a particularly happy mood - he was happy to participate and he was much calmer afterwards. It will be nice for them to remember actually making this story - we will also show them photographs to remind them - so that when we need this story in class it will be far more personal. The two [Bag Books staff] were very empathic with the pupils and staff and were lovely to work with."

Waverley School, Enfield. 13/05/16

A Build-A-Book day involving five children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities. The teacher commented,“Lovely opportunities that were new for our pupils; sawing, hammering etc. done really safely. Involved fully in making their story (The Queen's Visit) that was very sensory. Two of my pupils were more focused than I had anticipated and I look forward to using the story with my class. I think it was really lovely to be involved fully in making our book and this has given me lots of ideas of how to involve my pupils in their story. We are going to invite our parents in to enjoy it with us (and write to the Queen!). We'll let you know how it goes! The only suggestion I would make would be to consider consulting with schools about topics that they are doing but that is only a minor thing!"

Little Heath School, Redbridge. 11/05/16

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 32 children with severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from five teachers who judged that 32 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All five rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

• "Enthusiastic storyteller. Knew what she was doing. Interacted well with students. Very pleased to have had the session."
• "Very engaging, friendly to pupils and funny and patient."

Sybil Elgar School - The National Autistic Society, Southall. 09/05/16

A Build-A-Book day involving eight children with severe learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorders. The teacher commented,“All the pupils were fully engaged in all the different activities they participated in during the session. They all enjoyed the different learning experiences and learnt new skills. The pupils worked in two groups of four to make the resources for the Bag Book. They all really benefited from the experience of working in a team to meet different targets and to create something of their own. All the pupils interacted and fully participated in the sensory storytelling activity at the end of the workshop. This interaction was better than expected, taking into account the range of abilities. Also, the pupils interacted really well in the making of the resources for the Bag Book, using a range of tools and materials. Today's session will give all the pupils a higher level of confidence in achieving a goal working as part of a team. It will give them a good understanding of how to use different materials to make a range of objects. Also, it will encourage them to participate in future group storytelling activities. The workshop that [the Bag Books staff] ran today was excellent in all respects. It was a really beneficial and enjoyable experience for all the pupils."

West Lea School, Enfield. 06/05/16

A Build-A-Book day involving nine children with severe learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorders. The teacher commented,“All students had a good understanding of the tasks. Students were able to use everyday tools under safe, supervised conditions. The students benefitted by working as a team, using math skills and waiting for their turn. All students interacted very well and enjoyed the workshop. The students will be able to use skills they have enjoyed today in future lessons. They will be able to link today's activity with our own celebrations. I do not feel that today's activity could be improved. It was pitched at the correct level and the teachers had a really good understanding of the learners' needs and abilities."

College Park School, Westminster. 29/04/16

A Build-A-Book day involving nine children with severe autism spectrum disorders. The teacher commented,“The students did some Maths, English, DT, and learnt to work in a team. [The Bag Books staff] worked well with the students and used language appropriate for them. They also included the [school] staff in everything so we knew what we needed to do. Student A worked quietly; normally he finds it difficult to sit for too long. The whole class were engaged in the work and behaved so well. The students enjoyed making their Bag Book and will remember the lesson. Staff can use what we learnt in some future lessons. We think the lesson was well thought out, appropriate for our students and kept them engaged/interested."

The Livity School, Lambeth. 26/04/16

Our Storyteller ran multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 30 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder.

Dycorts School, Havering. 25/04/16

A Build-A-Book day involving five children with severe autism spectrum disorders. The teacher commented,“Today's workshop was a great opportunity for the students in Green class to use equipment they wouldn't usually have the chance to use and to contribute to the final production of the book. The workshop was delivered at a good pace and the instructions were clear. I was pleasantly surprised at how engaged our students were throughout the workshop. Also, our kids are always a little thrown off by changes that may happen with staffing, but again, I was surprised at how well they participated in all the little activities. It will enable me to design or use objects to bring a story to life, which is essential with all our students. In the future, our students will have other opportunities to help design/make stories and take them home. All was great!! Thank you so much for a great day."

Ambitious College (Grahame Park Campus), Barnet. 20/04/16

Our Storyteller ran three multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 9 students with severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from three teachers who judged that all 9 students had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All three rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

• "Storyteller tried very hard but this session just didn't happen due to the mood of student."
• "Very engaging. Encouraged sitting and waiting. A very calming session. Level of engagement for T was just amazing. Can relate to the story. Normal books are a waste of time."
• "Storyteller did her very best but this was a very difficult session. Thank you for trying so hard with them."

Sherwood Park School, Sutton. 19/04/16

A Build-A-Book day involving eight children with severe autism spectrum disorders. The teacher commented,“They were able to try new things and use equipment that they'd not used before. Fun and creative learning. Focus and attention on motivating activities. Having the story at the end was great. They were all getting involved and enthusiastic. It was great. We ran over so maybe could have started a bit earlier. But it was a great day. Thank you."

John F Kennedy Special School, Newham. 18/04/16

A Build-A-Book day involving five children with profound & multiple learning disabilities. The teacher commented,“I thought the whole thing was really well organised. All of the equipment and tools were ready to go and really accessible. The pair running the workshop were really friendly and were vey good with the students. They had clear knowledge of pupils with complex needs and adapted the activities to suit them. The pupils were able to experience multi-sensory activities, as well as them being age appropriate. Many of the activities were skills the pupils had not encountered before, which was a great experience for them. I thought it was a really great ending to the day that the story was told after making all of the props allowing the students to hear the story and feel and see the items. The story was told with enthusiasm and excitement. A really great day and i would definitely recommend the workshop."

Little Hillbrook Resource Base, Wandsworth. 23/03/16

Our Storyteller ran four multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 18 children with severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from two teachers who judged that all the children in their classes had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. Both rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. One added, "A very enjoyable session. Children were engaged with the learning. Great props. Good delivery. Calm approach, good pace. Thanks. Got lots of ideas." The other commented, "All children engaged with resources - even those who don't normally engage. Excellent learning for team e.g. reading one line per child along with resources - repeating helped to hold attention."

Pield Heath School, Hillingdon. 21/03/16

A Build-A-Book day involving seven children with severe learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorders. The teacher commented,“A very big thank you for yesterday's session with our class. All of the students had a thoroughly good time and learnt a great deal in the process! B in particular asked why you weren't here again this morning! If it is possible, we would love to see you again sometime this year, as some of the other teachers who came by to look at our work after school were very impressed and would love to have you lead a session with some of their groups. Once again, it was a pleasure working with you and we hope to see you once again in the near future."

Newbridge School, Redbridge. 17/03/16

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 36 children with profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder.

Oaklands School, Hounslow. 11/03/16

A Build-A-Book day involving seven children with severe autism spectrum disorders. The teacher commented,“Pupils were all thoroughly engaged in active tasks which were perfectly suitable for them. Workshop leaders were enthusiastic, flexible, and clearly experienced in working with ASD students."

Kestrel House School, Haringey. 09/03/16

A Build-A-Book day involving five children with severe autism spectrum disorders. The teacher commented,“Thank you for coming to Kestrel House School. My students had a very good time in building a book with you. They were engaged in hammering and sewing, they loved to use all the different tools and materials to make the lovely book. They were using their imagination and creativity to prepare the resources with you and listen to the story and see the effect of their work using all the sensory materials.  It was amazing work, great approach to special needs children. I wish you all the best in your future and hope to see you again in our school."

Oak Lodge School, Barnet. 02/03/16

A Build-A-Book day involving nine children with severe autism spectrum disorders. The teacher commented,“The students enjoyed the day so much! [The facilitators] were amazing and dealt with the students' needs in a way that was appropriate. The day was tailored to the needs of the students. Building the Bag Book was great - all students had a role which was appropriate for their levels - they all had a turn and all loved it. Having the story read out at the end to see the finished product was amazing. Thank you."

Willow Dene School, Greenwich. 29/02/16

A Build-A-Book day involving six children with severe autism spectrum disorders. The teacher commented,“Thank you so much for all of your input during the session today; both staff and children had a great time. It was really good for the children to be involved in something that exposed them to new skills and experiences. The day was really good. Children enjoyed the range of activities and you supported them well to engage in the tasks/gave everyone the opportunity to try the different activities. Everything was well organised and prepared. It was wonderful to see the children using the story at the end and to see how well they engaged with it."

Bensham Manor School, Croydon. 24/02/16

A Build-A-Book day involving six children with severe autism spectrum disorders. The teacher commented,“Enjoyed making the story cards and using different materials and tools. It was brilliant!"

Snowflake School, Kensington & Chelsea. 25/01/16

Our Storyteller ran four multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 16 children (the entire school) with severe autism spectrum disorder. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all 16 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and added, "Bag Books has been a great service for our school. The resources are of a great standard and we look forward to using our free books with the children in the future. The storyteller was wonderful. She interacted brilliantly with the children and she made the sessions animated and fun. Both children and adults greatly enjoyed the stories. Thanks for chosing to visit our school!"

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