Storytelling In Your Area - South West England: 2012 - 2016

Between 2012-2016 we have organised the following multi-sensory storytelling sessions:

The Sheiling School, Ringwood. 09/11/16

Our Storyteller ran five multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 23 children with severe learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from five teachers who judged that all bar one of the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. Four rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and one as “4/5 – Good”. Comments were:

• "[The session] was on sensory level very close to students' sensory needs. It was a new and exciting story. Everybody enjoyed the props with the story. It was very well presented. Four of the students stayed and sat very well for whole session. Some of them touched things they might normally not try. [In the longer term this will help] improve their vocabulary, sensory input, group storytelling, confidence to try new things."
• "They found it funny and interesting. They all reacted as expected. One reacted well because his name was the same as in the story."
• "Good group interaction. Everyone had fun, and the sensory input as well as verbal delivery allowed inclusion at all ability levels at the same time. It was very positive and nice experience with involvement of all senses."
• "Excellent. Interactive, sensory, entertaining. Thank you. Certain students talked more than normal."
• "Very inclusive and fun - all students benefited greatly and enjoyed it. S, who is usually difficult to motivate, was very engaged and clearly enjoyed the session. Got some great ideas - was very good teaching how to desensitise prior to going to the hairdresser's/barber."

Brimble Hill Special School, Swindon. 21/09/16

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 39 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from five teachers who judged that all bar one of children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All five rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good". Comments were:

• "Sensory story was appropriate for our learners. Repetitive and fun. Storyteller clear and confident. Two reacted incredibly well to unfamiliar voice and loved the stories, reacting with smiles, giggling and waiting their turn. Its great for our children to experience new activities with unfamiliar adults."
• "Small group of young children who were engaged throughout. One boy was extremely animated and watched throughout, anticipating the storyteller and his turn. Will help the staff with their presentation of a story, animation and repetition."
• "All students really enjoyed the session and were able to have the chance to transfer skills from classroom to new setting with storyteller. All students sat and engaged with whole session and all responded beautifully to storyteller. [In the longer term this will help with] experiencing different people telling a story and in different settings."
• "Experiencing new activities - forms of storytelling delivered in unfamilar way. All of them [benefitted] - able to sit alone on chairs."
• "Someone different to tell story in relaxed atmosphere. Lots of interative props to keep engagement. Short stories. Relaxed, accepting manner of storyteller made it positive and enjoyable. Some props were a little abstact. All pupils were much more relaxed, calm and focused than expected. [In the longer term this will] help them with interaction."

Exeter House Special School, Salisbury. 15/07/16

Our Storyteller ran three multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 21 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from three teachers who judged that all bar two of the 21 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. Two rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good" and one as “4/5 – Good". One added, "Really lovely sessions with all. Very impressed when [the Storyteller] was able to remember names. Very positive comments from all."

The Milestone School, Gloucester. 03/02/16

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 36 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from ten teachers who judged that all bar two of the 36 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All ten rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good". Comments were:

• "Excellent engagement with pupils - thank you!"
• "A truly wonderful experience. Thank you."
• "Amazing storytelling!"
• "All the class got a lot of this session. Thoroughly enjoyable for everyone!"
• "Superb resources and wonderful storyteller. Whole class were transfixed."
• "Wonderful!"
  

Woodlands School, Plymouth. 13/01/16

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 54 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers who judged that all the children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good" and added, "Brilliant. Reports from the various classes that had sessions have been incredibly positive. These are not always easy pupils to engage, but [the Storyteller] appears to have done this very effectively."

Rushbrook Day Centre, Totnes. 19/11/15, 03/12/15, 17/12/15

There were a total of 13 adult participants across the three sessions. There were three trainees who all rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". One added, "Fantastic experience for our service users. We will be timetabling storytelling sessions in from next year, and I'm sure most of our service users will get some benefit from it!"

Passmore Edwards Day Centre, Newton Abbot. 19/11/15, 03/12/15, 17/12/15

There were a total of 11 adult participants across the three sessions. There were two trainees who both rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". One added, "I really enjoyed the project and have found extra confidence. The trainer was brilliant with helpful feedback."

Doubletrees School, Par. 10/12/15

Our Storyteller ran five multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 24 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers who judged that all the children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good" and added, "[The Storyteller] brought stories alive for all of our children. Wonderful engagement in every group, and we saw some fantastic responses from our students."

New Fosseway School, Bristol. 09/12/15

Our Storyteller ran seven multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 57 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from one teacher who judged that all the children in their class had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and who rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good".

St Nicholas School, Chippenham. 07/12/15

Our Storyteller ran seven multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 53 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from five teachers who judged that all the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling.  All five rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good".

Selworthy Special School, Taunton. 30/11/15

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 33 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers who judged that all the children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good" and added, "Very impressive storytelling, that worked well with our pupils, particularly in terms of maintaining their attention, but also helpful in developing a number of different skills."

Warmley Park School, Bristol. 23/11/15

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 39 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from four teachers who judged that all bar one of the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling.  Three rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good" and two as “4/5 – Good”. One added, "Fantastic! All children completely engaged." Another commented, "[The Storyteller] was fantastic! He had lots of enthusiasm and ensured each child had a go taking into account their abilities. He also remembered all children's names!"

Larkrise School, Trowbridge. 16/11/15

Our Storyteller ran seven multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 37 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities. We received feedback from two teachers who judged that all of the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling.  One rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good" and the other as “4/5 – Good”. One added, "[The Storyteller] was excellent and engaging. He was friendly and very approachable. The story was appropriate for the children. The language used and the pace of the story was perfectly pitched and delivered in a motivating style. Fantastic engagement with all pupils. A little more time could have been given to allow the children to reach out/touch/react rather than taking their hand and placing it on/taking it to the item. Generally we do not "take" children's hands to items but work on acceptance of texture etc. by taking the item to their hand/mouth as appropriate. In some circumstances we assist/support a child to touch an item although this isn't the norm. In hindsight I feel we should have discussed this with [The Storyteller] before the story as this knowledge only comes with knowing the children well." The other commented, "Bag Books are good in principle but I think for me they would be easier to use without the card backing. I know this is meant to represent the pages of a book, but they are unwieldly for use with some of our students. The emphasis should be on storytelling and perhaps you could invest some of your time and money into storytelling skills courses for practitioners using your Bag Books. It is lovely to see them stocked for loan in our local library but I have observed them being used poorly and know most parents wouldn't know how to use them effectively. Some of the experiences are hard to relate to the concept being represented. There is a huge gap in the market and provision for our special learners between your Bag Books and reading scheme books which are generally written for young age pupils. We need older reading interested and early reading ability matched better and also more symbolised stories. [The Storyteller] was talented in use of timing and repetition when performing the story."

John McNeill Opportunity Centre, Salisbury. 20/10/15

Our Storyteller ran five multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 27 children with severe or profound & multiple learning disabilities and/or severe autism spectrum disorder. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers who judged that all the children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling.  They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good" and added, "The Bag Books provided amazing interaction from our special needs children. 27 children were in on the morning and just a few of our ASD children found it difficult to sit and listen to begin with. We have been doing the Bag Books ourselves and these children are now also responding. The books/materials were hard-wearing which is good as they will be used a great deal! [The Storyteller] was excellent at telling the stories and the staff have tried to model the way he told them. The children relate to the repetition involved and they like the routine of doing them regularly. If funding was available, we would appreciate a repeat performance! Even our very young children enjoyed the experience."

Newholme Centre, Honiton. 15/09/15, 22/09/15, 29/09/15

There were a total of 13 adult participants across the three sessions. There were two trainees who both rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". One added, "Feel a lot more confident and had a lot more interaction from the service users today, which was great. Enjoyed it a lot more today." The other commented, "Was loads of fun!"

Nichols Centre, Exeter. 15/09/15, 22/09/15, 29/09/15

There were a total of 16 adult participants across the three sessions. There were two trainees. One rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good" and the other as "4/5 - Good". One added, "Each individual benefits from some part of each story."

Briarwood School, Bristol. 10/07/15

Our Storyteller ran five multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 25 children with severe and profound & multiple learning disabilities. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers who judged that all 25 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and added, "Lovely experience for our children. Everybody got something from it, including the staff. Fantastic storyteller."

Cann Bridge School, Plymouth. 20/05/15

Our Storyteller ran four multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 21 children with severe and profound & multiple learning disabilities. We received feedback from three teachers who judged that all 21 children had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. All three rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”.

Mill Ford Special School, Plymouth. 06/05/15

Our Storyteller ran five multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 31 children with severe and profound & multiple learning disabilities. We received feedback from five teachers who judged that all 31 children had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. All five rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. One added, "Lovely manner with pupils, enthusiastic and engaging." Another commented, "Very enthusiastic, accommodating of pupils asleep and chosing to push away."

WESC Foundation, Exeter. 27/04/15

Our Storyteller ran five multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 29 children and adults with severe and profound & multiple learning disabilities. We received feedback from two teachers who judged that all bar two of the children in their classes had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. One rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and the other as “4/5 – Good”. One added, "A good session where nearly all the class were engaged in the session. One learner was unable to participate as wouldn't stay as part of the group and was very vocal. The rest enjoyed the fast-paced repetitive session. For some, I feel they needed slightly longer to acknowledge and respond to the props, but I do understand this may have interrupted the flow of the session." Another commented, "Thanks. Particularly enjoyed by H. C wasn't really in a place to engage."

The sessions were observed by 12 trainees as part of a multi-sensory storytelling training session. Ten rated the quality of the training as “5/5 – Very Good” and two as “4/5 – Good”. Comments were:

• "Looking forward to stories being told to our learners. Makes it more relevant."
• "Some of the cards could be slightly better. The kitten feels like a bird!"
• "More staff at WESC need this training."
• "Everyone should have this training."
• "[The Storyteller] had a great manner when delivering the training."

Nancealverne School, Penzance. 22/04/15

Our Storyteller ran five multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 34 children with severe and profound & multiple learning disabilities. We received feedback from four teachers who judged that all bar one of the children in their classes had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. Three rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and one as “4/5 – Good”. One added, "Children all involved, lots of anticipation." Another commented, "Thank you. They loved it."

Purbeck Day Service, Wareham. 26/03/15, 09/04/15, 20/04/15

There were a total of 15 adult participants across the three sessions. There were three trainees who all rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". One added, "Excellent training." The other commented, "Have used Bag Books before, but training was very helpful to ensure I'm doing things the right way!"

Juniper Day Services, Christchurch. 26/03/15, 02/04/15, 09/04/15

There were a total of 17 adult participants across the three sessions. There were two trainees. One rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good" and the other as "4/5 - Good". One added, "Felt equipped and confident to continue with sessions and take on board pointers to improve. Feel enthusiastic after seeing service users' good reactions." The other commented, "Enjoyed listening to the trainer and receiving their feedback. Interesting to see the different levels of interaction with the service users. Very impressed with the storyboards."

Portfield School, Christchurch. 31/03/15

Our Storyteller ran seven multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 17 children with severe learning disabilities. We received feedback from four teachers who judged that all of the children in their classes had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. All four rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. One added, "All of the students in my class really enjoyed the session. We liked that it could be hands on. The storyteller was very good and coped well with a couple of small incidents of challenging behaviour. Thank you for your time."

Montacute Special School, Poole. 25/03/15

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 36 children with severe learning disabilities. We received feedback from four teachers who judged that all of the children in their classes had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. Two rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and two as “4/5 – Good”. Comments were:

• "The children were given their own individual time with each board. The stories were at the right level for our children. A good variety of props used, each being very different."
• "Absolutely loved session. Class enjoyed them and maintained focus."
• "All of my students thoroughly enjoyed the session. Within the group we have 3 children who have a severe visual impairment. Some of the objects may have had a sound added to them in order to make them more accessible? Very good though! Thank you very much!"
• "Pupils engaged, great range of sensory and fine motor skills needed. Animated storyteller, at ease with the pupils. Use of repetition really beneficial."

Mayfield School, Torquay. 19/03/15

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 52 children with severe and profound & multiple learning disabilities. We received feedback from six teachers who judged that all bar one of the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. Five rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good and one as “4/5 – Good”.

Purbeck View School, Swanage. 09/03/15

Our Storyteller ran five multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 21 children with severe autism spectrum disorder. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers who judged that all 21 children had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling and who rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, "We have some very challenging pupils at this school, but all the sessions went really well, which is a credit to [The Storyteller]. Many pupils joined for much longer than was normal for them, and all enjoyed the sessions.

Linwood Special School, Bournemouth. 04/03/15

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions with a total of 54 children with severe learning disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from one teacher who judged that all of the children in their class had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and added, "Calm delivery. All children engaged. Nice use of resources. Time given to individuals for response. Pupils appeared to enjoy session. Storyteller repeated phrases to individuals - kept to key words. Hand under hand offered where required. Children who are NC ability interested and reached out to objects independently."

Carrswood Day Services, Bath. 06/02/15, 13/02/15, 20/02/15

There were a total of 11 adult participants across the three sessions. There were three trainees who all rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". Comments were:

• "All the sessions have been so inspiring and fascinating. We will be presenting the Bag Books from the experience we have had. So excited!! [The Storyteller] was brilliant, so energized and excited about being there with us. Thank you."
• "All 3 sessions have been fantastic and inspiring. Already planning group and 1:1 sessions. It's been an amazing experience, great to be part of. Thank you."
• "The stories are all fantastic and each session has been immensely positive and great to be a part of. Really can't wait to get started and have regular story groups each week. Extremely inspiring and so relevant for our client group."

Connections Day Services, Radstock. 06/02/15, 13/02/15, 20/02/15

There were a total of 14 adult participants across the three sessions. There were three trainees who all rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". Comments were:

• "All brilliant, but it was good to be able to deliver a story with [The Storyteller] watching and for feedback and ideas. Wonderful project and [he's an] excellent trainer.."
• "All was really excellent, the props were fantastic and made it really interactive. We will be able to use Bag Books in group activities and also 1-1 with some of our clients. I think that they will be great to use."
• "Really useful to be able to carry out and demonstrate my skills in Bag Books. Was really straightforward and easy to understand. All of training is very relevant for us and the clients we support - very hands on and great to deliver our own story."

Winchelsea School, Poole. 20/01/15

Our Storyteller ran eight multi-sensory storytelling sessions with a total of 42 children with severe learning disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from three teachers who judged that all of the children in their classes had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. Two rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and one as “4/5 – Good”. Comments were:

• "Lovely for the younger children. They really enjoyed the multi-sensory approach. Thank you."
• "Really good resources. Kept attention of a bubbly group really well. Engaged well with every student. Good pace for this group. Could be even better with additional group participation e.g. all copying a sound or action together. Thank you!"
• "Thank you - excellent to increase and develop focus/attention skills/enjoyment and following instructions for my group. Children on return have already developed a sensory story about a dinosaur."

Mountjoy School, Beaminster. 15/01/15

Our Storyteller ran seven multi-sensory storytelling sessions with a total of 28 children with severe learning disabilities and/or autism spectrum disorder. We received feedback from four teachers who judged that all of the children in their classes had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. All four rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

• "All the children really enjoyed the different stories, and were really engaged in listening, watching and joining in with the actions and the props. A good range of stories too! Thank you. Willow Class."
• "The children really enjoyed the London story, being able to use the Oyster card etc. Some of them are not keen on haircuts and especially the clippers, so it was nice to see them interact a little bit even if not fully. Just be wary of touching children on the face - if they have sensory needs this may be too much intensity for some children. Thank you very much for today. The boys really enjoyed it."
• "The storyteller was aware of the child's needs and produced props that stimulated the child, therefore the child in question enjoyed the session very much."
• "The children were all very engaged with the stories and clearly enjoyed the experience. Thank you!"

Three Ways School, Bath. 09/12/14

Our Storyteller ran six storytelling sessions with a total of 34 children with severe learning disabilities.  We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers who judged that all of the children had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and added, "All staff and students thoroughly enjoyed [the Storyteller's] sessions and our pupils got a lot out of the sessions. Useful for our staff to see how simple storytelling can be."

The Riverbank, Chippenham. 12/11/14, 19/11/14, 26/11/14

There were a total of 19 adult participants across the three sessions. There were four trainees who all rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". Comments were:

• "I was surprised how well the customers reacted to the interactive stories."
• "Really good course. Customers really enjoyed books."
• "No  improvement needed."

Devizes Community Resource Centre, Devizes. 12/11/14, 19/11/14, 26/11/14

There were a total of 14 adult participants across the three sessions. There were two trainees. One rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good" and the other as "4/5 - Good". One added, "Everyone seems to enjoy and benefit from the storytelling. Training and feedback were very good.Thank you." The other commented, "Had a go with another staff member to demonstrate a story - enjoyed the experience. All good."

Ellen Tinkham School, Exeter. 23/09/14

Our storyteller ran three sessions to a total of 20 children as part of our 21st Birthday - National Multi-Sensory Storytelling Day. 

Charlton Farm Children's Hospice, Bristol. 23/09/14

Our Storyteller ran multi-sensory storytelling sessions with a total of 7 children as part of our 21st Birthday - National Multi-Sensory Storytelling Day. 

Barnabas Day Centre, Poole. 23/09/14

Our Storyteller ran multi-sensory storytelling sessions with a total of 7 adults with severe learning disabilities as part of our 21st Birthday - National Multi-Sensory Storytelling Day. 

Langside School, Poole. 23/09/14

Our Storyteller ran multi-sensory storytelling sessions with a total of 21 children with severe learning disabilities as part of our 21st Birthday - National Multi-Sensory Storytelling Day.

Mayfield School, Torquay. 23/09/14

Our Storyteller ran three storytelling sessions with a total of 28 children with severe learning disabilities as part of our 21st Birthday - National Multi-Sensory Storytelling Day.  We received combined feedback from three teachers who judged that all of the children had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. All three teachers rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. One added, "All the children appeared to really enjoy the stories and participate in the storytelling."

Phoenix House, Blandford Forum. 31/07/14, 14/08/14, 21/08/14

There were a total of 18 adult participants across the three sessions. There were three trainees who all rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". One added, "Wonderful training, and very enjoyable."

The Wyndham Centre, Salisbury. 31/07/14, 14/08/14, 21/08/14

There were a total of 14 adult participants across the three sessions. There were two trainees who both rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". One added, "So much fun! Thank you for the training. Our service users are already greatly benefitting." The other commented, "Thought went really well."

Open Door Centre, Swindon. 07/05/14, 04/06/14, 20/08/14

There were a total of 24 adult participants across the three sessions. There was one trainee who rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". One added, "This style of storytelling really brings stories to life for our service users. I love doing this!"

Little Bridge Children's Hospice, Barnstaple. 20/08/14

Our Storyteller ran multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of five children. The hospice staff judged that all the children had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. They added, "The sensory side [was good], each child was included and felt the pieces. [We appreciated] the gift of our own Bag Books. Thank you very much.

Little Harbour Children's Hospice, St Austell. 19/08/14

Our Storyteller ran multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of two children and four siblings. The hospice staff judged that both children had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. They added, "Very simple but effective activity. It facilitated a variety of ages and abilities to enjoy a story. It showed how to be inclusive and stimulate all the senses very simply through a short story. We will certainly be using the Bag Books with our other children who come to stay with us and it will be of great benefit in enriching their stay with us. It was beneficial having someone from ‘outside’ come in to do storytelling rather than if being the usual staff. It helped that the storyteller was an understanding empathic person able to pick up on the children’s needs and abilities very quickly. Thank you. [The Storyteller] was also a font of knowledge about other local services that we could swap Bag Books with and attend other story sessions and where we could apply for sensory books. Her information has been valuable."

Uplands Secondary School, Swindon. 14/07/14

Our Storyteller ran storytelling sessions with a total of 36 children with severe learning disabilities.  We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all of the children had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and added, "Thank you for a wonderful day. Superb stories and an amazing storyteller."

Wyvern School, Weymouth. 09/07/14

Our Storyteller ran six storytelling sessions with a total of 56 children with severe learning disabilities.  We received feedback from four teachers. They judged that all of the children in their classes had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. Three rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and one as “4/5 – Good”. One added, "All the students seemed to enjoy all or part of the Haircut story - good use of sensory props and great delivery. Would definitely use them again for future stories." Another commented, "Some lovely props and an interesting way of presenting the story. We loved the birds! Some of the children functioning below P4 could have benefitted from more time with some of the activities e.g. 1 child reached out for the spider just as it was pulled away [Storyteller's note - The children are not supposed to handle the spider; I make it climb down them]. In a larger group waiting for a turn could be a problem but the repetition allowed several children to anticipate! Just a shame it wasn't a story from Brazil. Thank you."

White Horse Trust, Swindon. 07/05/14, 18/06/14, 08/07/14

There were a total of 11 adult participants across the three sessions. There were three trainees who all rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". One added, "Wonderful experience." Another commented, "[He] is an amazing storyteller and great trainer."

Bettridge School, Cheltenham. 17/06/14

Our Storyteller ran six storytelling sessions with a total of 44 children with severe learning disabilities.  We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all of the children had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and added, "Absolutely superb day of storytelling. [The Storyteller] wowed both our pupils and staff."

Fosse Way School, Bath. 12/06/14

Our Storyteller ran six storytelling sessions with a total of 45 children with severe learning disabilities.  We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all of the children had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and added, "Lots of praise from staff and students alike. By all accounts this was a fantastic day of storytelling."

Yewstock Special School, Sturminster Newton. 10/06/14

Our Storyteller ran six storytelling sessions with a total of 40 children with severe learning disabilities.  We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all of the children had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. They rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”.

Bournemouth Gateway Club, Bournemouth . 02/05/14, 16/05/14, 30/05/14

There were a total of 24 adult participants across the three sessions. There were three trainees who all rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". One added, "Basically, I loved it."

Barnabas Centre, Poole. 02/05/14, 16/05/14, 30/05/14

There were a total of 24 adult participants across the three sessions. There were two trainees who both rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good".

Ellen Tinkham School, Exeter. 23/05/14

Our Storyteller ran five storytelling sessions with a total of 34 children. We received feedback from five teachers. They judged that all of the children bar one had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. Three teachers rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and two as “4/5 – Good”. Comments were:

• "Lovely! Our students were all engaged. The storyteller explained how to use the Bag Books. Can see this being very beneficial for the students."
• "The children enjoyed the session. Thank you."
• "Very good - children were engaged and focussed when attention focussed on them - less waiting?"

Heart of the Forest Community Special School, Coleford. 25/03/14

Our Storyteller ran four storytelling sessions with a total of 22 children. We received feedback from four teachers. They judged that all of the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. All four teachers rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. One added, "All of them engaged and tracking [the Storyteller] and objects, and anticipating turn. All engaged and one took part actively putting his fist out at appropriate time."

Avalon School, Street. 05/03/14

Our Storyteller ran six storytelling sessions with a total of 30 children. We received feedback from six teachers. They judged that all of the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. Five teachers rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and one as "4/5 - Good". Comments were:

• "The storyteller kept the children engaged really well. The children particularly enjoyed touching everything. Some students were apprehensive, but still managed to join in. Will use the new packs."
• "All were engaged actively."
• "All students were engaged well. lt was very interactive and appealing to all of the students. [One of the students said] "this was brilliant". [Another student] was adding extra appropriate phrases and repeating what [the Storyteller] said. We will try to use the new packs."
• "All the students were engaged, good listening and turn taking. Favourite part was the Kofi spider. Students were motivated. Will follow up by talking about the story in class later."

Turnberrie’s Day Services, Thornbury. 14/01/14, 28/01/14, 04/03/14

There were a total of 17adult participants across the three sessions. There were three trainees who all rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". One added, "Really enjoyed the sessions. Now feel confident in doing sessions in my own."

Moor Lane Transition Service, Backwell. 14/01/14, 28/01/14, 04/03/14

There were a total of six adult participants across the three sessions. There were three trainees who all rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". One added, "It's a great idea involving all the senses of the people with learning difficulties (touch, smell, sound). Wonderful interaction for the service users."

The Shrubberies School, Stonehouse. 12/02/14

Our Storyteller ran five storytelling sessions with a total of 30 children. We received feedback from five teachers. They judged that all bar one the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. Four teachers rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and one as "4/5 - Good". One added, "All really enjoyed - thank you!" Another commented, "One [pupil] left due to change in routine."

St Christopher's School, Bristol. 28/11/13

Our Storyteller ran five storytelling sessions with a total of 19 children. We received feedback from four teachers. They judged that all the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. One rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and three as "4/5 - Good". One added, "Thank you very much. A very enjoyable session."

John Daniel Centre, Penzance. 03/09/13, 17/09/13, 12/11/13

A total of 15 adult participants across the three sessions. There were two trainees. Both rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good".

Murdoch and Trevithick Day Centre, Redruth. 02/09/13, 16/09/13, 11/11/13

A total of 19 adult participants across the three sessions. There were three trainees. Two rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good" and the other as "4/5 - Good".

South Devon House Day Centre, Totnes. 10/10/13, 24/10/13, 07/11/13

A total of 13 adult participants across the three sessions. There were two trainees. One rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good" and the other as "4/5 - Good". One added, "Great sessions. Bag Books has great potential to fire the imagination."

Laura House, Totnes. 10/10/13, 24/10/13, 07/11/13

A total of 16 adult participants across the three sessions. There were two trainees. Both rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". One added, "Really good thing to do and everyone enjoyed it."

Fiveways School, Yeovil. 24/10/13

Our Storyteller ran storytelling sessions with a total of 25 children. We received feedback from three teachers. They judged that all the children in their classes had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and all three rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”.

Charlton Farm: Children's Hospice South West, Bristol. 20/08/13

Our Storyteller ran storytelling sessions with a total of 10 children. The hospice staff judged that all the children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. They added, “The way the Storyteller got everyone involved was good. He captivated the audience, treating everyone with respect and responding to them. He engaged all the children, was spontaneous, fun and sensitive to their needs. A lovely interactive activity."

Blantyre Lodge Day Centre, St Austell. 18/04/13, 02/05/13, 11/07/13

There were a total of 19 adult participants across the three sessions. There were three trainees. All three rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". One added, "Absolutely loved it. I have got so much much fulfillment from this project. Will use it in my practice often." Another commented, "Loving Bag Books - very user friendly.

Exeter House School, Salisbury. 26/06/13

Our Storyteller ran five sessions to a total of 35 children. We received combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that all 35 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. They added, “We've started using Bag Books regularly in school since [the Storyteller’s] last visit, and they are an excellent resource. Was a great opportunity for teachers to observe a Bag Books session, as they normally do the storytelling, and as a result often miss the reactions of some of the pupils. Thank you once again.”

Bidwell Brock School, Totnes. 23/05/13

Our Storyteller ran five sessions to a total of 28 children. We received feedback from five teachers. They judged that all 28 children had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling. They all rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”.

Morley Tamblyn Lodge, Liskeard. 18/04/13, 02/05/13, 16/05/13

There were a total of 11 adult participants across the three sessions. There were two trainees. One rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good" and the other as "4/5 - Good". One added, "The whole experience has been great! I've really enjoyed learning about Bag Books and hope that it goes from strength to strength." Another commented, "We used signing as part supplement the storytelling."

Critchill School, Frome. 03/05/13

Our Storyteller ran three sessions involving a total of 14 children. We received feedback from one teacher who judged that all of the children in their class had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. The teacher rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good" and added, "A brilliant session. All children were fully engaged and enjoyed the session. [The Storyteller] really enhanced the session and made it come alive. Thank you very much!!"

Dame Hannah Rogers School, Ivybridge. 26/04/13

Our Storyteller ran four sessions involving a total of 17 children. We received feedback from four teachers who judged that all of the children in their classes had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. All four teachers rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good". One added, "All students really enjoyed this session. Thank you."

Mountjoy Special School, Bridport. 22/03/13

Our Storyteller ran four sessions involving a total of 13 children. We received feedback from four teachers. They judged that all of the children in their classes had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. All four teachers rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good". Comments were:

• "The Storyteller was very intuitive as to how to engage pupils. Both got a lot out of the session."
• "This class is not an easy class to work with but storyteller coped admirably. All children probably engaged better than I would have expected."
• "Excellent."
• "Fantastic. All loved it!"

Battledown Centre for Children and Families, Cheltenham. 07/03/13

Our Storyteller ran four sessions involving a total of 23 children. We received feedback from two teachers. They judged that all bar one of the children in their classes had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. Both teachers rated the overall experience as “4/5 – Good". One added, "Some basic pictures about the stories may have enhanced the children's experience. Although they were interacting, I am unsure of whether they understood the stories."

New Siblands School, Bristol. 06/03/13

Our Storyteller ran six sessions involving a total of 30 children. We received feedback from six teachers. They judged that all bar one of the children in their class had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. Four teachers rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and two as "4/5 - Good". One added, "The actual storybook  would have been nice visually. Could be more sensory items to do with the story for the children to hold while story is being told. Would hold their attention for longer. Also an item to match sensory feel i.e. a picture of a cat to go with fur. A doll to go with the dress." Another commented, "The session was beneficial for all of them. They all enjoyed the stories and fully engaged with the storytelling and props used."

Wallisdown Heights Day Centre, Bournemouth. 15/01/13, 29/01/13, 12/02/13

A total of 18 adult participants across the three sessions. There were two trainees who both rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". One added, "Very interesting, great to be able to use the Bag Books to their full potential."

April Court Care Home, Bournemouth. 15/01/13, 29/01/13, 12/02/13

A total of 9 adult participants across the three sessions. There were two trainees. One rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good" and the other as "4/5 - Good". One added, "I will improve with the storytelling during the next few weeks with practice/experience."

Boveridge House School, Wimborne. 25/01/13

Our Storyteller ran two sessions involving a total of 16 children. We received feedback from two teachers. They judged that all the children in their class had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. Both teachers rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. One added, “Really good. Impressed by how long the storyteller kept the group's attention.”

Claremont School - Secondary Site, Bristol. 22/01/13

Our Storyteller ran four sessions involving a total of 22 children with severe learning disabilities. We received feedback from two teachers. They judged that 100% of the children in their class had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. Both teachers rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. One added, “Students with PMLD - severe visual and listening difficulties thoroughly engaged and enjoyed story very much. Thank you.”

Claremont School - Primary Site, Bristol. 21/01/13

Our Storyteller ran six sessions involving a total of 30 children. We received feedback from six teachers. They judged that all the children in their class had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. Five teachers rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good” and one as "4/5 - Good".

Langside School, Poole. 18/12/12

Our Storyteller ran four sessions involving a total of 20 children. We received feedback from three teachers. They judged that all the children in their class had benefitted from the multi-sensory storytelling. All three teachers rated the overall experience as “5/5 – Very Good”. Comments were:

• "Very impressive - we loved it. He was very comfortable with the children and that put the children at ease."
• "Simple, clear, repetitive. Appropriate for our PMLD children. All children responded positively."
• "Storyteller - fab interaction with all the children. All the children responded with smiles and vocalisations. Brilliant sensory props. Enjoyed by all, including the staff."

Mill Water Special School, Honiton. 26/09/12

Our Storyteller ran multi-sensory storytelling sessions with five classes involving a total of 35 children. A subsequent email from the school said, “Just thought I'd send a quick email to say what a great day we had with [the Storyteller]. I will be sending you the feedback sheets asap but thought I would just share a few of the Teacher and staff comments with you. All the classes had a fantastic experience, with the children being really engaged and interested in [the Storyteller]. The staff remarked how well [the Storyteller] got the reaction and interest from the groups". We received feedback from four teachers and they judged that the storytelling had been beneficial to all the pupils in their class. All four teachers rated the overall experience as "5/5 - Very Good”. Comments were:

• “This was brilliant. The students really enjoyed the sensory and visual props.” 
• “All the children were very engaged with the storyteller”
• “The children all really engaged well with the sensory props and loved the storyteller who held their attention really well.”

Ravenswood School, Bristol. 13/09/12

Our Storyteller ran five storytelling sessions with 33 participants. We received a combined feedback sheet on behalf of the whole school. The teachers said that all the children had benefited from the storytelling and rated the overall experience as 5/5 “Very Good”.

Winchelsea School, Poole. 11/07/12

Our Storyteller ran eight sessions involving 73 children. We received a combined feedback sheet on behalf of the whole school. The teachers said that all the children had benefited from the storytelling and rated the overall experience as 5/5 “Very Good”. They added, “All of the pupils that attended got something out of it. Whilst the stories may be designed for children with profound learning disabilities, I think our more able pupils would benefit greatly in terms of developing communication and turn-taking skills by using multi-sensory stories.”

Alderman Knight School, Tewkesbury. 05/07/12

Our Storyteller ran five storytelling sessions involving 30 participants with severe learning disabilities. We received feedback from two of the Teachers and they both said that all of the children in their class had benefited from the multi-sensory storytelling and both rated the overall experience as 5/5 “Very Good”. One added, “Outstanding. Thank you!”

Ridgeway Day Service, Weymouth. 05/04/12, 19/04/12, 03/05/12

A total of 14 adult participants across the three sessions. There were four trainees. Two rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good" and two as "4/5 - Good". One added, "Very much wanted to do this and feel very pleased to continue storytelling! Thank you." Another commented, "Excellent training and feedback."

Bridport Day Centre, Bridport. 05/04/12, 19/04/12, 03/05/12

A total of 13 adult participants across the three sessions. There were three trainees. Two rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good" and one as "4/5 - Good". One added, "Feedback after telling the story is very helpful."

Verwood Day Centre, Verwood. 15/03/12, 29/03/12, 13/04/12

A total of 13 adult participants across the three sessions. There were three trainees and all rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good". One added, "The feedback after we told our stories was very good because I could reflect on what I had to do next time." Another commented, "I think that small groups to start with are better. Time to do the story before the training."

Juniper Centre, Christchurch. 15/03/12, 29/03/12, 13/04/12

A total of 29 adult participants across the three sessions. There were two trainees and both rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good".

Purbeck Day Service, Wareham. 02/03/12, 16/03/12, 30/03/12

A total of 12 adult participants across the three sessions. There were four trainees. Two rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good" and two as "4/5 - Good". One added, "I feel more confident in telling stories now."

Stourcastle Day Service, Sturminster Newton. 02/03/12, 16/03/12, 30/03/12

A total of 24 adult participants across the three sessions. There were three trainees and all rated the overall training/mentoring as "5/5 - Very Good".

Selworthy School, Taunton. 23/03/12

Our Storyteller squeezed in six sessions involving a total of 38 children. We received a combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that the storytelling had been beneficial to all the pupils and rated the overall experience as "5/5 - Very Good”.They added, "The feedback from teachers has been very positive. They felt the sessions were perfectly pitched and that [the Storyteller] was fantastic with our pupils. Many thanks."

Woodlands School, Plymouth. 29/02/12

Our Storyteller squeezed in nine sessions involving a total of 46 children. We received feedback from all nine teachers and they judged that the storytelling had been beneficial to all bar two of the pupils. Six teachers rated the overall experience as "5/5 - Very Good”; and the other three as "4/5 - Good”.

Chelfham Senior School, Yelverton. 08/02/12

Our Storyteller ran multi-sensory storytelling sessions with six classes during the day involving a total of 16 children. The lead teacher judged that the storytelling had been beneficial to all the pupils and rated the overall experience as "5/5 - Very Good”. The Head Teacher added, “I've had lots of fantastic comments from staff who attended the sessions. Sounds like [the Storyteller] really knew how to connect with the pupils. Thank you.”

Westcliff Primary School, Dawlish. 31/01/12

Our Storyteller ran three multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 16 children. The lead teacher judged that the storytelling had been beneficial to all the pupils and rated the overall experience as "5/5 - Very Good”. They added, “All the children loved the stories and got a lot from them. Thank you.”

Penrose School, Bridgwater. 27/01/12

Our Storyteller ran six multi-sensory storytelling sessions involving a total of 45 children. We received a combined feedback on behalf of all the teachers. They judged that the storytelling had been beneficial to all the pupils and rated the overall experience as "5/5 - Very Good”. They added, “Would be nice to have differentiated stories for primary/secondary/P16.”

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