Storytelling for Education

Children are all part of their own story, and oral tales help them to relate to and recognise elements of themselves. Stories positively represent and value all cultures, giving children a sense of a larger global story and their place within it. It helps them find their voice.

Storytelling widens vocabulary and encourages dialogue and articulation. Hearing oral tales enables children to visualise the story for themselves without the use of pictures or moving image. Our interactive approach makes sustained listening easy and helps develop concentration. Repetition, rhyme and call and response helps children to follow, predict and participate in the narrative. Memory is strengthened and language extended, particularly when the stories are discussed, re-told and shared in the playground and at home. All this makes storytelling a valuable tool in the teaching of literacy. But don’t limit all this to your Book Week. Remember we can come in at any time of the year.

Hearing a wider cultural perspective through traditional stories allows difference to be understood, knowledge to be shared, stimulates emotional literacy and critical thinking. The huge range of cultural, social and emotional content of our repertoire means are well equipped to support PHSE, RE and Citizenship. We have stories for topics such as Anti Bullying Week, transitions, creation myths and religious festivals.

Visiting your school

Storytelling performances are suitable for groups of up to 120 children or 3 to 4 classes. We recommend smaller groups for Foundation stage. Performances last for approx. 45 mins and any space can be used from a classroom to a school hall. Click here for some examples of our extensive repertoire

Click here to book

Artist-in-Residence

We can come to your school as an Artist-in-Residence for one full day per week over a period of 6 weeks to a full term, allowing us to really get to know your pupils, their needs and have a lasting impact on their education. With our cross curricular approach we can support learning in all subject areas and work with smaller groups over a longer period of time.

Having a storyteller as artist in residence will have such a positive effect on both the pupils learning and your teaching you’ll wonder why you never did it sooner. Prices are substantially reduced for these long term bookings offering fantastic value for money.

Storytelling INSET, Training and Mentoring

Stories are a fantastic way to bring the curriculum to life and make Primary School teaching more memorable and exciting. Learn to tell stories with confidence use storytelling for a dynamic cross-curricular approach on a Once Upon a Story INSET. We can visit your school for a tailor-made session either during an INSET training day for a full or half day session or attended an after school staff meeting.

If you are looking to develop your inner storyteller a little further, either to support your teaching practice or for professional development, then look out for Gemma’s training courses and one day workshops held at various times throughout the year. If you subscribe to the newsletter you will be kept posted on dates, and as well as receiving free stories and information you may get the opportunity to receive one-to-one mentoring from Gemma.

Accompanying Workshops

These sessions are available for smaller groups (of no more than 30 children) to accompany our storytelling performances and include further exploration of themes, as well as teaching storytelling techniques and developing an understanding of the narrative through practical exercises in characterisation, gesture, voice, tableaux and percussion.