Storytelling dinner ladies help to increase language and listening skills in pupils

Bright Space - Birmingham, Herefordshire and Worcestershire

St Benedict’s Infant School is a Creative Partnerships Change School. The school wanted to focus on storytelling in its broadest sense as there is a strong focus to further develop speaking and listening skills with pupils. To further develop the project across their school community, dinner ladies at St Benedict’s were trained in story-telling techniques by storyteller, Fiona Collins.

All the story-telling takes place in the playground during play time and can be transported inside if raining. Using the props stored in the pockets of story- telling aprons, made by a pupils’ grandma, the stories told include traditional British and Asian stories as many of the pupils are of Asian descent.

As part of the project, the children also have the opportunity to recount their own stories, which their parents have passed on. As a result many of the pupils have grown in confidence and increased their language, listening and social skills over the course of the activity. The dinner ladies have also developed a new skill and increased their involvement in the school community. They will also go on to train their colleagues in story-telling skills.