Storysharing® For All Begins

Openstorytellers are proud to announce the launch of a new project, which will help young people with complex needs to become better communicators through telling stories about themselves.

Storysharing^® for All is funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation’s Education Open Grants programme, which focuses on Speaking and Listening Skills.

This three year award will allow the charity to develop the work pioneered during ‘Storysharing in Schools’, our previous Paul Hamlyn project, when we enjoyed a three year partnership with Three Ways Special School in Bath.

The senior management team at Three Ways say

‘The work that Openstorytellers has invested into Three Ways School has had a huge impact on staff training, pupil participation and pupil outcomes! You have played a big part in our recent ‘outstanding’ Ofsted grading, so the outstanding is partly owned by you all too!’

Project Manager Jane Harwood working with pupils at Three Ways School, Bath

Storysharing^® for All will help Openstorytellers to increase our capacity by running interventions in 5 new SEN schools locally, regionally, and nationally.

We’re recruiting a new team of Storysharing leaders who will be visiting schools, training teaching staff, and working with young people, in communities and with families.

Through the project we’ll be launching our certification programme, which trains people to deliver and co-ordinate Storysharing^®.

Dr. Karen Bunning and her team of post-graduate speech and language therapy students at the University of East Anglia will evaluate the project.

Storysharing^® is the subject of a chapter in the new Routledge Companion to Severe, Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities. (Routledge; Penny Lacey et al, 2015)

We’re looking forward to the findings from this new project. Storysharing^® for All will end with a celebration and a national conference in 2018.