Our online training course offers flexibility of learning with a choice of options to build a Story Massage team. One Principal Teacher at a school where 21 members of staff are now trained says: “From a management point of view the excellent online training overcomes the barrier of releasing staff from school to attend training. It opens it up to more people. Training a large number of staff helps with the development and implementation of the programme across the school or organisation and builds a supportive team.”
Build Your Story Massage Team
Here are some of the options which have proved successful for others:
One staff member takes the online course. Usually, the benefits of the programme and online training are so noticeable that everyone wants to know more! At Rutherford School in South Croydon, Catherine Halford, Wellbeing Specialist Teacher, took the training during the first lockdown. Weekly sessions proved so beneficial that six more members of staff trained. Catherine says: “The programme is now part of our school life. Each class has a designated Story Massage lead who has undertaken training. We work together as a team.”
Two or more staff members take the online course at the same time and support each other with joint study times, practising strokes and discussion of good practice. Examples are the Cerebral Palsy Alliance in Singapore and Pyramid Care Fostering Service in Worcester. Two therapeutic play facilitators from Pyramid Care were so impressed by the training that they encouraged two others within the service to study the programme.
Four or more staff members take the online course at the same time. Staff can work on the course together or study in their own time and support each other. One example of this is at Beatlie School Campus in Livingston, Scotland, where four staff members took the training as part of an INSET day. After the training, they set up a chat group through the email system and were able to discuss any issues and suggestions. They accessed the resources offered by the Story Massage Programme and developed a good understanding. Indeed, it proved so successful that they now have a team of 21 trained practitioners working across the ASN nursery and whole school.
At St Martin’s Primary School in Glasgow there are now 13 members of staff trained and the programme is embedded across the entire campus playing a vital part in the school’s curriculum. Indeed, the head teacher has described the impact of the programme implemented by a team as ‘life changing’ for pupils.
