Feedback from Schools 2019

 

Thank you for a wonderful workshop. The children really enjoyed the hands on activities and gained such a lot from the experience. You told the story so well and with such humour they learnt so much without even realising! We will definitely invite you back when we need to bring our next topic to life (Churchfield Church School, December 2019)

Thank you so much for today. The children absolutely loved it and so did we! It was such a great experience.  Your enthusiasm and energy levels were incredible (St John and St Francis Church School, December 2019)

  • "I really enjoyed when we were marching around, because we got to sing a song that we didn't learn before".
  • "I loved going up to help Marcus because it was fun and very funny, especially where someone in our class was the dentist!"
  • "I enjoyed sitting on the latrine!"
  • "I learnt that there was more than one King that everyone liked and everyone turned their back on the people they liked".
  • "I learnt lots about the life of Julius through an interesting story". 
  • "From the dance, I learnt that it is different to our generation - we ended with a battle to death!"
  • "In the dance, it felt like a Roman Gladiator battle."
  • "I loved leading the marching!" (St John and St Francis Church School Children, December 2019)

Dear Professor Jones.  Many thanks for your surprise 'Stone Age' visit yesterday! As always, you were fair, inclusive, informative, engaging and entertaining. The children responded well, listened and were delighted to volunteer and participate in all activities.  Will be booking the Roman Centurion visit for next term very soon (Winscombe Primary School, December 2019)

The children absolutely loved the 'Chocolate themed' session. Having spoken to them, the part they liked the most was how you told the story of the Cadbury family and the fact that they got a chance to act out the parts. They also thoroughly enjoyed the dancing as well as the song. We performed both in our assembly the next day. Thanks so much for a wonderful experience and we look forward to seeing you as a Roman soldier in the Summer Term! (Sidcot Junior School, November 2019)

Thank you so much for coming in to visit us; the children were completely inspired by the morning's activities and we used the knowledge they gained to write fact files on the Highwaymen (and women) you focused on and also did a presentation of our learning to parents which was really well received (Kingshill Church School, November 2019)

Thank you very much for such a captivating session on The Romans. The children were so engaged and the variety of information presented really captured their imaginations. You made it so interactive and gave the children so many opportunities to participate that they really felt a part of the whole experience (Wrington CofE Primary School, November 2019)

We were lucky enough to have Harry visit our Year 4 class as we were studying the Tudors. We asked him to focus on Henry 8th. He delivered all of the key information in a fun and interactive way. All of the children were offered the chance to take on the role of different key characters. The children left the session full of enthusiasm and with a much developed subject knowledge.                                         (Sidcot Junior School, November 2019)

The children absolutely loved their visit from Jethro. They were so engaged throughout and have learned so much about The Great Fire of London from their active involvement in the drama. They can't stop talking about it! (St Martins C of E Primary School, November 2019)

Thank you for yesterday, the children had a wonderful time and your visit helped to pull together all the learning that we had had about Fairy-tales this term and you helped us to celebrate our Dress-up day.  They especially enjoyed joining in with the role-play and using the props you had brought with you. The children particularly had fun watching your entrance on the bicycle too. Thank you from our Pre-school staff too, who said 'it was brilliant' (Shipham First School, November 2019)

Harry was amazing, all 60 children were completely engaged by him for the entire session and found him funny and interesting. Not only did both classes enjoy the session but a week later they are still talking about the information they learnt about the ‘Great Fire of London’ from him and are using lots of his ideas in their own writing and topic work. Thanks for a brilliant introduction to our topic. 

(Glenfrome Primary School, November 2019)

I would like to let you know how much we loved your 'Arctic Explorer' session last week. The children really enjoyed it and took a lot from it. We especially liked the focus on animals and clothing which was something we also talked about in class. The rhyme and story were a great addition to the session, making it an all-round experience. It was an excellent start to our topic. Thank you so much and we would be delighted to work with you again soon (St John and St Francis Church School, November 2019)

It was wonderful to see the learning that came out of your visit this morning with Year 4. It certainly was the ‘Wow’ starter for the topic we hoped for. The children were able to recall so much from your dramatisation around Henry VIII’s life.

(St John and St Francis Church School, November 2019)

The children in both classes had a wonderful time. They learnt so much through your teaching. I especially loved how you included all of the children in the drama and story at some point during the session. The children were engaged throughout and when we reflected on the learning afterwards, the facts they had learnt were incredible! (Haywood Village Academy, November 2019)

Dear Jethro.  Thank you for tellig us all about The Great Fire of London.  I liked it when someone was Samuel Pepys and they wore the wig on their head.  My best thing was when I pretended to put out the fire.  My favourite thing was when I was a tree and you could not chop me down.  I really liked the bit when my friends had to tip the wee and poo out of the window.  I liked it when someone was the king. I want you to come back (Churchill CEVC Primary School Children, October 2019)

Once again ‘Jethro’ provided us with a morning of wonderful consolidation of our term’s learning linked to the Great Fire of London. Harry was simultaneously enthusiastic and motivating in his approach, alongside being sympathetic and accommodating of the needs of all of our pupils. The children were buzzing afterwards! (Churchill CEVC Primary School, October 2019)

The children thoroughly enjoyed your performance as Earnwald the Saxon.  I loved how all children got involved. Thanks for an educational and entertaining session (Kingshill Church School, October 2019)

As always my class had a fantastic afternoon with Professor Jones the Egyptologist – he never fails to amuse and educate! 

(Wrington CofE Primary School, October 2019)

Thank you so much for your Astronaut visit!  The children were so excited for your arrival and you didn't disappoint. It was brilliantly planned to deliver facts and insight in an interactive and engaging way.  The children are still talking about it now and linking it to learning we are doing in class. It certainly brought our 'Space' topic to life. Thanks again (St Georges Church School, October 2019)

Thanks very much for Monday. You do it so well.  It provided some excellent information for our topic, deepening children's surface knowledge of the Great Fire of London. You present in a really engaging way and get everyone involved to make the experience and learning memorable for all  (Northleaze CofE Primary School, September 2019)

As usual, our Year 3 class was utterly captivated by "Dr Jones" and the tales of his travels in the Stone Age. They were so busy joining in the active story-telling, they didn't realise just how much they were learning. Thank you! 

(Christchurch CEVA Primary School, September 2019)

Thank you as always for bringing our learning theme to life! The children have absolutely loved today.

(St Anne's Church Academy, June 2019)

Thanks again for today, the children thoroughly enjoyed it and so did we! The session was well pitched to the age group and the story telling, song and games were great and engaged them all. You made such an impact they were talking about you right up until home time!  Our pirate experience really brought their story writing & role play to life the next day in school.

(Axbridge CofE First School Academy, May 2019)

Dressed as a Spartan Warrior, Harry visited our class as as we are studying the Ancient Greeks. He really developed the children’s understanding in a fun and interactive way. He really understood my class well and the needs of individuals. Thanks again!

(Sidcot Junior School, May 2019)

Thank you so much for such a fantastic morning with Captain Whitebeard The Pirate.  The children had so much fun and were so excited and engaged from the moment you entered the room.  The workshop was a perfect mix of calm listening and active participation.  We look forward to seeing you next year (Winscombe Primary School, May 2019)

Purposeful learning is fundamental to learning and for young children there is no better way to inspire them than being set a learning challenge by a 'real pirate'.  Captain Whitebeard set up the challenge so superbly that the children can't wait to come to school to learn.  

As well as setting down the learning challenge Captain Whitebeard gave the children memories. Memories of singing, dancing and having stories on the beach with a pirate. We have used Cadcharacters for many years now and children in Year 6 still often state their best memory as that of meeting Captain Whitebeard on the beach and later sailing with him on The Matthew.  

We thoroughly recommend using Cadcharacters to give children, purpose, fun, memorable learning experiences.

(St Anne's Church Academy, May 2019)

'It was such fun, I loved feeding baby Brunel’.  'It was so much fun in the basket’  ‘I can't believe how much I learnt’.

(St Francis Catholic Primary School Children, May 2019)

Thank you so much for our 'Brunel' session - as always, it was was interactive and engaging. The children started by knowing a little but now know so much which filled them with pride. The session is confidence building as well as educational. I love the way you have no preconceptions about the children so give roles to the less confident children by chance and this encourages them to do their best. By the end of the session you had transformed one of my reluctant learners into a true thespian - thanks again.

(St Francis Catholic Primary School, May 2019)

Thank you so much for coming to us today - you we’re truly amazing! The children remembered so much about Brunel and were so engaged in conversation back in class (Bournville Primary School, April 2019)

Thank you so much for designing a character and experience for our children based on the story ‘The Tin Forest’. The morning was very age appropriate for our Y1 and Y2 children and had a good mix of plant/tree/animal facts and acting out the story. I felt it was useful the children had read the story before your visit, but they enjoyed reading it even more when we shared it again after your visit! We have just had our "Gold Book" assembly and several children received certificates for the work they have produced following your visit which really inspired them.  (Burnham-on-Sea Community Infant School, April 2019)

Thank you again for such an engaging Ancient Greeks session with the children yesterday; it's all they've talked about today! You managed to cover a vast amount of information in the time available in a comprehensive and engaging way that kept all the children's attention - you've made my job of teaching the topic a lot easier - thank you! (Northleaze CofE Primary School, April 2019)

'Thank you soooo much Mr Andronicus Alexiou. I had such a fun time.  I also liked being in the best team (Sparta) with my friend who was king.  I loved all of the facts and the way you let us interact with the session.' (Northleaze CofE Primary School Children, April 2019)

Dear Jethro –  'Thank you for coming in to do a show about The Great Fire of London and the Plague. It was great because you were really funny'.  ‘My favourite part was when you and me tried to blow out the hall lights and you forgot it was 2019 and not 1666 and it is electric not a candle!’   ‘I really enjoyed it when you had to dig a hole for Samuel Pepys and put lots of stuff in it and I didn’t know the Mayor was called Thomas Bloodworth’ (Churchill CEVC Primary School Children, April 2019)

Wow! What an amazing culmination to our Great Fire of London topic! Thank you ‘Jethro’ for giving us the opportunity to put our learning into action. The children were thoroughly engaged and enthralled by your character who carefully included all children in the enfolding drama. We look forward to a return visit next year (Churchill CEVC Primary School, April 2019)

We would like to thank you so much for such an entertaining, educational and exciting visit linked to our 'Great Fire of London' topic. Every single child loved it, our more vulnerable learners were so engaged and involved, parents have mentioned about the children's recounts of the day and all staff really impressed - it was exactly what we hoped for. We would love to work with you again and have shared your details with the rest of my colleagues. Thanks again and we hope to see you in Crockerne again soon.

(Crockerne Primary School, March 2019)

Thank you so much for the sessions you provided last week, the children loved it.  We were really impressed with the way in which you involved all the children and kept their attention.  We felt that the balance between 'Tudor' information and 'Walter Raleigh' information was just right for us and it also fitted in really well with our focus on potatoes (Golden Valley Primary School, February 2019)

The children were absolutely enthralled by your visit and went home buzzing with the new things that they had learnt. This was a perfect introduction, immersing them in 1666 life and ensuring that they are suitably enthused for the rest of the topic! They came away all having learnt something new about the Great Fire. The way in which you mix humour and facts meant that the children were brilliantly engaged. There was a wonderful amount of participation in the assembly/workshop for the children, as well as time to learn new information. It was great how you made sure that each child was able to help act out a part if they wanted to. Your kindness in dealing with the children was fantastic too. They quickly felt safe and at home to ask questions, join in and dress up. I was so surprised that a child who I wouldn't have ever thought would have dressed up you had acting out within 20 minutes - brilliant, thank you (Birdwell School Academy, February 2019)

Our visit from Jethro Knuckleskull was absolutely brilliant! It was informative, engaging and funny all at the same time! Jethro told the story of the Great Fire of London and got the children to act it out and dress up too. We all loved it - thank you! 

(Birdwell School Academy, February 2019)

Harry came to visit our Reception classes as Eddie the Explorer - amazingly he'd visited the three countries we'd been learning about!  As always, it was very stimulating, informative and great fun. The children loved the role play, songs and stories and were transfixed for the whole seventy minute session. A very well planned session. Thank you Harry - look forward to seeing you again next year.                     (West Leigh Infants, February 2019)

I would just like to say thank you for a great afternoon learning about Ancient Egypt. My class and myself thoroughly enjoyed your workshop. The children were fully engaged and very enthusiastic about the session. In fact they were buzzing. Several children told me that it was their, "best day ever." I was also pleased to see that several children, who are usually very shy and reluctant to join in, were eager to dress up and help out with the activities.  I would recommend your session to others (Uphill Primary School, January 2019)

The children had a fantastic morning with our Viking visitor Bjorn Magnusson.  The children learned about the Viking longboats, Viking life and some of the Viking Gods.  They enjoyed dressing up and joining to act out roles. We all had a great time - thank you. 

(Norton Fitzwarren Church School, January 2019)

The children absolutely LOVED your visit. Thank you so much!!  We only began talking about The Great Fire Of London the day before and they are now buzzing with excitement about our topic (Hutton CofE Primary School, January 2019)

The children thoroughly enjoyed their visit from The Jolly Postman and were really hooked. Their engagement has continued since as we moved into looking at Goldilocks and the Three Bears through Talk for Writing. We are now using letter prompts and stimuli sent from the Jolly Postman to introduce each Fairy Tale and it's worked brilliantly so far as the children know who he is! 

(Locking Primary School, January 2019)

Thank you so much for today's Great Fire of London session - you were amazing!  The children absolutely loved it and I know took so much learning from it too (Mendip Green Primary School, January 2019)