“This course has been amazing in supporting my daughter build her confidence as she starts high school. Well run, friendly and supportive.-starting secndary confidently course
The fun games we played and what we discussed and the little lessons with the stuff on what we were learning that week.”
“I have recommended it to friends as it has really given us the opportunity to explore feelings more openly and has generated some interesting conversations. It’s also been great To see their confidence grow in the drama sections to where they’re willingly participating rather than shying away.”
What do teachers say about True Colours?
“Would definitely recommend this course as it helps to approach topics that might be awkward or hard to approach at home. Its helped them hearing from others that feel the same sometimes and been through similar things and how they handled it.” – Primary Teacher
“The True Colours team have offered an invaluable service to our students during the most challenging time in many of their lives. The way the team developed an almost instant rapport and respect, for and with the children, was remarkable. The students engaged in activities which promoted well-being, creativity and gave them a chance to express not only anxiety but also joy. Experiencing the sessions was a privilege - children who were feeling the strain of recent times or usually quite reserved in class - spoke, took part and enjoyed every meeting. Thank you True Colours team for making a significant difference to young children’s lives.” – Mr Hallis, Assistant Head Teacher, Calverley CE Primary School
Parklands Academy, Greengates, Bradford:
Eligible for free school meals (FSM): 53.3% (high)
Local child deprivation rate: 17.9% (2km radius)
Proportion of ethnic minority pupils: 11.8%
“The support that True Colours provided our most vulnerable pupils at such a crucial time has been invaluable. Children who were unable to access the classroom due to a variety of factors were able to build relationships and their self esteem to enable them to transition back into the classroom. This provision will be needed for a long time to come.” – Michelle Connors, Head Teacher, Parklands Academy, Greengates, Bradford
“We have been fortunate to have True Colours working with our pupils this academic year. Corinna Parkins
and her team have worked with a wider range of pupils on a 1-1, small group and whole class basis with
varying foci for the sessions.
The 1-1 sessions have been with one of our most vulnerable pupils and have helped them to begin the week
in a positive manner, giving tools for them to reflect on their feelings and how to deal with them when they
arise. The 1-1 nature of the session then included a few other pupils to try and foster positive peer
relationships.
The work completed with our Year 3 and 4 pupils focused on anxiety and where this might present itself,
giving time for pupils to talk about their fears in a group setting and looking at ways in which these can be
dealt with. These sessions allowed for the quieter members of our classes to have the opportunity to explore
their feelings and feel supported by their peers.
The Year 5 group work looked again at dealing with anxiety, big feelings and gave tools and strategies for
dealing with these. The mixed nature of the groups allowed pupils to foster new peer interactions and they
reported that they felt they had new ways in which to solve anxiety issues or help others to do the same.
The Year 6 group has only had a couple of sessions but their focus has been on the anxiety around transition.
Our pupils feel heard as it is a dedicated afternoon for this work. I would be happy to give more detailed
feedback once the sessions have been completed.
I would highly recommend True Colours as their work has had such a positive impact with our pupils being
more articulate when speaking about their feelings. I hope they are able to continue working with us in the
future. If you should require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me further.” – Charlotte Wierzbianski, Head of Academy