Education Today Education Today Magazine
Military children’s charity Little Troopers, has uploaded a new free primary school workshop to its website so that schools can deliver the session to their service children at any time.
Part of the Little Troopers at School programme, the two-hour wellbeing and mindfulness workshop is presented by well-known TV broadcasters Katie Thistleton and Frankie Vu. Delivered as if it were live, the presenters engage with the children and use games, drawing and other fun activities to explore what it’s like to grow up with a parent in the British Armed Forces. The topics covered include some of the more challenging aspects of military life, such as having a parent deployed or moving home and school.
This is the second school workshop that the charity has released. Both videos can be streamed from the Little Troopers website at any time and schools can download the accompanying worksheets and facilitator notes. Nearly 7,000 children from more than 350 schools have taken part in a Little Troopers virtual workshop in the last 18 months. Schools delivering the workshop before Christmas can also register to receive a free Little Troopers ‘X-Ray of Feelings’ poster.*
Students from St Michael’s Primary School in Colchester completed the wellbeing workshop in July.
Julie Howlett, Inclusion Lead at the school, commented: “It was really important for our service pupils to be able to join in with the Little Troopers workshop, not only for them all to get together and recognise they aren’t on their own but to learn that it is ok to experience different feelings when going through transitions such as moving into new homes and starting new schools. They all engaged with the activities and opened up about some of the experiences they have had at such a young age.”
Michelle Bentford, Mental Health Lead from Buntingdale School in Shropshire, which has also completed the workshop, added: “Mental health and wellbeing is a priority at our school. This Little Troopers workshop has really helped to celebrate the children’s resilience and encourage them to communicate their feelings. The children are keen to build upon the activities and come together to support each other more.”
Louise Fetigan, founder of Little Troopers comments: “Our charity wants all military children to feel that their school understands and recognises the unique challenges they might experience growing up in the forces community. That’s why our Little Troopers at School Programme is packed with practical resources that schools can use at any time. We are really pleased to add this second primary school workshop to the programme alongside our resource packs, Military Child Wellbeing Course, Forces Life Club pack and so much more. Whether schools have one or two hundred service children they will find something in Little Troopers at School that will benefit the service children in their school.”
This latest Little Troopers workshop has been made possible thanks to generous grants from ABF The Soldier’s Charity, The Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity and The Grocers Charity.
For more information about Little Troopers at School visit www.littletroopers.net/little-troopers-at-school
*subject to availability
