FEEDBACK: Students hooked on new HLT Workshops – Fantastic Feedback 30 Mar 09

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Alan David Pritchard, our Head of Product Development, has spent most of March writing and piloting two new student coaching programmes, entitled: The Hooks, Lines & Thinkers English and Science Workshops. These workshops were created as a response to the new National Challenge, which the government has set up to deal with underachievement in English, Maths and Science. Each workshop focuses on the application of particular memory tools to specific areas of the English and Science Curriculum.

These workshops were run to small groups of Year 9 and Year 10 pupils at schools in Surrey, and the response we have received is absolutely wonderful.  Of the 250 students who have experienced the workshops, 100% would recommend the courses to other schools. The students were also asked to rate the workshops using a 5-star rating system, and to date, over 96% have rated the courses either 4 or 5 stars.

Mr Pritchard will be running the course to a few more Surrey-based schools and reflecting upon them to ensure they remain fit-for-purpose, and then Positively MAD will explore ways the courses can be made available to all schools in the country, using our network of talented and enthusiastic licensees.

Here are some of the 4 and 5 star reviews we have received so far:

HOOKS, LINES AND THINKERS ENGLISH COURSE

Woking High School Year 10 Pupil Responses:

• “I have learnt a lot and I think I have benefitted from this course.” – Zoe Fuller
• “It’s fun and amazing how much you can remember without doing a lot.”
• “Fun, entertaining, humorous. Helps the memory.”
• “It is quite funny and it really works.”
• “I remembered 80-100 facts. I feel I know more techniques for revision now.” – Belinda Aylwad
• “It was really fun and I learned a lot.”
• “Alan used different learning styles to interact with the students!” – Abigail
• “It is different!”
• “It was exciting and got us really involved. It helped me to learned techniques to remember stuff.” – Alex Last
• “I learned more in 3 hours than I did in 10 years of school. Funny, uplifting and great. So, what’s not to like? It is Positively MAD.” – Scott
• “It was fun and you learn a lot of new techniques ready for our English exams.”
• “It was fun and memorable and taught me a lot. Thanks!”
• “Alan is funny and so are the activities and I learnt a lot.” – Becca Mead
• “It was educational whilst also being humorous and entertaining. I enjoyed it a lot and learned loads. Thank you.”
• “You learn a lot and it is very helpful with learning techniques. Also it is very informative. Thanks.”
• “It was fun and I learned a lot of key skills. I enjoyed it. Thanks.”
• “It was really fun and it was a really different way of learning.”
• “It is a very amazing experience. This course helps you with your memory. It is a different unique way of learning – more fun and educational. I recommend it.” – Hameem Kamali
• “I wish all lessons were taught in this way. It is funny and interesting.” – Luke Stent
• “Awesome, funny. It is a clever way of learning.”

 

Sunbury Manor High School, Year 10 Pupil responses:

• “It has helped me understand a different way of thinking and easier to remember key points.” - Laura
• “It was funny and interesting and will definitely help you when you take your exams.” – Cameron Forrester
• “It was fun and I learned to remember things easily.”
•  “It was a fun way of learning and I really feel I learned a lot as well as had fun. There were lots of interesting techniques that will prove really useful when I am writing essays.” – Lisa Lynch
• “It was funny and helped my English.” – Michaela
• “It helps you learn things in many different ways.” – Matthew Cox
• “We really learn a lot and the techniques are funny and entertaining.”
•  “It was more interesting than other workshops. It was unique” – George D.
• “It was fun and the techniques were cool. The little jokes also added some enjoyment to the course.” – Michael Weir
• “I have learnt a lot and it’s a good laugh. It’s a really cool way to remember things.” – Natalie Harris
• “It is really good in helping you understand and learn new methods for English.” – Connor Brown
• “It was exciting learning and it’s got a lot of good helpful facts.” – Annie Humphrey
• “Funny and no lessons! And gives useful ways of doing stuff.” – Stephen Harrison

 

Esher C.E High School Year 9 pupil responses

• “It is interesting and fun and also tells you a lot. And you get to play games.”
• “It was interesting and fun and it had lots of facts and we learnt a lot.”
• “You helped me to remember and everything you said will help with GCSEs.”
• “Alan was very creative and good at teaching. Entertaining.”
• “It was fun and interesting. It was better than watching a film.£ - Nico D
• “It was interesting and different and I remember things.” – Ryan
•  “This is my first time I can memorise something so fast without problems.” – Sami S
• “I found it very interesting and learned a lot.” – Mitchell Moller
• “It helps you to revise your head. It is fun. Very good. I have enjoyed it.” – Hasban Khan
• “It is a good way of working with your memory and locking things in and having fun at the same time.” – Steph
• “It was funny but you learned stuff while you were having fun.” – Harry
• “The day went well and was fun. I really enjoyed it and would like to do another.”
• “It was very fun and I have learnt new things to help me in the future.” Kheir
• “It showed how you can remember loads of stuff and everything for the tests.” – Craig A
•  “The amount you actually remembered at the end was incredible, and we learnt fun and good tips with revision.”
• “The Hooks, Lines and Thinker System astounded me. I have the worst memory ever, and I got 100%! Thank you! Really fun and active as well – and it wasn’t hard (which was a major plus!” – Osca Vinall
• “It was so inspirational and I recommend this because it was great fun with an open lesson! I would like to do it again!” – Daniel Cooper
• “It was an enjoyable course and loads to do.” Daniel Emerton
• “It gives lots of good techniques and strategies to help out in later life.”
• “Everything is really easy to grasp and remember.” – Jake Mott
• “I learnt methods how to help me in exam and I learned a lot more.” - Holly

 

The responses for the Hooks, Lines and Thinkers Science Workshops were equally encouraging. Here is a sample from the three schools:

 

Woking High School Year 10 Pupil Responses:

• “It helps with revision. Ways that I have never heard of before.” – Andreas Georghion
• “It was really fun and helpful. I liked the guy who did it. He was cool.” – Gessica
• “It is sick.” – Danni
• “It is very good.” – Jay Hedges
•  “Good for exams.”
• “It was a really fun way of learning.”
• “It is amazing and really fun! I recommend this!” – Hameem Kamali
• “It’s more fun than school.” – Damien
• “It is an amazing new way of learning. It’s definitely fun.”
• “Fun, easy, simple way of learning – but effective. Definitely awesome.” – Georgina Gilbert
• “Dude, it was great. Simple, yet effective.” – Tasha W.
• “Alan is positively mad and has the best ideas that actually work.”
• “It is great learning and great fun!”
• “So helpful.” – Scott
• “It was very fun and will help me when I am doing revision. Alan is very fun and entertaining.” – Stuart Nelles
• “It was an entertaining and very helpful learning program. I found the memory games very useful and I think they will help me in the future.”
• “I really enjoyed it and learnt something, thanks.” – Becca Mead

 

Sunbury Manor High School, Year 10 Pupil responses:

• “Excellent! Great ways to learn!”
• “It was fun and quite funny making up the stories to remember things.”
• “I have learned so many techniques of remembering that will help me get top marks.”
• “It was fun and really showed me other ways to revise and make notes.”
• “It was actually interesting. And it was Science ...”
• “I remembered more than I ever thought I would.”
• “It was fun and I learned to have better memory.”
•  “More compact so easy to concentrate.”
• “I learned lots of different things in many different ways.”
• “Unique way of learning made it easy to remember.”
• “It was fun and I learned a lot ... it was punctuated with jokes and games.”
• “Great fun, learned loads. Definitely recommend it.”

 

Esher C.E High School Year 9 pupil responses

• “It was really fun and quite unusual! I really learnt a lot from it.”
• “It is a good way to learn things and it is fun.”
• “It was a fun way to learn and remember things.”
• “It was very funny and it really helps you to remember important things to do with Science like the periodic table.”
• “It is a fun way to learn and I feel I have learnt lots.”
• “Fun. Helps you learn information that you need in exams.”
• “Interesting and helps train your brain. Helping your revision skills.”
• “It was really helpful. I learned a lot and the regular breaks helped keep things moving and stop boredom.”
• “A fun way of learning and helped to jog my memory.”
• “It’s fun and we can have a laugh.”
• “It is fun and a interesting way to learn to remember things.”
• “I have learnt loads and have remembered a lot. It was very fun so I paid attention a lot more.”
• “I’ve remembered more things in two hours than I have in the whole year!”
• “Very friendly and funny. Good ways to remember things. Always got something to do.”
• “It is fun and effective.”
• “It is really helpful to learn important skills for revision in a way that isn’t boring.”
• “I learnt a lot in two hours. I’ve learnt lots of academic things nut also great memory techniques for the future. Alan was really funny and a great teacher.”
• “Fun and really helped my memory.”
• “It was very interesting.”
• “Unique way of teaching people and effective.”
• “It was funny and I learned a lot.”