Positively MAD

NEWS: Making a positive difference in India

01/07/2010 00:00:00

A few months back, Positively MAD was asked to create a bespoke training session for the Right Now Foundation which works with underprivileged and disadvantaged children in slum areas of India.

One of their chief representatives, Mr Stewart Botting, came over to the Isle of Wight for two days of intensive training, during which he was shown methods and techniques to make learning more fun and enjoyable in a course entitled, “Empowered Learning.” The workshop combined many elements of our successful personalised learning courses.

Mr Botting then went back to India to train staff and students at schools where the Right Now Foundation operates. The challenge he faced lay in translating the ideas and material into different Indian languages and to transcribe what are essentially Western ideas to particular Indian cultures.

Mr Botting and his team wasted no time in applying the techniques learnt during his Positively MAD training days, and within weeks began to see teachers and pupils attempting some of the different methods.

One such method, Mind Mapping, was such a hit that Stewart wrote to us to tell us how it went and sent us photographs of the slum children holding up their individual mindmaps. “I am now mapping manically,” Stewart reports, adding that the mindmap session with the students was “a great success.”

Using empowered learning techniques is, Stewart admits, “a radical shift” but one which has enabled teachers to feel more enthused.

Stewart will next be travelling to Nellore into the rural district and the children's homes there where he will show them how to mindmap Indian Independence and Ambedkar.

Positively MAD would like to commend Mr Botting and the Right Now Foundation for the excellent work being done to improve the quality of teaching and learning in the slum areas of India. Mr Botting sees his challenge as a tremendous adventure and regards the techniques and methods he learnt with us as “little gems”. We look forward to hearing more about his successes.

NEWS: Sharon wows Sampford students

01/07/2010 00:00:00

Sharon Warley is a Positively MAD licensee who can rightly feel really proud of herself – recently she delivered her first Creative Approaches to Learning workshop at the Sampford Arundel Primary School and it was such a success that one of the students described it as “very extraordinary”.

Sharon has kindly allowed us to share her letter about her experience at that event and the terrific feedback she received for her efforts.

I had a really successful CAL workshop a few weeks back. It was a very small school with only 29 pupils in total! I therefore delivered to the whole of KS2 in one go, totalling only 16 pupils.

I combined the year 3/4 and year 5/6 presentations using some from each and it worked really well - the 'littlies' kept up with the whole thing brilliantly and the whole audience were totally enthusiastic and fully participated right from the start.

At break time I stepped outside into the playground for some fresh air and was surrounded by the children showing me how they were getting on with 'chop/saw' and 'pointy finger/little finger' etc. and all eagerly asking what was coming up in the second half. On returning to the classroom, even the teachers were busy trying to master the brain break exercises!

The Head completed the feedback form before I left and within a couple of hours, I received an e-mail with a brainstorm of comments from the children on their thoughts of the morning which was really lovely.

The Head also commented that although there are always the obvious one who will be first to put their hands up and shout out, he could not have predicted the others - one little boy in particular who he would not have thought to be so involved was constantly looking to be picked as a volunteer and eager to contribute to everything.

All in all it was a fab morning and I came home absolutely buzzing.

This is tremendous news indeed and all of us here at Positively MAD would like to congratulate Sharon on making such a positive impression on everyone involved. Here is what the Head of the school had to say afterwards:

Dear Sharon

Thank you very much for the session this morning. The children really enjoyed it and rated it very highly as you will see from the brainstorm of their comments (below).

I thought it was thought provoking and full of useful techniques and would highly recommend it to other schools.

Eddie East, Headteacher, Sampford Arundel School

Sampford Arundel’s Class 2 children on Positively Mad:-

“It was positively mad”

“Really funny and really good”

“It was fun and brilliant”

“Very extraordinary”

“It was exciting”

“It was really good fun”

“It was fantastic”

“It will help me to remember things”

“It gives your brain strange reactions”

“It was definitely not boring”

“You will be really surprised at what happens”

“Very on the edge”

“Impossible to ignore”

“Better than 10 out of 10”

Keep up the good work, Sharon – these comments are awesome.

SPOTLIGHT: Countdown to the Olympics: Courses for Champions

01/07/2010 00:00:00

Over the last 6 months, Positively MAD’s Head of Training Mr Sander de Groot has piloted, refined, reflected upon and polished two new coaching programmes which will help students focus on the concepts of being a winner and a champion. These programs are now ready for the new academic year.

“With the Olympics round the corner, the whole country will soon be focussing on the UK’s hopes to win gold,” says Sander, “and these new courses will echo the attention on aspirations and attainment.”

The courses, called Inner Winner and Going For Gold, help students appreciate the importance of state, behaviour and results when striving to achieve goals. They are the natural complement and follow-on to the Goal Mapping course, and together with Goal Mapping, offer schools a comprehensive tour into success-focussed thinking.

The Inner Winner and Going For Gold courses are now ready to be taken into the wider UK market and schools can now start booking them for the year ahead.

For more details about Inner Winner, click here.

For more details about Going For Gold, click here.

FEEDBACK: Great Scott - it’s Positively Yorkshire!

01/07/2010 00:00:00

It is always great to hear about licensed partners who successfully raise the profile of Positively MAD in their areas, so we were delighted and thrilled to hear about the response that Gavin Scott received for his running of a recent ‘lunch and learn’ event at Bradford City Football Club.

Gavin provided a 30 minute presentation to local business owners who attended the Yorkshire Network event. This was all part of his marketing strategy to raise awareness of Positively MAD in Yorkshire so that more local business people are talking about what we do and hopefully recommend our services with any contacts that they have in schools.

The presentation was a huge success and enthusiastic responses were recorded. As you will see from their comments, Gavin made a positive impression all round. Many thanks to Gavin for allowing us to share this with you:

“Gavin radiates a fantastic energy and passion for his work, and has a great ability to grab your attention and have you glued to his presentations. I can see why he gets such positive results when he works with students as he has fantastic communication skills and the ability to adapt to the needs and values of his audience. The skills he showed me are vital not only in the education system, but in the business world too, and I have been able to use them positively in my work environment (and also to remember my shopping list!!)” June 10, 2010

Joanne Vose , Owner / Director , Red Elephant HR Limited

“Gavin is passionate about Positively Mad and inspirational in changing the way we learn. I have had the joy of witnessing 1st hand the power of his holistic approach to enrich learning, on both occasions I can honestly say that he had his audience not only captivated, but fully participating and I for one was genuinely motivated, perhaps for 'us' older ones - the word challenged also springs to mind! Though I have never seen such an original or innovative presentation, I can see how the range and styles can allow students to take on board a different mindset and develop the necessary skills to enable them to improve their learning ability and raise their goals and aspirations. At every opportunity I recall the presentations and recommend Gavin, and I will continue to do so. Fantastic!” June 2, 2010

Lesley Stanhope , Director , Titan Office Supplies Limited

“"Lunch and Learn" now that sounded like my sort of seminar. I had met Gavin on a number of occasions and was instantly impressed by his passion about changing the way students learn to achieve their potential. Gavin provided us with an interactive insight into the "Positively Making A Difference" experience and he did that with enthusiasm and expertise. Creating programmes which promote self belief and motivation with students and raising achievement - that's Positively Mad Gav! Continue the great work.” May 21, 2010

Helen Charters , Business Development Manager , High Trenhouse Management Centre

“Gavin is Positively MAD. His presentation today was an insight into his offer to students. The techniques will make the learning and retention of key facts easy and fun (chemistry fun whatever next). Any school needing to get better results or needing to maintain standards should get in touch.” May 20, 2010

Paul Clarke , Owner , Boston Clarke

“Gavin's presentation style is both engaging and inspiring. The enthusiasm that he has is clear and infectious. I can see why he succeeds by helping others to achieve success. I would happily recommend Gavin, he really can Make A Difference.” May 20, 2010

Michael Forbes , Office Owner , The Local Bookkeeper Bradford

“When I attended a presentation that Gavin ran he was very good at explaining the reasons that he achieves good results in his business practice. He helped me to understand how to overcome any obstacles that I may have in any business situation. He gave a very detailed acccount of his work and how it can help anyone to achieve better results. I would recommend Gavin to any schools who are looking for their pupils to achieve better results as he has some great ideas and information that is very different and informative to any other teaching practice that I have come across.” May 20, 2010

Top qualities: Personable , Expert , Creative

John Davies

Keep up the superb work Gavin and thanks for making such a positive impression through the work that you do.

FREE RESOURCE: Key Stage 2 MINDMAP: Different Types of Number

01/07/2010 00:00:00

We are pleased to offer Primary Schools a series of mind mapping resources created by our very own Kim Boxall. This month we have a mindmap on Different Types of Number, used as a comprehension exercise.

In the coming months we will provide more mind map resources on topics like: Kinds of Texts, Separating Materials, Christopher Columbus and Looking at Life.

To download this free resource, please click here.

NEWS: Claudia creates a stir with Creative Approaches to Learning

01/06/2010 00:00:00

It is always a delight and a privilege to hear about the successes of our licensees who make a positive impact on young learners. One such person is Claudia Smith, who recently delivered the Creative Approaches to Learning event at the school her children attend.

Little did she know that her delivery would have such a huge impact. Read all about it in the letter she wrote to us afterwards:

On 4th May I presented Creative Approaches to Learning at the Primary school my children attend - Shawley Community Primary School in Epsom.

All 34 of the Year 5 students including my own son were in the audience, along with two teachers and the Headmaster, Mr Gill. We got off to a flying start and the horse impression had the children laughing out loud straight away. The cheering and laughter was soon attracting some interest with a succession of faces looking in the windows to see who was having all the fun.

All of the children, without exception, were joining in and responding positively to the session. I could not have wished for a better group of children for my first presentation. My volunteers were all brilliant and the teachers joined in as well.

When the session ended the children called for an encore of the horse impression and of course I obliged!!

As we all high-fived our way out of the door at the end everyone was smiling but the biggest grin of all belonged to me and as I left I decided that if the children enjoyed the session even HALF as much as I did then the morning was the best success I could have hoped for!

In fact, the amazing feedback I have had since shows exactly that. I have had parents texting me to congratulate me; I have had parents in the playground asking me what I did to their children to enthuse them so; I have heard reports of children teaching their parents all about Ancient Egypt over dinner; at least 8 different children have asked me when I am coming back and two parents have asked me to do some work with their children privately. Best of all, I have had children running up to me in the playground to reel off all 9 planets in our solar system.

All of that certainly demonstrates to me how powerful and worthwhile these PosMAD courses are and I can’t wait to inspire my next set of students!

Below are some of the quotes from Maple Class at Shawley Community Primary school after their Positively MAD morning:

"It was fantastically brilliant"
"The way she taught wasn't a 'here have a test' way it was a 'here have a laugh' way"
"Claudia made learning seem fun"
"You can learn over 100 things!"
"They do methods with actions so we can remember it"
"It’s easier to learn when you are having fun"
"I want to do it again"
"it was over too quickly"
"Claudia was Positively MAD"
"Volunteering time was great"
"We used our imaginations"
"Even our teachers joined in!"
"The silent cheers were fun"
"We all had a great time"

Well done Claudia, from all of us here at HQ. We are delighted that you enjoyed yourself so much and that your efforts produced such wonderful feedback. We look forward to hearing more about the positive impact that you will no doubt be making in the future. Thanks ever so much for allowing us to print your letter.

FEEDBACK: Dave delights audiences with his delivery of 6S Study Skills

01/06/2010 00:00:00

It is never easy delivering a course for the first time – especially when the course consists of 5 consecutive workshops, on the same day, with the same set of students. This was the challenged recently faced by one of our talented licensees, Dave Hunt, in Poole.

Dave, a former Science teacher, was asked to deliver the 6S Study Skills Course to a group of Year 11 Students at Corfe Hills High School. After preparing as thoroughly as he could, Dave admitted to being nervous about tackling such a long course all in one day.

However, he overcame his nerves to deliver a powerful learning experience for the students who were present. The Deputy Head of the school, who observed the sessions, reported that the course made students think more deeply about exam preparation and gave them lots of revision ideas.

In fact, on the feedback form, Dave was awarded 4’s and 5’s for his performance and his ability to manage the behaviour of the students. The school was equally impressed with Dave’s delivery style, his enthusiasm and his ability to engage the students.

Well done Dave – it is always gratifying to hear about the success of our licensees, and your work is doing us proud.

NEWS: Positively MAD empowers charity in India

01/06/2010 00:00:00

Recently Positively MAD was asked to create bespoke training events for the ‘Right Now’ Foundation which works with at-risk children and teachers in rural India.

Based in Tamil Nadu, the charity was set up to help those children at risk of being forced into child labour, or who work for a living collecting rubbish around slum areas. It has set up and runs a number of homes for children with HIV and those living in dire circumstances.

The charity provides training for teachers to help make learning more meaningful and engaging. Together with the State Co-ordinator for Child Labour in Tamil Nadu , the Foundation hopes to implement ideas, methods and techniques to improve the quality of teaching and learning in local schools.

After hearing about the good work Positively MAD has done with thousands of schools across the UK, a representative of the Right Now Charity approached us with a simple request: could we provide training for him so that he could take back some of our effective teaching and learning techniques?

The answer was a resounding yes. Corin Mitchell, the Regional Manager who organised the event, felt that there was much alignment between the charity’s objectives and our own company ethos.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to make a positive difference to the learning of students beyond our own borders,” he commented.

Stewart Botting, the representative from ‘Right Now’, came across to the Isle of Wight for 2 days of training and was delighted with what we were able to offer.

Trained by Alan David Pritchard, Mr Botting was shown and experienced a range of memory improvement techniques that allowed him to retain far more than he first anticipated.

In addition, he learnt about the power of pupil-questioning and the importance of teachers asking the right questions to accelerate learning. He was also shown how to plan lessons according to Bloom’s Taxonomy and Howard Gardner’s theory of the multiple intelligences.

Additionally he experienced the power of regular review and the importance of being in the right ‘thinking gear’ to approach different learning. Mind mapping and reflective practice were also part of the two day course.

“I am so excited by all this,” he commented afterwards. “I feel motivated and empowered. I plan to spend time with my core team back in India and work together until we have mastered these skills and found ways to make them culturally relevant, with the correct means of translating it into both Tamil and Telegu mediums.”

Mr Botting plans on creating an ‘effective teaching and learning’ centre, a hub from which to disseminate the good techniques and learning skills he experienced while with Positively MAD.

“I also plan,” he added, “to trial these techniques in a number of different places once I have trained the key staff: a slum night school, children's homes during their additional tuition classes, and a few National Child Labour Schools.”

All of us here at POSMAD would like to extend our very best wishes to Stewart and his team as he continues his good work to make a positive difference to the lives of the children in his care.

He has assured us that he will keep in touch – so watch this space for future details on how he is getting on.

SPOTLIGHT: Aiming Higher

01/06/2010 00:00:00

The last week of the school year in July is usually an ideal time for students to go on extra-curricular trips or to be entertained by visiting speakers and educational groups.

If you haven’t yet made plans for these final few days of the school term, and you would like to get your students to reflect on their aspirations for the forthcoming year, give Positively MAD a call.

We have a terrific student seminar called AIMING HIGHER which shows students how to set meaningful and purposeful goals for the next academic year. It’s a highly motivational presentation which is run twice in the day to 2 separate groups of up to 150 students at a time.

Delivered in your school hall, AIMING HIGHER inspires those in Year 9 - 12 to clearly define their aspirations and shows them ways to achieve more than they may think possible.

It is a terrific way to end the school year and a really uplifting experience for your students.

And booking this event is as easy as clicking on any of the links on this page or calling

01983 550456.

NEWS: Creative Approaches to Learning training day 'a wonderful experience'

01/06/2010 00:00:00

Congratulations and best wishes to the 9 Positively MAD Licensees who attended and completed the Creative Approaches to Learning Training Event on 15th May.

I really enjoyed working with the group: they bonded really well and embraced the opportunity to work with each other despite the fact that most of them had never met before.

Licensees who attended were full of enthusiasm and energy and all eager to have a go at delivering sections of the programme.

The feedback I received was fantastic and everyone enjoyed the event and loved the format of the day. Kim and I designed the programme to ensure that everyone has a chance to experience and experiment with delivery techniques whilst helping them to become more familiar with content.

It is wonderful to observe everyone's increased confidence and knowledge of the programme and I particularly enjoyed fulfilling the request to do some more penguin racing!

I am already looking forward to delivering the advanced training later this year....dates to be confirmed soon! Best of luck to all of you and we look forward to hearing all about your successes over the coming weeks.

NEWS: Jasleen helps students build ‘confidence and belief’

27/04/2010 00:00:00

Jasleen Bijral, one of our talented MLPs in the North and Midlands region, has been receiving rave reviews for her delivery of the Goal Mapping Programme and the 6S Study Skills System.
Following a brilliant day delivering 6S Study Skills to Y12 at William Hulme Grammar School in Manchester, the Head of Sixth Form, Nigel Veevers, wrote:

"The students were engaged throughout as Jasleen went out of her way to interact with the students. By explaining her own experiences Jasleen was able to help build the students' confidence and belief in themselves. The Study Skills presentation should prove invaluable."

Jasleen was delighted with how well the day had gone and energised by the experience. “I feel amazing,” she reported afterwards. “It’s such a buzz knowing you have made a difference.”

Her delivery of the Goal Mapping Programme was just as effective, prompting the organiser at that school to write a glowing testimonial, attesting to the impact and impression made by the course and Jasleen’s superb interaction with the students.

“We challenged Positively MAD to take a group of our underachieving Year 12 students who were struggling to adapt to the demands of A Level, and equip them with the skills and desire to set goals for themselves. Through ‘Goal Mapping’ we hoped students would find the motivation to begin taking responsibility for their learning. We were not disappointed.

The presentation was lively, entertaining and the students were engaged throughout. The presenter, Jasleen, set the material at just the right level and related to each of the students. Her variety of teaching methods as well as plenty of personal anecdotes kept the students on task. Her management of the material, timing and the class was excellent – ever thought about teaching!

All 18 students responded positively to the session and all believe the experience had made them think about their own goal setting and why they allow opportunities to pass them by. Each left the session with their own goal map which we were able to explore together at a later date.

The session was very positive and has certainly contributed to the self empowerment of many in the group. I have no hesitation in recommending the course and we will certainly be looking to utilise Jasleen in the school again.”

Positively MAD would like to express our thanks to Jasleen for her superb efforts and her ability to make students feel more confidence in themselves and their abilities. Keep up the brilliant work, and thanks for being an inspiration to others.

NEWS: Gavin gives learners an unforgettable experience!

26/04/2010 00:00:00

Gavin was invited to deliver two 2-hour GCSE English revision sessions at Norden High School in Rishton. He used the Number Rhyme Memory System and other techniques found in the 6S Study Skills Course to show students how to prepare more creatively for their English exam. The students were asked to provide a star rating for the courses, and their response was most encouraging indeed. Of the students taught, 100% would recommend the course to others and 100% had rated Gavin’s efforts as 4 stars and above. Here is just a sample of the 5 STAR reviews that Gavin received:

• “It was worthwhile. It helped a lot and gave useful tips on how to remember useful stuff to get a pass grade for English” – Anon
• “You actually remember things with the exercises that are used.” – Iram Hussain
• “Power point was simple, effective and easily understandable and methods of remembering were easy, speaker was funny.” – Daniel Hebson
• -“I learnt a lot of interesting facts about how to make doing an English exam.” – Dannielle Edmondson.
• “It helped me to give myself confidence on things I struggled on.” Marcus Carver
• “It helps me realise the simple key words in the subject” Jonaid Mahmood
• “It has helped me to remember and memorise key facts. This will help me in the future.” Faraad
• “It is worthwhile and you learn a lot from it” Anon
• “It was fun to do and it was a laugh. I hope he comes back to help other people.” Danielle Hodge

Gavin then went on to deliver a Science revision session using the Journey System, Roman Room System, Summary Poster and Quickfire Quiz method (all components in the 6S Study Skills course) to help students at a school in Hartlepool prepare for their exams.

Once again, Gavin delighted his audience with these techniques, and they were generous in their praise of the experience. Here is a sample of the 4 and 5 star comments made by the students on the day.

• “It has helped me remember the things today, it was fun and it will help me in the future.” Anon
• “I learnt a lot.” Nicola Hockett
• “It will help me in other subject’s as well not just science, so it was helpful.” Anon
• “I’d never of thought to revise like this, it’s really useful.” Chelsea Osborne
• “It was informative” Danny
• “Good revision tips.” M Winn
• “Really fun & helpful and informative.” Anon
• “It’s a fun way to learn.” Taliban
• “It was fun and helpful.” Rose Barnard
• “It was brilliant; I learnt a lot, thanks Gav! Awesome” Jessica Facchini
• “It’s fun.” Eninia
• “Gavin is awesome.” Chloe

Many thanks to Gavin for enhancing Positively MAD’s reputation with his excellent delivery style and his ability to make a difference to the lives of young learners.

NEWS: “Miss Val” makes kids marvel at their abilities

26/04/2010 00:00:00

Recently one of PosMAD’s Master Licensed Partners delivered not one, not two, but three Creative Approaches to Learning events at Primary schools in the Worcestershire area. Val, who was initially quite nervous about the events, ran 2 CAL events back to back on one day, before doing a third on the next. Despite her fears, her passion, energy and drive won over her audiences and the response she received was more than encouraging.

“I had six teachers watch me and most of the feedback consisted of 4`s and 5`s,” Val reported in the Linked In Positively MAD forum, adding that she felt great afterwards. “The kids were great and insisted calling me MISS VAL when I said just call me Val.”

The kids were delighted with ‘Miss Val’ and participated wholly and with gusto in the event, and even the teachers were up ‘chopping and sawing’ as VAL used kinaesthetic approaches to engage her audience. “One teacher came back after break smiling, having managed to do pinkie and thumb.”

Val even managed the penguin races and had everyone up and swinging their hips like professional skiers, although she did add that this was exhausting and made her ache the next day like she had done three sessions at a gym!

Val has been proactive in adapting the content of the course to suit the needs of the audiences, and has garnered praise for her efforts, her energy and her enthusiastic approach. During her sessions, the students were amazed at how easily they were able to remember the information presented – even impressing teachers with their ability to recall so many facts. “I am not sure who enjoyed it most, the teachers, the students or me?” Val commented afterwards, clearly buzzing from the experience.

All of us here at PosMAD wish to congratulate VAL on conquering her initial fears and on proving to be such an effective presenter and an inspiration to her audiences and to other Positively MAD licensees.

SPOTLIGHT: ExamBusters

26/04/2010 00:00:00

We understand that the closer teachers and students get to the exams, the more of the curriculum there seems to be to cover. We know, because we have many former teachers who work for us, that during exam periods, the priority for teachers is on making sure that everything is covered in time.

This is why we know that there is precious little time to devote to showing students how to prepare effectively – both mentally and physically – for the exams. Little time to spend on showing students how to acquire a range of tactics, tools and techniques to make exam preparation and performance a more positive experience. There is just too much of the curriculum to get through.

Fortunately, for schools wishing to help boost exam preparation and performance skills, there is an easy solution.

Give Positively MAD a call.

Our EXAM BUSTERS student seminar is a 2 ½ hour presentation that wows students and shows them how to deal with nerves, mental state and exam conditions in a way that is fun, informative and interesting.

This seminar is delivered with such enthusiasm and energy that students can’t help but get swept up by its passion and pace. Highly interactive and combining humour with common sense, this dynamic presentation makes a massive impact on audiences and leaves them feeling more confident about upcoming examinations.
It is the kind of experience that many teachers wish they had had when they were at school.

So, to see what all the fuss is about and discover how we can help your students prepare more effectively for exams, click HERE.

We looking forward to making a difference to your students.

FEEDBACK: Future Primary Leaders delighted by Positively MAD experience

25/04/2010 00:00:00

Earlier this month, the Hampshire College of Teaching and Leadership ran a series of training events for middle leaders in primary schools. One of these events was a whole day course called ‘Linking Thinking Skills with your own Learning’ – a bespoke workshop created by Positively MAD’s Alan David Pritchard.
Delivered at the New Place centre, the course had 30 delegates from schools across the county, all of whom were keen to develop their leadership skills in preparation to becoming Head Teachers.The aim of the course was to get teachers to reflect on how they have taught thinking skills in their schools and to consider how the same thinking skills could be used as leadership tools.

Alan made sure that the day was crammed with useful and practical ideas, lots of and lots of ‘serotonin moments’ and many opportunities for reflection. After the course, the delegates were asked to provide a star rating for their training and their feedback is nothing short of tremendous. Here is what the teachers had to say:

Delegates who rated the course as 4 STARS justified their rating as follows:

• I have really enjoyed recapping VAK methods with actual, useful examples that can be taken back into the school. It had the right balance of reflective / practical and knowledge based activities. You were enthusiastic and interesting to listen to, with great ‘serotonin’ moments to keep it feeling human and light-hearted.- Hanna Watts
• An inspiring course that provides a wealth of creative thinking skills that motivate a different approach to aspects within the classroom. Very well delivered. – Ian Wallace
• It was a very interesting day for learning about encouraging pupils to learn.
• Good strategies and tools for thinking skills, practical applications. Excellent pacing and presentation. Thank you. – Carleen Parker
• Good ideas and practical ways to remember information. Inspirational speaker. Good balance between key speaker talking and talking in small groups. – Sarah Porter
• Lots of really useful ideas to use in the classroom and to help children (and me/staff) remember things. Fun!! Enthusiastic presentation. – Sue Burnage
• Lots of practical ideas to try out with both staff and children. Engaging presentation. A good balance of time to discuss and reflect. Loved the serotonin moments! – Mary Simms
• Inspirational speaker. Interactive and enjoyable and fun. Sharing experiences. Practical activities to use in the class and use for colleagues. – Janine Ivemy
• These were all inspiring, practical activities to help us as individual teachers in the classroom, staffroom and SLT meetings. – Mrs Sharyn Oliver
• Enjoyable. Relevant to me/ my needs. Although it was great and I have learnt loads I can use, I didn’t see how it was specific for a leadership learning programme. – Alison Ryan
• Lots of strategies – I learnt something new! It was fun. I work in the EYFS and some content was KS2 based. – Rachael Baxter
• Plenty of opportunities to practise different things. Pace was good. Good use of interactive programmes / downloads to break the sessions up. Relevant examples for when different techniques could be used.– Paul Williams
• Really useful ideas which could be used within the classrooms. Helps people with their ability to question children. Useful ideas to help develop both thinking within children and teachers. Very good pace of the day – quick but still had time to explore activities without getting bored. Linked well with the curriculum. – Lyn Vodden

Delegates who rated the course as 5 STARS justified their rating as follows:

• Interesting delivery. Lots of content. Interactive, but without us having to do all the giving of information – learning from expert not always each other. Fast paced but we were kept engaged throughout the session. – Claire Mathias
• I have really enjoyed today. I am going away with lots of wonderful ideas that I hope to integrate into my classroom as well as my leadership role. Thank you for such a great day! – Stacey Lovell
• Lively, energetic and thought-provoking. Gave lots of useful ideas to change and improve learning within the classroom. Also, a chance to think how these strategies could be used in management. Loved the way we were given ideas we can use tomorrow! – Charlene King
• Lots of fun. Very busy – no time to lose focus which normally happens in courses. Relevant. Lots of ‘tricks’ to help teachers / leaders. Lots of new ideas – not rehashing the old ones. – Tricia Sillence
• Very useful tools to use in the classroom and as a management tool. Enjoyable, inspiring day – helping me to structure my own thinking better. – Sue Restell
• It was fun, informative and inspiring. Excellent presenter! Great ideas given for ways of remembering things. – Sarah Huntley
• A very informative session, packed with ideas that can be taken away and used immediately with little adaptation needed. Suitable for all key stages and experiences. – Michelle Pepper
• I have got lots of good ideas and have enjoyed the day. The clips and amusing stories helped to make the day fun. There are lots of useful ideas I intend to try. – Erica Lucas
• I felt it was pacey and interactive. I have come away with LOTS of ideas (both practically and theoretically) to take into class and into management meetings. I was engaged throughout. I have done lots of reflecting and evaluating throughout the day. – Amy Clark

FEEDBACK: Students enjoy their 6S Study Skills event

22/04/2010 00:00:00

21 Year 11 students were recently treated to a whole day study skills course at Bohunt School in Liphook, Surrey.
The course, delivered by the creator of the 6S Study Skills System, encouraged students to consider a variety of learning approaches to prepare more effectively for their exams.

They experienced the effectiveness of ten different learning tools, all of which accessed visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learning styles. The students were also guided into learning more about the impact that sleep, diet and exercise can have on attainment and were given opportunity to review and reflect on their learning throughout the day.

They were asked to report whether the course had changed their view of their ability to study effectively, and here is what they had to say:

• There are easy ways to revise
• There are now easier ways to revise
• I now see clearly how important revision is
• I feel more confident in my learning now that I have had this day
• This was very cool and good fun
• I now know how to revise properly
• It shows that studying is not actually that hard
• I know how to revise things properly now
• Before I could not revise easily, and now I can
• I need to try out the methods before I can be sure
• It will be easier to learn with these new techniques

When asked whether they would recommend the course to others, 100% reported a resounding YES, citing these reasons to support their response:

• Good practice techniques, easy to remember
• I have learnt a lot
• It’s really good
• It has really helped me with my revision programme
• It is helpful and builds learning confidence
• I have learnt a lot
• It is very good
• Useful
• It is funny and fun
• An easy way to learn to revise
• It is very helpful
• It could help
• It helps you to remember things
• It teaches you things you don’t know
• Fun but helpful as well
• I feel like Alan has helped me
• It is very useful
• I would definitely recommend this course because I think it would improve people’s confidence

FEEDBACK: Students report that 6S Course improves confidence levels

29/03/2010 00:00:00

Pupils at Bohunt school recently experienced the 6S Study Skills course, presented by its creator, Alan David Pritchard.

During the day, the students experienced the effectiveness of ten different learning tools, and discovered more about the impact of areas like sleep and exercise on exam success.

They also had the opportunity to share their study notes with each other and were able to workshop different learning techniques.

Of the 21 pupils who were present, 16 reported that the course has made them feel more confident in their abilities to do well in the exam, and all 21 students would endorse the course to other schools.

When asked how we had changed their view of their ability to study effectively, the students wrote:

• There are easy ways to revise
• There are now easier ways to revise
• I now see clearly how important revision is
• I feel more confident in my learning now that I have had this day
• This was very cool and good fun
• I now know how to revise properly
• It shows that studying is not actually that hard
• I know how to revise things properly now
• Before I could not revise easily, and now I can
• I need to try out the methods before I can be sure
• It will be easier to learn with these new techniques
• I feel a little more confident with the new revision skills

When asked the reasons why they would recommend the course to others, their responses were:

• Good practice techniques, easy to remember
• I have learnt a lot
• It’s really good
• It has really helped me with my revision programme
• It is helpful and builds learning confidence
• I have learnt a lot
• It is very good
• Useful
• It is funny and fun
• An easy way to learn to revise
• It is very helpful
• It could help
• It helps you to remember things
• It teaches you things you don’t know
• Fun but helpful as well
• I feel like Alan has helped me
• It is very useful
• I would definitely recommend this course because I think it would improve people’s confidence

Mr Pritchard would like to convey his thanks to the pupils at Bohunt for making the course such a pleasure to present and wishes the cohort all the success that they are prepared to work for.

NEWS: Kids go crazy for Kevin's madness

27/03/2010 00:00:00

Kevin Jefferson, an MLP from the Essex and Sussex region, recently delivered Creative Approaches to Learning to a group of Year 6 pupils at a local school. Confident that the session went well, Kevin was nonetheless surprised a few days later to receive a large brown envelope in the post from the school at which he had delivered CAL.

“I was at first concerned they had returned their brochures and fact sheets,” Kevin comments in his blog about the event, adding, “and perhaps a negative feedback report asking me never to darken their doors again.”

How wrong he was. So impressed was the school with Kevin’s inspirational and dynamic delivery, that the students each wrote colourful and sincere letters, attesting to the positive impact that Kevin had made.

“Today’s assembly really inspired me,” wrote one pupil, who went on to add say: “Thank you so much for teaching me.”

These were no mere letters of thanks. The students had written them in colourful, bright and eye-catching designs – evidence that the students took their time and spent considerably thought and effort to express their heartfelt gratitude.

“I feel really good about how many facts we learnt,” wrote another pupil, who drew pictures of penguins and cheering crowds to decorate his card.

“You made the activities fun!” gushed one of the pupils, and another added: “I had no idea that we could take in so much in one morning!”

Kevin has kindly posted these amazing nuggets of student testimonials on his blog for all to see and enjoy. It is well worth a visit as the students clearly enjoyed their experience and benefitted greatly from it.

Here is an example of one such piece of feedback. The others can be viewed by clicking on the link below.

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B1C1VZNhsgCcMzQ1YzM4MjYtMTViNi00MzhhLWIyNmQtNDc1M2MwNmIyN2Fh&hl=en_GB

Many congratulations to Kevin on delivering such a powerful, enjoyable and effective presentation.

We look forward to reading many more wonderful bits of feedback from the students whose lives you will be positively affecting in the future.

NEWS: Licensee's efforts boosts student's grades

20/03/2010 00:00:00

Being a Positively MAD Licensee means you get to ‘make a difference’ to the learning potential of young lives. Recently one of our many talented licensees delivered the 6S Study Skills Programme to a small group of students at the Northamptonshire Study Centre. Mark Kennedy delivered the course over 3 sessions. He was initially apprehensive about running such a big course, but soon relaxed into it and won the students over with his enthusiasm, energy and passion.
After the first session, some of the students used the techniques they had learned to prepare for the upcoming mock exams. One student wrote to Mark, saying:
“You did a great job teaching us all this. I got a B in my mock History because I was using the techniques!”
This is great news indeed for it shows that the course not only enabled the students to see the relevance of the techniques, but also inspired them to actually use the tools, tips and methods to help improve attainment.
Other students were just as effusive in their praise of Mark, with one student admitting that she is no longer frightened of the exams:
“Mark, Thank you so much, it actually helped me so much and I am not scared to go to an exam.
Thank you!”

This sort of feedback shows that Mark was not only able to deliver the content effectively, but that he had motivated and inspired students to think more positively about the whole exam experience. In fact, another student wrote in her feedback:
“I feel positive about learning now.”
This is a tremendous bit of feedback, because it shows that students were not just focussed on passing exams, but had felt differently about the process of learning. Mark can feel justifiably proud of his efforts. To change pupils’ perceptions of their abilities and to help them develop healthier attitudes to education are not easy things to achieve – and Mark succeeded admirably.
“It was a fantastic experience,” Mark said afterwards. “The students responded really well to the course. I can’t wait to run it again.”
When asked if they would recommend the course to others, 100% said they definitely would, providing reasons like:
“You can learn a lot from Mark”
“It is a fun way of learning and makes you feel positive”.

The Northamptonshire Study Centre commented about their Positively MAD experience on their website:

“Positively MAD (Making a Difference) is the name of the company we’ve brought in to work with the year 11 group since half term. They have been introduced to the 6S study skills system which focuses on six key areas of their life so that they can fine tune their bodies in preparation for the examinations. The six areas are sleep, sustenance, sport, state, skills and support. They were surprised to learn that they should aim for ten hours of sleep a night and to discover the importance of drinking enough water. Over the weeks they have increased the contents of their memory toolbox through learning a number of new skills. They have learned how to use a Portrait Summary Poster and Mindmaps. They have practised Quickfire Quizzes and the Story Link Method and explored the Roman Room System, the Journey Location System and the Person as Location Memory Hook System... James has tried to use mind mapping in his revision for RE and he told us “It really works, I can remember everything.”

(http://kicin2study.northantsstudycentres.org/2010/03/09/positively-mad/)

Positively MAD would like to express our thanks to Mark for providing such inspirational sessions and for living up to the POSMAD aspiration to ‘make a difference.’

NEWS: Audiences revel in Andy's positive presentations

19/03/2010 00:00:00

AUDIENCES REVEL IN ANDY’S POSITIVE PRESENTATIONS

Andy Revell joined Positively MAD as a licensee last year and has since then grown to become one of our busiest presenters. His exuberant style and energetic performances are gradually helping him build a reputation as one of Positively MAD’s most sought-after deliverers.
Describing his sessions as “fast-paced and entertaining,” a pastoral manager at a school in Sheffield went on to praise Andy for his ability to captivate an audience: “He kept the students thoroughly engaged from start to finish!”

So impressive are Andy’s presentation skills that he was invited by Positively MAD to learn to run our flagship seminar programmes – courses for large audiences of up to 150 students at a time. Since doing so, Andy has been delighting year groups up and down the country with his energy, humour and creativity.
Here follows just a sample of the sorts of feedback that Andy receives.

Fantastic session – Andy motivated me to remember to include the ideas and techniques in my own teaching. The pupils were engaged and excited to see quick results in their learning and confidence. Thanks!
Nicki C, Teacher, Sutton Coldfield

The seminars were fast paced and entertaining, the presenter (Andy) kept the students thoroughly engaged from start to finish. The students left with skills and strategies to boost their revision and the motivation to achieve.
J Sale, Pastoral Manager, King Edwards VII, Sheffield

The students were totally switched on for the whole 2 hours! Their expectations were greatly exceeded by a lively, motivating and creative session. Exam Busters delivers learning in a way that is fun and effortless. I especially like the way it raised the students self confidence. Please come back next year!
C Kirk, Assistant Headteacher, Stoke Park School

A very engaging session with great techniques and ideas that I will use in my own learning and teaching. Andy motivated the students well and gave them the confidence that they can achieve.
D Smith, Advanced Skills Teacher, Birmingham

It was a dream to see our students engaged and discussing their individual goals. A very enjoyable morning. (Goal Mapping)
M O’Loughin, Teacher & AIM Higher co ordinator

As a teacher it was great to see a variety of revision techniques offered to the students in an engaging and creative manner.
M Johnson, Alder Grange School

The session was really fun and showed me how to revise and learn in a cool way. I thought it was gonna be boring but it was great. I'm now going to try the techniques at home.
Year 11 Student, Swansea

The seminar motivated our students to achieve – Andy pitched it really well and gained the students respect and interest over 2 hours. Really good session.
Teacher, Stantonbury School

Positively MAD never fail to deliver, the presenters (Andy) enthusiasm is infectious! A lot of ideas and strategies for learning that we will implement in our teaching and revision classes.
T Elsden, Key Stage 4 / 5 Learning Manager

I have seen Positively MAD presentations on previous occasions and I'm always impressed with the quality of content and delivery.
G Cunningham
Assistant Head Teacher, Swansea

Thanks for all your hard work, Andy – and thank you for serving as a marvellous inspiration, not just to your audiences, but to other licensees too.

SPOTLIGHT: Creative Approaches to Learning

02/03/2010 00:00:00

Creative Approaches to Learning

Creative Approaches to Learning is a set of dynamic Key Stage 2 presentations designed to delight, inspire and motivate students to see learning as a joyous, empowering and creative experience.

Positively MAD’s Creative Approaches to Learning is a must for all primary schools wishing to energise Key Stage 2 pupils and staff with an array of really effective learning techniques.

These multi-media, multi-sensory, interactive presentations have already wowed thousands of students, leaving them excited about learning and eager to try out new and innovative learning techniques in the classroom.

Delivered by world-class entertainers, our presentations demonstrate the power of the brain and its ability to remember lots of information in a way that is imaginative and seemingly effortless.

Delivered to Years 5+6 in the morning, and Years 3+4 in the afternoon, the Creative Approaches to Learning Package is run in your school hall, and comes complete with a post-event resource pack for teachers, and a consolidation worksheet for pupils and parents. Our teacher resources will allow teachers to continue the creative impetus generated by the presentations and help translate good ideas into regular good practice.

This is a wonderful opportunity for your school to:

Raise confidence levels
Motivate reluctant learners
Create a buzz about learning
Energise staff and pupils
Boost aspirations

Please CLICK on the STUDENT SEMINARS tab above for more information.

FEEDBACK: Oxford School Year 11s Get Motivated!

25/02/2010 00:00:00

Students really enjoyed the session, especially how it was delivered. It consolidated the ideas that the school is saying and it was very powerful hearing it from an outside agency. Students responded well to Jay...he was great!

I would recommend to other schools!

Jamie Butler - Head of Year 11

FEEDBACK: Yorkshire Aimhigher Students enjoy 'Excellent' Goal Mapping

25/02/2010 00:00:00

Hello Richard

We had a really good visit yesterday. 38 students took part and the feedback is all very positive, particularly about the Goal Mapping session. Of the 38 who went, 7 were Aim Higher Cohort, the other 31 are BTEC students.

I did take a few pictures during that session, which I will email to you once I have downloaded them at home! The 4 staff members who went (including myself )all felt that the Goal Mapping Session with Positively Mad was excellent - it really engaged the students, made them think and was well delivered.

I have some registration forms, plus the evaluation forms - will you call in for them or should I post them out to you?

Thanks again for organising the opportunity, I hope we can follow it up with similar success when we visit Leeds Met in June.

Kind regards

Margaret Shelton

FEEDBACK: More positive reviews for Hooks, Lines and Thinkers GCSE revision workshops

24/02/2010 00:00:00

Our new GCSE revision courses, Hooks, Lines and Thinkers are generating some wonderfully positive reviews from students in Lancashire. The two courses - English and Science - show students how to make revision fun and interesting. Here is a sample of the reviews from students at Marsden Heights School in Nelson.

Reviews for the HLT English Revision Course

Number of students who would recommend this course to others: = 100%
Number of students who rated the course as 4 stars or higher = 100%

4 STAR COMMENTS
• Very funny and interesting. We learnt a lot and it was really helpful.
• Learnt a lot of new things, and it was really humorous. Enjoyed the videos. – Jessica W
• Very fun and exciting and we did learn a lot.
• It was very good, and I learnt a lot from this lesson. It was very interesting.- Hasina K

4 ½ STAR COMMENTS
• I learnt quite a lot whilst having fun and enjoying myself at the same time. – Linzie E

5 STAR COMMENTS
• The session was very funny and was explained very well. Also, the techniques were good. – Usman
• You learnt things whilst having fun. Great! The techniques were good. – Ben T
• I think it was a fun session and was very helpful for the future, and will help a lot in English. – Asra K
• I thought today was extremely helpful, and I am sure it will boost my English grade. – Lauren G
• I learnt a lot and it was funny also. – Isma
• I learnt a lot about different ways of learning and how to improve my grades. It was entertaining and rather funny. – Aneesa

Reviews for the HLT Science Revision Workshop

Number of students who would recommend this course to others: = 100%
Number of students who rated the course as 4 stars or higher = 100%

4 STAR COMMENTS
• It was an interesting/intriguing learning experience.
• I would recommend this course as it is quite fun and an interesting learning experience. – Linzie E
• I would recommend this course because it was fun and I learnt new studying techniques.
•• It was fun and exciting and we did learn.

5 STAR COMMENTS
• Fast, easy to learn, interesting and fun. – Alex C
• Fast, fun, but you still learn.
• It was funny and we learnt a lot of techniques that will help us revise – Usman
• It is a lot of fun and an easy way to learn things. – Zahwaar H
• I thought it was very good and the skills I learnt were brilliant and also very fun. – H.K
• I would recommend this course because it is engaging, exciting, and interesting.
• We think we learned more than we do in our Science lessons today and was fun to do and was an entertaining afternoon. I would like to recommend this course to everyone. – Zubeda K + Asra K
• Fun but learning. – Ben T
• I learnt new ways to revise and they were really useful.
• Taught me different ways to revise rather than always making notes and sitting at a desk. A lot of fun. – Aneese
• I learnt a lot today and I think other students could also benefit from this. Thank you.
• Funny. Helpful. Learnt things. Really good. Thank you.
• It was excellent. It gave me lots of tips for revising. – Lauren Gibson
• The activities were simple but helped and it was learning but in a fun way. – Chloe S

FEEDBACK: A 'Positive' Leicester EIP Aimhigher Event

23/02/2010 00:00:00

Hi
I just wanted to let you know how well the day of Study Skills and Exam Busters went.

Nick was very, switched on to the boys and at the beginning of the day a Deputy Head teacher came in and observed him. His comment to me was this will be good as he has the boy's attention and interest.
Neil Stock (Leicester Aimhigher Manager) came to the morning session and also gave positive feedback.
I took lots of photos, I will let you have copies. The day will be in Aimhigher publicity with a report on the day.
I also got feedback from the boys on what was good about the day. One thing that they learnt and what could be improved. When I have collated these results I will let you have them

Thanks for all your hard work in putting this presentation together.
Please pass on my thanks to Nick.

Tracy Coring
Aim Higher Co-ordinator