School stories
We are so very proud to work with so many amazing schools in their vital work of supporting the emotional wellbeing needs of children.
We want to celebrate and support schools in delivering our programme; to share experiences, ideas, and impact, and encourage other schools to use this approach to help their children. All feedback is welcome, please email hello@hamishandmilo.org with your thoughts at any time.
St Anne’s Infants began using Hamish & Milo in 2023 and has experienced a positive impact supporting over 40 children with a range of social and emotional needs. "One parent commented on how the child completing Exploding me had been "Transformational!”
“I absolutely LOVE Navigator, it is just so easy and I can see all the data instantly. If we have Ofsted, I can literally just show them every child’s experience.”
“Hamish & Milo has changed our approach as a school for quantity and quality of pastoral support. It has raised awareness too for most staff of how emotional wellbeing comes before learning can really take place and it is central to what we do at Wicklea.”
Woodlands Academy located in South Bristol is a small, one-form entry school with 165 children. There is a high level of need within the community and high numbers of children regarded with pupil premium needs. Woodlands Academy strives to place the wellbeing of the children at the centre of all it does.
“Hamish & Milo is a wonderful emotional wellbeing programme that sits alongside Trauma Informed incredibly well. It is easy to follow and the enjoyment that the students and myself feel during the sessions makes us feel extremely uplifted.”
“Hamish & Milo has been a remarkable new resource for Wordsworth, which has changed the school provision in meeting the SEMH needs within the school... Moving forward, we are training more staff and increasing the number of groups we are running so that we can target even more children’s needs.”
"Hamish & Milo has supported a real shift towards consistency and focus on the social and emotional needs of our children. The resource is manageable with the planning and progression done so that the time is focused on being with the children. There is now more of a robust organisational process in how we target and support need with the flexibility for group or one-to-one intervention.”
"Not only do you get the 10 intervention programmes with Hamish & Milo you get so much more. It is extremely well supported by a wealth of easily accessible extra tools and resources, quality supervision opportunities and a team of knowledgeable and passionate people on hand to answer any queries. We are truly excited to continue our Hamish & Milo journey."
“We know we are making a difference. Our Head is fully behind me...It is a game changer for our school, a gift!” Jill Wilcock, St John with St Mark CoE Primary School, Bury, Greater Manchester.
Lytchett Matravers Primary School, Dorset is a relatively large primary school whose ethos centres around children being valued, happy and confident. “I didn’t realise quite the level of impact but now thinking about all we have done and the impact on all the children, I’m really thinking we are making such a difference.” Hazel said smiling with the realisation.
Rowanfield Infant & Junior Schools are part of the Gloucestershire Learning Alliance. “We wanted Hamish & Milo to be used within Rowanfield due to the high levels of deprivation within the school community and to have this focus on wellbeing with an innovative resource was so important, these children absolutely deserve it.”
Saltersgate is an infant school in South Yorkshire that strives to place wellbeing at the centre for its 350 children. “We have never really found anything before Hamish & Milo that is bespoke enough and where we can see this level of impact. We now have developed the role of our support staff to be able to deliver this across the school and to do more of this work.”
Kingsleigh Primary is a large four form entry school in Dorset. Hamish & Milo is being used for small group work, some 1-1 intervention and as part of the emotional curriculum for the children and is now being developed for further small group work and targeted intervention led by the ELSAs.
Bedales comprises three coeducational independent schools located within a 120-acre estate on the South Downs of Hampshire. “Hamish & Milo is magical. For me as a teacher, it has changed my style. It is allowing me to empower the children and allow them to grow through the conversations and sharing of experiences through the sessions. It is becoming our emotions curriculum.”
Hazlehurst Community Primary School is a one form entry primary school where there is a focus on wellbeing and enabling children to reach their potential and thrive. "It is our primary go-to resource now for all our SEMH and wellbeing intervention." Diane French, SENCO.
School gallery
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"It is nice that there is a script, we are all very busy so it is good to be able to use the pack and it is very flexible.”
Dawn Chant, ELSA, William Barnes Primary School, North Dorset
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“We have one boy who English isn’t his first language and he struggles to be understood. When he uses his sock puppet everyone can understand him better! This has identified to me that he really feels misunderstood a lot of the time and the importance of feeling heard.”
Michelle Haynes, Luton Primary School, Kent
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“They weren’t too sure to start with about the sock puppets but now they love them, they are brilliant. We’ve got Mr Socks, Mr Cheese and Sock dragon.”
Mel Singleton, Mountjoy School, Dorset
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"This has been the hardest to run as the two boys are really sad... They have been able to talk about how it is OK to cry. One of them said: "Well if you cry in the playground, people tease you but they do now acknowledge that they have sad feelings and it is hard but OK to cry.”
Lisa Clark, ELSA, Wyke Regis Federation, Weymouth
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“I feel much more confident now! I absolutely love it. I’m on a real high running my Hamish & Milo groups!”
Jo Borowy, Barley Lane Primary, Redbridge
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“We have one looked after child (LAC) who is having a really hard time at the moment. He often comes in to see his puppet, even on days when we don’t have the group. Yesterday he came in and he wouldn’t talk to us, but he sat in his safe space and told his puppet. The eye contact between him and the sock puppet is amazing as he doesn’t usually give eye contact.”
Natalie Green, Byron Academy, Gillingham, Kent
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"We have been using Exploding me with a group of boys. They loved the rocket session and we did it over two weeks. One of the boys linked what had happened to him in the playground with what had happened in the book we had read; ‘Andrew’s angry words.’ It really helped him to reflect and talk about what had happened for him.”
Sarah Johnson, ELSA, Radipole Primary School, Weymouth
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"By the end of the year, every child that has been referred in will have an intervention, so it is amazing to have programmes ready that will help us respond to need"
Verity Katuszka, TA at West Town Lane Academy, Bristol
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“All the parents have received the leaflets and are completely on board. Before we start the programme we hand the parents the leaflet and ask them to have a read. It’s all there and then I make it the parent's decision if they want us to go ahead with the intervention. They go away and read it and they have all come back and said “Yes, let’s do it! It is just what’s needed.”
Mel Singleton, Mountjoy School, Dorset
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"One boy surprised me as he gets angry a lot in the playground. He is starting to understand what your emotions do to you. One day he couldn’t tell me what had happened but he handed me a folded note which said how he had started to get angry and could recognise it. He was able to acknowledge what had happened for him.”
Lisa Clark, ELSA, Wyke Regis Federation, Weymouth
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“The Wellbeing profiles give me the key information and have helped me to watch, observe and notice how the young people are. It’s been really helpful. The protective factors too have helped to identify the strengths and helps to recognise next steps - so handy to have.”
Mel Singleton, Mountjoy School, Dorset
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"The activity using mirrors really highlighted why they are here. Two of the girls wouldn’t look in the mirrors but it became the talking point about why they are in the group."
Lisa Clark, ELSA, Wyke Regis Federation, Weymouth
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“We have been using the Amazing me, self-esteem programme. It has gone really well. The children love their sock puppets and the journals.”
Natalie Green, Byron Academy, Gillingham, Kent
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“It has really empowered our ELSAs, just giving them another level to enhance the great work they already do. It is the structure and the content that makes the difference and they can then use their own experience to develop it for our children.”
Laura Dominey, Deputy Head at Lytchett Matravers Primary, Dorset
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“The whole programme is exactly what’s needed for children’s wellbeing. It works out as just pence per child.”
Sandra Scott, Damers First School, Dorset
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“When you look and look for a SEMH resource, and then this one comes along, and when I saw it and the contents I was like ‘When can I start it?’ It’s just brilliant!”
Mel Singleton, Mountjoy School, Dorset
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"... Lots of safeguarding things have come out and we would never have found out without these sessions.”
Amy Warren, The Forest Academy, Redbridge
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“The sock puppets come out every week. Though they might not want to but they love them. One boy made the puppet look just like him with pipe cleaner glasses and one of the girls gave her puppet plaited hair. They have really enjoyed using them - I was surprised.”
Lisa Clark, ELSA, Wyke Regis Federation, Weymouth
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"The children really talk to each other and give each other advice.”
Sarah Johnson, ELSA, Radipole Primary School, Weymouth
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"Since joining the group, he has been able to handle his emotions more. He will come and talk to me and will use all the strategies for getting his feelings out and calming down. One day in the classroom he wasn’t allowed to do bench ball. Usually, he would be angry but he just stood and listened and the way he handled it was amazing. It has been really good that he can recognise his feelings."
Sarah Johnson, ELSA, Radipole Primary School, Weymouth
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“I much prefer this to what I was doing before but you do need to be organised and read the cards beforehand and make sure you have the resources ready, but it is all there for you on the card.”
Lisa Clark, ELSA, Wyke Regis Federation, Weymouth
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"The biggest highlight for me is how quickly a particular child has got involved and how much he engages in conversations. It is so rewarding to see him engage. He is more relaxed, happier and he seems less like a rabbit in the headlights.”
Dawn Chant, ELSA, William Barnes Primary School, North Dorset
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"We've been able to respond quickly to need and have an intervention in place. The parents are thrilled and the teachers are thrilled because we've got the programmes and know what to do!"
Verity Katuszka, TA at West Town Lane Academy, Bristol
We would love to hear about how Hamish & Milo is being used and received by children in your care. We know that schools are busy places and your time is precious so we are offering special incentives if you can spare a little time to tell us about your experience.
