WHAT DO PEOPLE SAY ABOUT THUMBS UP?

Throughout our sessions with pupils, teaching staff, parents or carers, we do our very best to capture some of the elements that they found most useful. Often we are victims of time constraints, so sometimes don't quite have the time to ask, but often various people let us know how it has helped them or their children and we do our best to share as many as we can. If you have received any work from Thumbs Up, it would be fantastic to receive any feedback from you, please use our contact page on this website to share. Many thanks.

WHISTON WILLIS PRIMARY SCHOOL (Whiston)

18th May 2018

Well what can we say about these wonderful year 3/4 children at Whiston Willis...? It was the school that was furthest away from where team Thumbs Up live, however, it was worth every minute of travelling to get to spend five friday mornings at this fabulous school with the huggiest children I think we have ever met. On this last morning, we saw more boys dancing throughout our mindfulness topic than ever before! Really really well done each and every one of you, and thank you for such lovely things that you have said, it really does mean the world:-

'I absolutely loved it'
'it made me feel really happy'
'it made me feel glad'
'me and my friend helped a year 4 because of what we have learnt'
'it made me feel magnificent'
'it's helped me with arguments by using the pause button'
'I feel really sad because Thumbs up are leaving'
'it's helped me with my sleep, because I has stopped me going on my iPad at night and now I read for 15 minutes before I go to sleep'
'it made me emotional - in a good way'
'it's made me feel happy (except I've torn the ligaments in my leg!)'
'it's really helped with my friendships'
'it's been really helpful and made me do different things'
'before you came in to school my life was terrible and now it isn't anymore'
'Thumbs Up has been lovely and kind to me'
'you've made me think about being kind when my brother is annoying'
'when you first came in I used my pause button and I'm now doing my chores at home'
'you've helped everyone in the class to know how to help each other'
'you make everyone think on the positive time'
'you helped us to learn how to help each other'
'my class has been hard at times and now you have helped me'
'I am really sad you are leaving'
'you have made everyone laugh a lot'
'you've made me do lots of chores at home and made me much more positive'
'I feel a bit more positive to do things'
'do we have time for magic tricks' (COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Er just sometimes, it depends how much you talk in the sessions!)
'I think that it has helped me to feel less stressed'
'Sue and Cath are really kind'
'I know what to do if I get upset and hurt'
'I think everything you have done has helped me'
'I'm going to miss you because of your personality and teh way you have made us feel'
'everything was great and you are very sweet'
'Thumbs Up is the best'
'I'm going to miss you, because of your sense of humour'
'it was the best experience'
'you are the best teachers (please don't tell my teacher!)' (COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- we didn't, but I think someone else did!

And a lovely comment from the teacher from the year 3 class:-

'The children have been very engaged and have enjoyed it very much, they are going to miss you'

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- we are going to miss you all very much, but hopefully will see you soon. Just remember everything you have learnt and you are going to be even more FABULOUS!

ST PETER'S PRIMARY SCHOOL

14th May 2018

We have delivered five lovely sessions each to two groups of children at St Peter's. One group was a year 3/4 group and one a year 5 group. We have enjoyed the sessions immensely, and feel that the children have some lovely strategies to take away with them. The children had some lovely comments to make at the end of the programme, thank you:-

'I wish you were my teacher'
'it has helped to realise I do have super powers'
'thank you, you have given me confidence and trust'
'it's helped me to learn how my brain works'
'I liked learning about how to push myself back up when I am feeling negative' (resilience)
'pause button helped me'
'I liked how we could talk about different things and share things'
'it's helped me to build my confidence up'
'I feel more daring and brave'
'it helped me to learn how to be kind'
'the pause button really helped me and has worked so far!'

POULTON LANCELYN PRIMARY SCHOOL

30th April 2018

We have loved our three sessions with these two fantastic year 5 groups at Poulton Lancelyn. We have seen a real passion and enthusiasm for the work we have been doing, and have had some fun with these lovely children. We did our best to squeeze a lot of information into our three sessions, but despite the children having a lot of information to take in, their behaviour was exemplary. Thank you to the lovely year 5 children for such a wonderful couple of weeks working together, and to the fabulous teachers who have supported us so much, lovely comments too, thank you:-

'I do like Cath's acting'
'The pause button especially helped me'
'Thumbs Up is really funny'
'Thumbs Up helped me to deal with my brother'
'It was nice to say nice things about each other'
'Thumbs Up was very helpful'
'It's a great way to get the message across'
'It helped me to jump into the right when I was in the wrong'
'We liked the change of Thumbs Up coming in'
'Thumbs Up helped me not to retaliate when my sister annoys me'
'It helped me to develop my confidence'
'It was fun and joyful'
'Thumbs Up made our day better'
'It really helped to deal with my worries'

And a lovely comment from a year 5 teacher at Poulton Lancelyn too:-

'It will really make me think of the definition of 'cool' and how it's what on the 'inside' that is so much more important'

18th April 2018

From a grandparent of a child Thumbs Up have worked with over the course of several sessions (via Facebook):-

'Thumbs Up were brilliant in helping allay my eldest granddaughter's worries and fears over moving to high school and gave her a much needed confidence boost. Thumbs Up is a great idea and much needed programme required in schools'.

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Thank you for this lovely review, we are so glad we were able to help your granddaughter and thank you for taking the time to give Thumbs Up a review.

18th April 2018

From a father of a year 6 child from a class who have received the Essential Life Skills programme over the course of this year and will be receiving the Moving Forwards programme in the summer (via Facebook):-

'The Thumbs Up Education Programme have been to our son's school on a number of occasions; from speaking to our son, and listening to what he's said about the visits, it's clear that Sue and the team have been inspirational, entertaining and thought-provoking. Their approach is never to be 'preachy', and it seems clear that they don't have an 'agenda' they wish to push - they are simply there to help the kids deal with, and understand, things that they maybe don't feel able to deal with on their own, or simply don't know who to go to to get this sort of help. It's obvious our son's class really enjoy the time they spend with the team; he says it's great fun, and he wishes they could stay for longer - he's 1, and he's rarely that enthusastic about anything!'

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Thank you for this wonderful review, we are looking forward to returning to your son's school again in the next couple of months.

THORNTON HOUGH PRIMARY SCHOOL

29th March 2018

We loved our sessions with Thornton Hough, thank you for these wonderful comments, we can't wait to see you again in the summer, well done guys and thank you for these lovely comments:-

'Thumbs Up has helped with my worries'
'It's helped me with my confidence'
'The pause button has helped with my negative thoughts'
'Thumbs Up has made me feel like I am better as a person'
'It has made me feel better about myself'
'Thumbs Up has helped me to learn about the importance of complimenting people'
'It's helped me to stop throwing stuff around the house'

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- We love the fact that the pause button has helped you to stop throwing stuff around the house - fantastic! Thank you all for these lovely comments.

HOLY CROSS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL (LIVERPOOL)

29th March 2018

Our first visit to this fabulous school, and what a fantastic class of children, thank you to each and every one of you for these wonderful comments:-

'Lessons were fun and made me feel more confident'
'Thumbs Up helped me when I had negative thoughts'
'It was loads of fun with great advice'
'It has really helped me to deal with problems at home'
'The pause button has helped me a lot and helped me to make good decisions'

PARKGATE PRIMARY SCHOOL

28th March 2018

From the lovely children at Parkgate Primary School, some lovely feedback and some great enthusiasm and lots of questions! We really enjoyed working with all of you and wish you all the luck for the future, remember to be kind, and keep making those good choices - See you soon:-

'I feel like you will always be here if I feel down'
'Everything has helped me'
'I hope you can always help us'
'I feel like although a lot of people say the limit is the stars, I now believe it is the galaxy'
'You're the best and amazing'
'You're the best ever'
'You have made everyone happy'
'You make us feel safe'
'You help people if they are struggling at school'
'When I am down you bring me up'
'If anyone has a problem Thumbs Up will solve it'
'Thumbs Up has helped us to stick up for ourselves for a better life'
'Parkgate Primary School and Sue and Cath forever'
'You are just so kind'

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Thank you so much guys, truly lovely comments.

RIVERSIDE PRIMARY SCHOOL

28th March 2018

From the wonderful boys at Riverside Primary School, whom we've been working with in a small group. We can quite honestly say that each and every one of these boys has brought something to our sessions that we will take away with big smiles on our faces. We know that if they keep using the techniques we have introduced to them that they will go far - these boys have got so much to offer, well done to you all, and thank you for these fantastic comments and of course our cards:-

'Thumbs Up is the best club in the world'
'It gives great enthusiasm for people that don't have any'
'It's good to make people laugh'
'It's given me ninja skills!'
'Thumbs Up helps to sort out your problems'
'It has helped to work out my friendships'
'It made me not shy to talk about things'
'It helped me to behave better'
'I think it will help me to learn better'
'It gave me a big Thumbs Up'

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Thank you boys for these great comments, we will miss you and hope to see you again soon.

22nd March 2018

From a committee member from the Wirral Dyslexia Association for who Sue delivered a presentation to the attendees:-

'Thank you for your talk Sue. I think it was one of the most interested we have had and really really useful. Your enthusiasm and passion had us all transfixed! Such simple approaches to raise wellbeing and self-awareness are absolutely crucial in our tech age with our young people'.

8th March 2018

From a year 5 teacher whom Thumbs Up worked with in the spring term of 2018:-

'If your school hasn't got Thumbs Up into work with your children, you really need to address this. I have sat in the sessions with Sue and Cathy, and looked at the interaction between them and the children and have listened to the content of the programme, and I can quite honestly say that Thumbs Up should become a significant part of the development of our primary school children. Thumbs Up are very passionate about the work they do and you can tell that they love their jobs. Fully recommend this company, don't hesitate, book Thumbs Up'

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Thank you so much for this amazing feedback, and many thanks for recommending Thumbs Up, we couldn't be happier that we are making this kind of impact on both children and teachers. We look forward to working with you again in the very near future.

CASTLEWAY PRIMARY SCHOOL

5th December 2017

Thank you to the gorgeous year 5/6 group for these fantastic comments, we are so pleased we got an opportunity to work with such amazing children, and we can't wait to see you next year - Happy Christmas:-

‘it’s helped with trying to stick up for myself and build confidence’
‘it allowed me to get things off my chest’
‘being able to talk about things makes me feel better’
‘it’s helped me make the right decisions’
‘helped me with my confidence’
‘it helped me go from shy to un-shy’
‘it helped me with my stress’
‘it helped me with friends’
‘I won't only help my team Thumbs Up, I'll help others too’
‘when I’m stressed and worried, it helped me to get rid of the worries’

BEDFORD DRIVE PRIMARY SCHOOL

29th December 2017

Thank you for these fabulous comments, see you next year:-

'thank you so much you, are an inspiration to me and my class'
'thank you for the five weeks of work, now it's time to relax!'
'the Thumbs Up workshops were fun and funny'
'thank you so much for spending your time with us. You really helped me with my confidence, I will miss you'
'thank you for coming a doing workshops with us, you both make me laugh out loud!'
'thank you for teaching us and telling us all about being a better person'
'Thumbs Up is the best'
'thank you for your wonderful lessons, I can't wait to see you again'
'thank you for helping us to speak out'
'thank you for teaching us and helping us. Thank you a great five weeks, we will miss you a lot, but I would just like to say a big THANK YOU!'
'WE LOVE YOU!'

GROVE STREET PRIMARY SCHOOL

29th November 2017

Thank you for these wonderful comments, see you next year:-

'thank you so much for teaching me to always stay positive, what you have taught me I will cherish it, I promise'
'Sue makes me laugh, come back soon, I have loved every minute with you'
'I had a great time, I learnt a lot'
'thank you for teaching up about life, I have learnt so much about myself, I will always remember you'
'I think you should do this in secondary school, because I think they would like it'
'I have got more confident in myself because of you, I'll always think about the work we have done'
'thank you for helping me to believe in myself, and I am now more confident and not shy anymore'
'you have taught me not to shout out and that I can learn from failure, now the whole class are happy'
'whenever I'm angry I will think of you (in a good way!)'
'thank you for teaching us that to be cool is to be kind'
'my time with you was amazing, I don't want you to go at all'
'I have learnt so much for you, I will miss you so much'

BLACK HORSE HILL JUNIOR SCHOOL

16th November 2017

You lovely children at Black Horse Hill have got the most amazing opportunity to be the best you can be, use everything we have learnt over these past weeks and just fly...and don't forget...we will be watching!!! Thank you for these amazing comments, we will see you in the summer:-

'If you ever get bullied, speak to someone and then they’ll help you'
'It’s given me more confidence to go to year 7'
'I feel more happy now'
'It’s inspiring and life changing'
'Everything is good about Thumbs Up'
'Be confident and speak to Thumbs Up''
'I feel safer now'
'It’s inspired me and now I will inspire others'
'I’m more confident'
'Keep calm and speak to Thumbs Up'
Thumbs Up will help you and give you confidence'
'If you ever feel down remember you managed to exist in the time of technology' COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- 'very profound!'
'Don’t hesitate - to talk to Thumbs Up'
'I think Thumbs Up has really helped me with the difficulties you’ve had'
'If you’ve got a problem talk to Thumbs Up'
'Remember keep your Thumbs Up'
'Sue and Cath are the best'
'Thumbs Up is life changing'
'If you’re being bullied talk to Thumbs Up'

WHITEFIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

10th November 2017

The children at Whitefield were just fantastic, we think we've found a few future Thumbs Up facilitators here!. Whitefield was our first venture over to Liverpool with Thumbs Up, and we couldn't have started better to what I hope will be the first of many. Thank you to you gorgeous children for these lovely comments - here's a comment from us back to you - 'we will miss you':-

'Thumbs Up built up my respect'
'Thumbs Up has made me a stronger person emotionally'
'I’ve made more friends through Thumbs Up'
Thumbs Up has made me more confident'
'Thumbs up has made my life better'
'Thumbs up has made my emotions change for the better'
'Thumbs Up have given lots of care'
'Thumbs Up has taken away my anger'
'Thumbs Up loves JoJo bows' (COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- mmm not too sure about that!)
'Thumbs Up has made me a happier and more positive person'
'Thumbs Up has made me have more control over my emotions'
'Thumbs Up has made me more enthusiastic'
'Thumbs Up allow me to share my problems'
'Thumbs Up made me a bit happier and ready for high school'
'Thumbs Up has made me more respectful'

BRACKENWOOD JUNIOR SCHOOL

30th October 2017

We have been working with some pupils from this school over the course of the past few weeks, looking at various aspects of their mental health and wellbeing, behaviour management and more besides. It's always a pleasure to work with the wonderful pupils at Brackenwood, here are some of the comments and observations that the children made:-

'The pause button has really helped me'
'I know how important it is to slow my thoughts down'
'It has really helped with my behaviour'
'I haven't been on 'red' for weeks!'
'Thumbs Up is amazing if you need help, it's great'
'It's helped me a bit, but I hope I see you again to get a reminder of how to be good'
It's really helped me to stop shouting out'

EGREMONT PRIMARY SCHOOL

19th October 2017

We have been working with three small but lovely groups over the past four weeks here at Egremont. We have met some truly amazing, resilient and inspirational children, and we have enjoyed immensely. Hopefully we will see you all again soon. We have some lovely comments from the children to share:-

'When I’m sad and lonely and upset and hurt and angry it helps me''
'It helps me to do acts of kindness and making friends'
'I didn’t used to play with others when they are on their own and now I do'
'Thumbs Up helps me not to get angry'
'Thumbs Up makes me happier'
'Thumbs Up helps me at home when I get angry as I have learnt to calm down'
'It made me help someone in year 5'
'I like Thumbs Up because it makes me smile and makes me excited to come here and wish it would go on until the end of term'
'I like Thumbs Up because whenever I go it helps me to calm down'
'Thumbs Up has made me happy'
'I think it made me feel happier about the way I feel'
'It helped me because you shared personal things about being resilient and wanted to help you too'
'I don’t want the group to finish and all my friends are here'
'Sue and Cath are the best'
'I think it’s not only changed me but all the people in the group'
'When we started we were quite shy and now everyone speaks'
'Sue and Cath are both caring and loving'
'Thumbs Up helps to pop a darkness bubble'
'Thumbs Up has helped me a lot, it helped me deal with bullies that live near me'
'Thumbs Up keeps me out of out of trouble'

18th October 2017

ST ALBAN'S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

What a pleasure it has been to work with these amazing children. We really have enjoyed working together and the feedback from the children has been fantastic and we are so excited as we get to go back and work with them in the summer! Thank you all for making our job the best job in the world! Look at these lovely comments the children have made:-

'you've made me want to start doing what you do'
'It makes you keep calm and listen to Minutes to Midnight by Linkin Park!'
'Be confident and follow your dreams'
'Don’t follow your dreams, chase them'
'Keep calm and believe in yourself'
'I feel a lot happier since we started'
It should be 'Fun’s Up'
'It stopped me from being angry'
'It helped me to talk to people'
'It makes Wednesdays better'
'I wish it was longer'
'I really love Thumbs Up I may sound boring but it’s so much better than you think it will be'
'It seems it may be a bit boring but it’s so fun and you get to meet new people'
'Do not bully'
'I love Thumbs Up and I love Sue'
'Thumbs Up helped me to be more confident'
'Thumbs Up teaches loads of methods if you're stress and there’s loads of help'
'Thumbs Up is very happy'
'Thumbs Up is generous and helpful and helps me through life'
'Thumbs Up helps me grow as a person'
'There is a lot of friendship in Thumbs Up'
'It’s happy and makes it change your life'
'It’s more than going to a class every day'
'It makes me come out of my shell'
'Due to the help of Thumbs Up it helped me be excited for high school'
'It makes your life happier'
'It’s great for a laugh and good advice'
'Sue makes you very confident'

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Big thanks to you all for such lovely comments, can't wait to see you in the summer!

11th October 2017

From a parent of a year 6 girl whom I worked with in the autumn term of 2017 (via the school):-

'My daughter absolutely adores the Thumbs Up Programme. I have been given every detail of what they do! I meant to feedback earlier on this, as she had Thumbs Up the day before she went for an entrance exam at a secondary school, and she said it helped her massively. When all the girls were nervously waiting to go in, she said she remembered how they have been taught ice breaker questions, and she used lots of them to make conversation'

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Thank you so much for this amazing feedback, we are so pleased that it helped your daughter so much.

9th October 2017

ST PETER'S C OF E PRIMARY SCHOOL

We have worked with two amazing groups of children over the course of four sessions, and have enjoyed our time with them enormously. We really have seen a sense of increased positivity and confidence emerge amongst these children, it's been an absolute pleasure to work with them, thank you St Peter's for having Thumbs Up at your school for the first time, hope we see you again soon. Here are some lovely comments that the children have made:-

Year 3/4

'I've liked it because when a child sometimes comes in upset they get to be much happier as Thumbs Up cheers them up'
'I liked the magic tricks'
'I don't like doing anything but sleeping!'
'I've enjoyed it'
'Sue is being a 'bucket dipper' because she is leaving!'
'Sue makes things that seem impossible come true'
'You taught us to have confidence and determination'

Year 5/6

'I've learnt to start my day with a positive thought'
'I've learnt to get rid of the negative side of my brain'
'I've learnt to be more confident and to enjoy my day at school more'
'I've learnt how to control my learning difficulties'
'I've learnt how to make sure that I don't feel that everyone is better than me'
'I've learnt to think of all the positives when I have a boring day at school'
I've learnt how to break out of my negative thought cycle'
I've learnt whenever someone makes me sad, not to run after them and punch them'
I've learnt that I'm not worthless and I do mean something in life'
'I've learnt not to judge people, but to accept them for what they are'

18th September 2017

From a parent of a year 7 boy who has just started secondary school whom I worked with when he was in year 6 (via email):-

'I cannot thank Thumbs Up enough for the work they did with my son. He was so worried about going to high school, and when Thumbs Up went into his school, he was even scared about talking to them about it. When he realised that all the other children were feeling the same way it made him feel loads better. By the time the programme had finished at my son's school, he was actually starting to feel quite excited. Now he has gone to high school, he can't believe how everything Thumbs Up told him has helped. He asked me himself to email you to tell you, as he is so grateful. Thank you Sue and team, I am so glad my son's primary school had you there'.

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Thank you for this fantastic feedback, we are so pleased that he has found the techniques to help him.

21st July 2017

BLACK HORSE HILL JUNIOR SCHOOL

Thank you - you gorgeous Black Horse Hill children for such wonderful feedback - you know how much we always enjoy coming in to see you. The response we got when you talked about induction day was fantastic, and I just know you are all going to be fab at your secondary schools! Sure we'll see you around. Take a look at this feedback - just the best! Thank you:-

‘At first I was terrified for high school and now I can’t wait’
‘They were nice, funny and kind and helped me a lot’
‘They should help more schools’
‘I was really nervous, but it gave me confidence to make friends’
‘The Thumbs Up wristbands helped me to make new friends’
‘They were amazing, didn’t yell and answered all our questions’
‘It helped so much on induction day’
‘I would love for Thumbs Up to be able to help when I’m at secondary school too’
‘Thumbs Up was packed full of things’
‘It was wonderful’
‘It was a great experience before high school’
‘They made it really enjoyable’
‘It helped me to see the positive side of things’
‘I will use the advice at high school’
‘It was amazing and fun’
‘I didn’t have any worries, but you were so much fun’
’10 out of 10, very funny and helpful’
‘It helped me stand up for myself’
‘It was the best session ever!’
‘Thumbs Up was the best and it was amazing, I give this programme a ‘thumbs up!’'

17th July 2017

GAYTON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Thank you to fantastic children at Gayton for some really wonderful feedback, it really helps Thumbs Up to move the programme forward, and gives us a great idea what is really working or if we need to change anything. Good luck to all you amazing children at your new schools in September, here is your feedback:-

'Thumbs Up helped me to see I should have confidence in myself'
'Sue and Debbie were amazing and now I feel so good about myself'
'I loved the way it was different every week'
'Sue and Debbie were very kind'
'I found everything useful and found out things about others that I didn't know'
'It helped me to be calmer, more confident and less worried'
'I feel really thankful'
'they presented it perfectly and they got the message across because it was enjoyable'
'they never missed anything and explained everything strongly'
'they developed a great community'
'I'd have liked more posters' - COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- agreed, thank you, this is now in hand for autumn
'I liked knowing that I can stay in touch with friends in my class and that bullying isn't common in high school'
'I learned so much'
'Sue and Debbie were kind and took everything in, they did everything perfectly'
'I loved the way it was presented by making it funny'
'they really listened to everything'
'there was no pressure to join in, so that made me feel happier'

20th June 2017

POULTON LANCELYN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Thank you to the amazing year 6 children that we worked with over the course of four weeks, some lovely feedback and also very constructive feedback too which we will certainly talk on board as we enhance and improve the programme further for the new school year. Good luck to all you fabulous children in your new schools, I just know that you are going to be amazing! Take a look at the feedback from this wonderful school:-

From the teaching staff:-

'my class were quite positive from the start, and look forward to every session and gained a lot from them'
'the session that was particularly pertinent was the last session talking about transition to high school, I think that has really helped them to feel more comfortable about moving and the induction day'
'If I could change something, I would like the sessions later on in the year' - COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- 'this is now planned for next summer'
'I thought the programme was a very informal and relaxed way to look at transition and really helped the children to feel more comfortable with moving to high school. The two instructors were excellent and explained everything in a clear and reassuring manner'
'I'd like to suggest an improvement - I don't think it was helpful to talk about anxiety just before SATs - this may have made the children feel more anxious' - COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP - 'it's quite hard to gauge this sometimes, I was aware that there was quite a bit of anxiety surrounding SATs, and therefore wished to generalise about anxiety rather than target SATs, I aimed to alleviate the sense of anxiety prior to taking the tests, but I will - without doubt - be mindful of this in the future, thank you'.

From the children:-

'It helped me with my sleeping, for example breathing in and out and counting'
'I think we should have all had the chance to stand up and do some acting, because my friends and I didn't get the chance' - COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- 'I'm sorry about this, it is hard to give everyone a chance when we have big numbers in the class, but we are looking at ways to get more people involved throughout the sessions, thank you for your comment'
'I think Thumbs Up presented it perfectly'
'They could have been more serious' - COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- 'we are sorry if you were disappointed, we try to mix the serious stuff and the less formal stuff to cater for everyone's needs, and we try to have some fun too because we know how much children usually enjoy the humour, but again, thank you for your comment, we will certainly think about this'
'It helped me to understand that other people going to high school feel the same'
'It was presented well, really helped me and I enjoyed it a lot'
'It was a wonderful experience'
'I would love more help from Thumbs Up as I think it would help me with more techniques to help my ADHD'
'It was really fun but still really important'
'Sue and Debbie were always happy and very welcoming'
'I liked the way they got everyone involved'
'I would like to do it again due to it being massively helpful - I now feel independent'
'Sue and Debbie were extremely kind to me/us'
'It was perfect and presented well and a lot of effort went into it'
'It helped me to have a positive attitude'
'I would like something about judging people by their appearance' - COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- 'Thank you, this has now been added into our programme for the new school term'
'When I heard 'Thumbs Up' were coming in, I expected we would go and have fun, not a feelings talk - COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- 'Thank you for your comment, I hope despite you not feeling it was fun, that talking about your feelings helped you to move forward in a positive way, we try to get a mix of fun and serious, but talking about feelings is an incredibly important part of the way 'we' are'
'It just made me feel so much more confident'
'Everything was explained really clearly'
'It was very good and educational'
'I'm so thankful they came in and helped us'
'They were both great ladies and made things fun'

14th June 2017

SACRED HEART CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Thank you to the most amazing group of eight year 4 pupils that we have had the pleasure of working with at Sacred Heart. The children loved calling themselves 'Team Thumbs Up', and would love now to represent Thumbs Up and the work we do by helping other children in the school with the same life skills that they have been taught. Thank you so much for your lovely comments - you've been fantastic:-

"Thumbs Up has helped me with my education "
"Thumbs Up has helped me with my behaviour"
"Thumbs Up has helped me with my confidence"
"Thumbs Up has helped me to make more friends"
"Thumbs Up has helped me to do my homework"
"Thumbs Up has helped me to understand my emotions"
"Thumbs Up has helped us all to make better choices"
"The pause button really helped me"

29th May 2017

OUR LADY AND ST EDWARD'S PRIMARY SCHOOL

Thank you to the wonderful year 4 children at Our Lady and St Edward's for making us feel so welcome in our first visit to your fantastic school. We had so much teacher support too, which made these sessions all the more special. Please take a look at some of the feedback from the children:-

'It helped me by staying calm when you are angry'
'It is a really good programme'
'I really liked it but wish the groups were smaller'
'It helped me to feel happy'
'I think Thumbs Up was fantastic'
'Every child should do it'
'I think Sue and Debbie were really kind'
'I'd like some more help with how not to be shy, but it helped me to sleep better'
'I liked the activities'
'It was really fun, but I'd like us to be in different groups with friends'
'Sue and Debbie were respectful'
'It helped me to feel better about myself'
'It helped me to be kinder;
'I didn't like any of it!'
'I'd like more magic tricks'
'They were very nice and confident'
'It was amazing and fabulous. They presented the programme really well, Sue and Debbie are amazing!'

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Thank you for your lovely comments guys, hopefully see you all again soon.

12th May 2017

OVERCHURCH PRIMARY SCHOOL

We have had the pleasure of working with two wonderful groups of children from Overchurch Primary School. Our first group being a year 6 group and the second group a year 3/4 group. Thank you all so much for making our work on our Friday mornings so enjoyable, lots of luck for the future - you're all going to be fab. Please take a look at our feedback and lovely quotes below:-

Year 6 (please find the year 6 word cloud on the 'Word Clouds' page)

'when you've got a sad face, put a thumbs up'
'we have all enjoyed Thumbs Up'
'don't make a fist when you can make a thumbs up'
'Thumbs Up increased my confidence to go to high school'
'Sue and Debbie made me feel more confident'
'There's no way to describe it, it's just so good'
'I recommend Sue and Debbie'
'I want more lessons'

Year 3/4

'I like Thumbs Up a lot'
'Thumbs Up is really exciting'
'Sue and Debbie are really kind'
'Thumbs Up is fun'
'Thumbs Up is amazing'
'Thumbs Up is lovely and fun'
'Thumbs Up is cool'
'Thumbs Up is really good'
'Thumbs up is the best club I have ever been to'

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Thank you so much, you're the best

2nd May 2017

A wonderful four sessions with two groups of amazing children from Egremont Primary School. In the year 5/6 group I asked the children for some feedback about they felt about their Thumbs Up experience, here is what they said:-

'it's better than Maths!'
'I wish it was for four hours'
'I wish it was every day'
'I wish our sessions were longer'
'I'd love to do what you do when I'm older'
'I wish we could give you a present instead of you giving us one'

Thank you so much all of you. The progress these children made from session 1 to session 4 was outstanding, and we hope to see you all again, and wish you luck for the future.

27th March 2017

WOODLANDS PRIMARY SCHOOL

Our second lot of programmes at Woodlands, and just as a delightful couple of groups as the first. The wonderful children of Woodlands once again inspired us and we loved every minute of working with them. We had some lovely feedback as usual:-

1) Have you enjoyed Thumbs Up?

'it's amazing and brill'
'our 'girl power' group was the best!'
'it's the best'

2) Can you tell us the one thing that you will remember and use the most?

'I will remember the dice' (communication exercise)
'I will use the pause button to help with my anger'
'doing the A to B activity' (resilience exercise)
'making right and wrong choices'
'about friendships'

3) Have you anything you would like to add?

'I love Thumbs Up and the teachers!'
'it's good'
'it gets me out of lessons' COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP - not generally the idea

24th March 2017

HOLY CROSS CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

We presented a bespoke programme to two wonderful groups of children from Holy Cross. We enjoyed it so much, and the children really enjoyed the sessions. Thanks guys for being so fab. Take a look at some feedback we got from the children:-

1) Have you enjoyed Thumbs Up?

'it's been amazing'
'my confidence has risen so much'
'I got up in the morning because I knew Thumbs Up were coming in'

2) Can you tell us the one thing that you will remember and use the most?

'I will remember the dice' (communication exercise)
'learning about the pause button'
'doing the A to B activity' (resilience exercise)

3) Have you anything you would like to add?

'we've been excited every week'
'it's made me happier'
'when I came in I knew we would laugh together'
'will you come back in years 4, 5 and 6?'
'I was shy when I first met you and now I'm not'

30th December 2016

BARNSTON PRIMARY SCHOOL

From the wonderful children at Barnston Primary School, who received the Year 6 Preparation Programme during the autumn term. The children at Barnston are always incredibly interactive with us, and we always enjoy delivering the programme and this fantastic school. Many thanks for the lovely comments:-

1) Did you enjoy the Thumbs Up Education Programme?

100% of the children said 'yes'
"yes, yes, yes, yesssssss"
"yes I loved it"
"yes it was amazing and fun"
"I found it extremely amazing"

2) How did the programme help you the most?

"it helped me to be excited for high school"
"it made me not afraid for high school"
"the pause button and the sleep techniques were the most useful"
"it helped me because I learnt more stuff so that has made me get a better mind"
"it improved my confidence"
"how to stay calm and be nicer"
"how to stand up for myself"
"positive thinking helped me the most, it has helped to stop worrying an feeling sad"
"with self-esteem and positivity in myself"
"with life schools and things to do in a bad situation"
"It helped me a lot and I loved it so much! I learnt so many things and became a different person"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- These answers are the reason we do Thumbs Up - the vast majority of the children at Barnston said that it has helped them not to worry about moving to high school - fantastic result.

3) Is there anything else you would like to see included in the programme?

"no but would love them to come back and teach us some more"
"more about moving to high school"
"more about friendships

4) Is there anything you didn't feel was very useful or didn't enjoy?

100% of the children said "no"

5) Did you think Sue and Debbie presented the programme well to you? And do you think she could have done anything differently?

"you presented it well to us"
"they were brilliant"
"it was great"
"they were amazing, but they could have done it the next day because they left when I felt I needed them more"
"they were amazing and very funny"
"I would give them 10/10"

6) Do you have anything else to say about the programme?

"it's the best, please come back"
"I like how you told us stories"
"Thumbs Up has helped me so much"
"It was amazing"
"it was really good"
"It was great, can't you tell I LOVED IT!!!"
"I looked forward to it every week and felt it helped me. I'd love to see them again"
"I would love to see them again"
"I just really want Thumbs Up to come in again"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Thank you for all the lovely comments, we are so glad you enjoyed the programme as much as we did!

15th December 2016

ST PAUL'S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Thank you to the year 4/5 teachers for their comments:-

1) Did you feel that the children responded well to the Thumbs Up Education Programme:-

"the children responded really well, they were very enthusiastic and extremely engaged"
"yes, very well"

2) Is there any topic discussed that you felt was particularly pertinent to the children ?

"emotions - children find it hard dealing with emotions and this was brilliant for helping them to do this. Pause button was great to learn about, as we all need to stop and think"
resilience and sleep techniques; empathy"

3) Would you recommend the programme to other schools?

"yes I would. Sue and Debbie were great, not only were the children were engaged, but the adults were too"
"definitely"

4) Would you deem the implementation of the programme to your school an invaluable addition to your school's curriculum?

"yes, so members of staff could use similar strategies with the children"
"extremely invaluable, all children would benefit"

5) Would you like to be contacted with a view to presenting further programmes at your school?

"yes, would love a staff inset"
"yes (would also be great to have an inset day so all staff could learn about Thumbs Up)"

56 Do you have any further comments to make on the delivery or the content of the programme?

"absolutely brilliant, both Sue and Debbie were great with the children. I understand that it was for children, but I was able to relate things to myself. Thank you"
"thank you so much, you've not only helped the children develop coping strategies, but myself too"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Many thanks for your lovely comments, it's been a real pleasure working with you both and the children.

15th December 2016

ST PAUL'S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

Thank you to these wonderful year 4/5 pupils for their lovely feedback. It has been an absolute pleasure working with you all, you were so focussed on the work we did - a real credit to your school:-

1) Did you enjoy the Thumbs Up Education Programme?

100% of the children said 'yes'
"Yes it was so fun"
"Yes I loved it"

2) How did the programme help you the most?

"in the third week, because you taught me not to follow the crowd"
"the pause button and sleeping"
"the pause button, and how to show empathy. Doing the word cloud made me happy and the sleep method helped too"
"the sleep programme and the glasses (choices)"
"it helped me because of the path to build yourself up (mindfulness)"
"how to stay calm"
"how to be happy and not down and the glasses"
"the part that helped me the most was the empathy part"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- These answers are the reason we do Thumbs Up - all those responses are the intended result of the programme, we're so pleased, thank you.

3) Is there anything else you would like to see included in the programme?

"more on bullying"
"how to stop people having panic attacks"
"how to stop an argument with other people"

4) Is there anything you didn't feel was very useful or didn't enjoy?

"I enjoyed it every week because you taught me everything I need"
"it was all fun"
"no, it helped me a lot, I enjoyed it all"
"it was all useful"
"how to calm myself down more"

5) Did you think Sue and Debbie presented the programme well to you? And do you think she could have done anything differently?

"you presented it well to us"
"I think it was done in a very good way and I felt like I could have told them anything"
"Sue and Debbie were really nice"
"I wish the sessions were longer"
"they presented the programme"

6) Do you have anything else to say about the programme?

"I've loved the four weeks you have been here"
"it's amazing, the best programme we've ever done"
"I would recommend them to other people, thank you for coming"
"I've loved seeing Sue and Debbie every week"
"it was amazing"
"I've loved the sessions, I wish we could do this again!"
"I think it made good benefits to other people's lives, apart from mine"
"I am grateful because I'm now looking forward more to high school, and it was good to have a laugh on the programme"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Thank you for all the lovely comments, we are so glad you enjoyed the programme as much as we did!

1st November 2016

WAVERTON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Thank you to the year 6 teacher for her comments:-

1) Did you feel that the children responded well to the Thumbs Up Education Programme:-

"Our children responded very well"

2) Is there any topic discussed that you felt was particularly pertinent to the children ?

"Unfortunately I wasn't in the classroom for all sessions"

3) Would you recommend the programme to other schools?

"Yes"

4) Would you deem the implementation of the programme to your school an invaluable addition to your school's curriculum?

"Yes"

5) Do you have any further comments to make on the delivery or the content of the programme?

"The content and course leaders were excellent. To make it even better have the children doing more, possibly a booklet to fill in and more role playing"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Many thanks for your suggestion, I do like the idea of a booklet. In the final session, we did more active learning and role play, but thank you anyway for your kind comments.

1st November 2016

WAVERTON PRIMARY SCHOOL

Well our first visit to Chester was a fantastic one, what a lovely year group. Thank you so much for the wonderful comments:-

1) Did you enjoy the Thumbs Up Education Programme?

100% of the children said 'yes'
"Yes it was amazing"

2) How did the programme help you the most?

"it gave me something to think about"
"with my confidence and self-loving"
"it let me help my thoughts"
"it helped me to calm my anger"
"it helped me to to stop worrying"
"when you talked about the pause button"
"ihe breathing trick to help me sleep"
"it taught me about mindfulness, respect, kindness and other friendship values"
"my mum is poorly and Thumbs Up coming in made me calm down and made me feel better"
"it helped me about friendships"
"it stopped me worrying about SATS

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- These answers are the reason we do Thumbs Up - all those responses are the intended result of the programme, thank you.

3) Is there anything else you would like to see included in the programme?

99% of the children said 'no'
"more about every day"
"it was fun and we learnt at the same time"
"some more games"

4) Is there anything you didn't feel was very useful or didn't enjoy?

99% of the children said 'no'
"the bit about bullying because we've already covered it"

5) Did you think Sue and Debbie presented the programme well to you? And do you think she could have done anything differently?

"you did well"
"it was perfect"
"Sue and Debbie did it really well, they were one of the nicest visitors we've ever had to Waverton"
"they were very enjoyable to work with"
"they were kind, generous and funny"

6) Do you have anything else to say about the programme?

"it was great, they should be proud of themselves"
"they could have done a few more activities"
"it was amazing, perfect, fantastic and fabulous"
"it was very, very, very, very, every good!"
"I am so grateful Sue and Debbie came to my school, they really helped me"
"it was really good because I feel more confident and safe!"
"I think it made good benefits to other people's lives, apart from mine"
"I am grateful because I'm now looking forward more to high school, and it was good to have a laugh on the programme"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Thank you for all the lovely comments, we are so glad you enjoyed the programme and found it funny too, we are very keen to make it learning with those elements of fun and laughter involved too!

28th October 2016

From a parent (who is a teacher also) of a year 6 boy who has had our Preparation Programme presenting in his school:-

"I cannot thank you enough for helping my son. Some of the techniques really help him. I partiularly likes the idea that he can change a habit in 28 days with trying to make small changes every day. He is trying to be more confident and is setting himself some small goals each day to try and achieve this before he goes to secondary school. Thank you so much for all your help Thumbs Up, I will be recommending you to other schools too"

From Sue:- "That is so good to hear, it is so effective when the children take the techniques home and work at them. Well done"

16th October 2016

From a teacher of whom has sat in the sessions with their children:-

"Not only has the work Thumbs Up have done helped the children, but it has really helped me too. I now know that I have to slow down my thoughts in order to make the right decisions and responses to situations, and I will certainly be reiterating this to the children. Every school would benefit from having Thumbs Up to come in and help the children - and the teachers!"

From Sue:- "What a lovely email to get, thank you. I am so pleased that you found the techniques useful too".

5th September

From a parent of a child in year 5, whom undertook some sessions to help with anxiety in a small group:-

"Sue really helped my daughter who struggles with anxiety. My daughter came home so excited that Sue was really helping her, and has kept using the strategies that Sue put in place with her. I am delighted Sue is now coming into the school that I work at, and that she can help other children too. I am so pleased that Sue will also be coming back into my daughter's school this school year to work with her entire year".

From Sue:- "It was an absolute pleasure, she's a lovely girl, and I am very much looking forward to working with her again".

12th August

From a parent of a child in year 6, whom I have been doing some one to one work with over the last school year:-

"Sue, thank you so so much for all the work you have done with my daughter. She honestly is like a different child. She's always worried about going to secondary school, but now she genuinely seems excited and happy that she is going. I just wanted to say a big thank you, from my daughter and from the rest of the family."

25th July

From Adele from Year 6 at Barnston Primary School, thank you Adele for these lovely words...good luck in September. Sue

"I would like to say thank you SO SO much for everything you taught me! I loved the way that whilst teaching us, you made it extremely fun! I now have a lovely friend group, after I asked their names, and we exchanged instagrams and numbers. If you hadn't come to our school, I probably would have been scared to speak to anyone. You boosted my confidence and now I have a lovely group of friends. Thank you for everything you did for me and my year. Adele"

18th July

BIDSTON AVENUE PRIMARY SCHOOL

From the wonderful year 6 teacher - Mrs Button at Bidston Avenue, thank you so much for your support for the programme and comments:-

1) Did you feel that the children responded well to the Thumbs Up Education Programme:-

"Our children responded very well"

2) Is there any topic discussed that you felt was particularly pertinent to the children ?

"All topics seem appropriate and delivered at their level"

3) Would you recommend the programme to other schools?

"Yes"

4) Would you deem the implementation of the programme to your school an invaluable addition to your school's curriculum?

"Invaluable to transition more than curriculum"

5) Do you have any further comments to make on the delivery or the content of the programme?

"Four sessions seems to be enough to build their confidence and give them the knowledge of choices and help that is there for them"

18th July

BIDSTON AVENUE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Once again I have really enjoyed working at Bidston, the children are so polite and respectful and were so enthusiastic of joining in with the programme. Thank you to Mrs Button and Mr Long for their support throughout the four weeks. Thank you for the lovely comments below, good luck all of you:-

1) Did you enjoy the Thumbs Up Education Programme?

100% of the children said 'yes'
"Yes because it made me more excited for high school"
"Sue was really nice to us"
"It really helped me to be less scared for high school"
"Yes because I've found solutions to past problems"

2) How did the programme help you the most?

"With my reaction when I'm angry"
"It helped me to be more confident and not nervous"
"It taught me how to help my friends cope with high school"
"It helped to approach other people and talk more"
"It helped me to make new friends on induction day"
"It helped me to stay safe online and how to sort things out in high school"
"It made me think about the outcome of my actions"
"It helped me to understand problems that may occur during my life"
"To stop and think about the pros and cons"
"It helped me to realise how people feel in certain situations"
"It helped me realise that although it is a huge journey, I can always get help"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- These answers are the reason we do Thumbs Up - all those responses are the intended result of the programme.

3) Is there anything else you would like to see included in the programme?

99% of the children said 'no'
"Maybe a few more activities"
"It was perfect"
"It covered everything thank you"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- I am always coming up with new activities to incorporate in the programme, sometimes it's hard with the time I have, but I always try my best to continue to evolve the programme.

4) Is there anything you didn't feel was very useful or didn't enjoy?

100% of the children said 'no'

5) Did you think Sue presented the programme well to you? And do you think she could have done anything differently?

"Sue was amazing and fun"
"She was super"
"I liked it all"
"I thought everything was amazing""
"Sue was polite and friendly"
"It was great, Sue looked like she really understood us and knew what she was doing"
"Sue was very friendly"
"She couldn't have done anything differently"
"Everything was explained really clearly"

6) Do you have anything else to say about the programme?

"It was superb"
"Thank you so much it was brilliant"
"Thank you very much, I will miss you"
"It really helped build up my confidence, now I am looking forward to high school"
"It really helped me to think about myself"
"It was the best. Only the best is good enough!"
"I think it made good benefits to other people's lives, apart from mine"
"You could start doing other subjects"
"I thought it was very nice and good and helping my confidence"
"All I've got to say is that it was so much fun"
"The programme was absolutely amazing and helped me a lot"

3rd July

BARNSTON PRIMARY SCHOOL

What a fantastic school Barnston Primary is! This was our Thumbs Up new facilitator Debbie's first programme, and what a great one to start with. The children were incredibly receptive to the work and seemed to enjoy each and every moment of it. The feedback below was so lovely to read, and we would like to wish you all a wonderful time at high school and thank you for your great comments about the programme:-

1) Did you enjoy the Thumbs Up Education Programme?

100% of the children said 'yes'
"Yes it was really helpful"
"Yes I really enjoyed it"
"Yes it was really fun and enjoyable and I learnt a lot"

2) How did the programme help you the most?

"It helped to know how to calm down for my first day at school"
"It helped me to start being excited about high school as I was a bit nervous about it"
"It told me about different things I need to know when I am older"
"It helped by telling me how to make new friends and how to deal with bullying"
"The programme helped me by telling us about how to make friends in high school because I am going to my new school on my own"
"It made me a lot more confident"
"It helped me to stop being sad in a thought cycle"
"It helped me with my anger"
"It gave me courage on going to high school and helped me understand the importance of it"
"It helped me boost my confidence, and made me realise that I wasn't the only one who was nervous"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- It is very important that children realise that the negative feelings that they may be experiencing are natural and that other children will be feeling the same way. This normalises the feeling and enables the child to accept it and thus are more likely to be able to verbalise it.

3) Is there anything else you would like to see included in the programme?

99% of the children said 'no'
"Maybe a bit more on bullying"
"I'd like more on how to deal with the hard work"
"I'd like a bit more activities"

4) Is there anything you didn't feel was very useful or didn't enjoy?

99% of the children said 'no'
"I didn't see the point of the exercise when I was pushed around the class by an 'emotion'"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- The purpose of this activity is when a child is experiencing a particular negative emotion, we ask the other child to 'play' that emotion (eg anger) and push the first child around (as mentally an emotion does), and then help them to understand that by confronting that emotion rather than allowing it to continue to push you around can achive a more positive response.

5) Did you think Sue and Debbie presented the programme well to you? And do you think they could have done anything differently?

"I think Sue presented the programme really well, there's nothing she could do differently"
"She made it fun"
"Sue was really good at showing us everything"
"She was fab and fun but stern and also she spoke clearly"
"It was perfect"
"She was great. She told us important things, but still having fun and she involved our comments"
"Sue and Debbie were both very helpful"
"She was amazing and fun"
"She was funny, helpful and jolly"
"She couldn't have helped me more!"
"Despite Sue sometimes forgetting things, i think that made it better and she could really relate to us and us to her. Perfect!"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Thank you for this last comment Josh, it did make me smile (and you asked me to mention your name!). I'm sorry I did forget a couple of things, but it was because this is the first time that I had presented the new transistion programme in its entirety, but thank you for your lovely comments Josh

6) Do you have anything else to say about the programme?

"It was a great experience to learn a lot and I really enjoyed it"
"Does Thumbs Up come to high schools?"
"It will really help me next year for high school, will you come to my new school?"
"It was amazing and pens are amazing!"
"I loved all of it"
"Sue and Debbie were great and it helped me. I like the thing about the wristbands"
"It was amazing and made me feel happy and confident about high school. Thank you so much"
"Thumbs Up was great"
"It was great and useful and it was still fun! Sue and Debbie were wonderful and very reliable"
"I love the pens and wristbands"
"It was an amazing experience"
"It was very funny and easy to understand what Sue and Debbie were talking about"
"It's really enjoyable and I'd recommend it to anyone who is struggling physically or emotionally"
"#nailedit"
"My pen ran out!"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- I am so sorry about your pen. If you ask your parents to email Thumbs Up, I will pop a new one into the post for you!

12th June 2016

From a parent of a year 4 girl who has been suffering with general anxiety. Thumbs Up presented a bespoke programme to a small group of children over a course of four sessions:-

"Thank you to Sue at Thumbs Up for really helping my daughter. She really enjoyed the time she spent with Sue and is hoping that she can come back in soon. The techniques that Sue taught will become invaluable to my daughter, she is already using them every day and I can see a difference in her already. Thank you to Sue and Thumbs Up for such a wonderful addition to schools, I hope that Thumbs Up goes everywhere!"

12th April 2016

From a year 6 parent (via email) whose child is suffering with anxiety towards the transition this year:-

"Sue has touched my child's life with the work she has done. Finally my child can understand emotions and how to deal with them. I cannot thank you enough Sue, and I am so glad that my child's school had Thumbs Up in to do this work, and I am so pleased that you have another transition session left with the children. Thank you so much".

1st April 2016

ST ALBAN'S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

I was lucky enough to be asked to present a programme to five wonderful year 5 girls all of whom suffer with anxiety, and they really needed to know a way forward for them without that sense of anxiety escalating further. I presented a bespoke programme to the girls incorporating 5 x 1 hour sessions over the course of 5 weeks. It has been an amazing opportunity to see how the work I do really make a difference first hand; the improvement that the girls made in the five weeks was amazing. Thank you girls for making me feel so welcome - we did have some laughs too didn't we? Here is the feedback from the girls below:-

1) Did you enjoy the Thumbs Up Education Programme?

100% of the children said 'yes'
"We had a good time"
"It made me feel a little more confident in myself"

2) How did the programme help you the most?

"When we talked about our imaginery place, and it helped me to be more confident in myself"
"Thumbs Up helped me because Sue talked about things that really really helped me"
"It helped me with my anxiety, (so like when I did get angry I could push it away). We did this exercise and I was 'me' and Sue played 'anger'"
"It helped me to stand up to my anxiety"
"It helped me to be more brave and not be worried all the time"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- One of the exercises I do with the children is to be able to confront their emotions - to stand up to them and allow them to control the negative emotion, rather than allowing the negative emotion to control them.

3) Is there anything else you would like to see included in the programme?

"How to be nice to friends without being horrid"
"All of it was fabulous and there couldn't have been anything else"
"Sue brought the rocks in but we didn't get time to use them"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- I was sorry I didn't have time to do this exercise. It was a 'mindfulness' exercise, but we explored 'mindfulness' in other ways - next time.

4) Is there anything you didn't feel was very useful or didn't enjoy?

"I enjoyed every single bit of every lesson"
"There was nothing boring, it was all very useful"
"I liked it all"

5) Did you think Sue presented to programme well to you? And do you think she could have done anything different or have you anything else to say?

"I think Sue presented the programme really well, there's nothing she could do differently"
"I liked it just the way it was"
"I understood everything Sue said"
"She presented it brilliantly"
"Sue was kind and she presented it so so so good"

6) Do you have anything else to say about the programme?

"All I can say is that it helped me a lot"
"All I have to say is that I really enjoyed it, and a big massive thank you to Sue"
"It is fun, energetic, hilarious and amazing!!!!!!"
"Thank you Sue for helping us a lot!!!"
"I rrrrreally enjoyed it and helped me, thank you Sue"

14th March 2016

ST ALBAN'S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

From the wonderful year 4 teacher at St Alban's, thank you so much for your support for the programme and comments:-

1) Did you feel that the children responded well to the Thumbs Up Education Programme:-

"Yes the children have listened well, taken everything on board and spoken about sessions during each week"

2) Is there any topic discussed that you felt was particularly pertinent to the children ?

"Push buttons and confidence"

3) Would you recommend the programme to other schools?

"Yes highly recommend you"

4) Would you deem the implementation of the programme to your school an invaluable addition to your school's curriculum?

"I think for some children it certainly is more important than for others, however all have benefitted"

5) If 'yes', what would you like to be included in addition to the present Programme?

"I think maybe less content for the year 4 children as they need more time some times"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- I absolutely appreciate this comment, and agree with you to some extent, however, I tended to gauge the content at the beginning of the session in accordance with how receptive I felt the children were on that particular day - I can quite honestly say, the children were absorbing the content so much I tended to try and give them as much as could, I guess however, that that may dilute some of the more important topics. Thank you for your comment, I will certainly keep that in mind.

6) Do you have any further comments to make on the delivery or the content of the programme?

"We have really enjoyed your sessions, and I am so glad your our children have had the experience/programme"

14th March 2016

ST ALBAN'S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

These were the loveliest of evaluation forms to read from these three gorgeous year 4 groups - thank you so much to you all, and I hope to see you again in the future:-

1) Did you enjoy the Thumbs Up Education Programme?

100% of the children said 'yes'
"Yes, because you got to listen to other people talking"
"Yes, because I loved being with you"
"Yes, because I learnt a lot from it"
"I loved the Thumbs Up Programme"
"Is that a joke? I loved it like everyone would, Sue - you are so wise"

2) How did the programme help you the most?

"The most thing that helped me the most was using our imagination to make up stories"
"It helped me because before we started Thumbs Up I didn't know what to do after a problem, you have helped me to know what to do with a problem at school or at home"
"With peer pressure"
"About how to deal with bullying and cyber bullying"
"It helped me to be more confident"
"It helped me to be nice, thankful and respectful"
"It helped me not to hit someone when they hurt you and about life"
"The red and golden buzzer"
"It helped me because it showed me how to be a better person"
"The programme helped me not to make the wrong decisions"
"The stop and think twice before going on"
"It helped me not to get angry with my brother"
"It showed me not to make friends on the Xbox"
"It gave e tips in the hardest of times, how much? Well let's just say 'a lot'"
"The 'Cloud' helped me so much because the worries went away when this was written"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- One of the reasons that I create the Word Cloud, is to help the children to see that other children have the same emotions and feelings towards certain events, which in turn help the children to realise that they are 'normal' and their response to situations is generally similar to what other children are too experiencing.

3) Is there anything else you would like to see included in the programme?

99% of the children said 'no'
"more about making friends"
"I would have liked more acting"
"No because I like your lessons, and hope you do more"

4) Is there anything you didn't feel was very useful or didn't enjoy?

99% of the children said 'no'
"Probably the stone task, but it was fun"

5) Did you think Sue presented to programme well to you? And do you think she could have done anything different or have you anything else to say?

"I think Sue presented the programme really well"
"It went really well"
"It was great"
"It was really good the way Sue presented it"
"Sue was kind and she presented it so so so good"
"The programme was good, but she could do some sad things"
"She presented it amazingly"

6) Do you have anything else to say about the programme?

"Thank you for coming, you were the best Sue"
"Thank you for coming, we all loved you and you are so kind and is always smiling"
"It was brilliant"
"It was great and lots of fun, every Friday morning I was very happy"
"I really enjoyed talking about feelings in week one!"
"Thank you Sue, I really enjoyed having you at St Alban's"
"Thank you so much Sue, I will miss you"
"It was great working with you Sue"
"The programme was great learning about how we act"
"It was amazing, it helped me so much"
"The pause button helped me a lot"
"It was great fun! I bet in the future you'll be making great accomplishments"
"You made my Friday's great"

28th February 2016

BRACKENWOOD JUNIOR SCHOOL

From three gorgeous children from Brackenwood Junior School who did some amazing work with me for various issues they were having, thank you for your lovely feedback and I look forward to seeing you again soon.

1) Did you enjoy the Thumbs Up Education Programme?

100% of the children said 'yes'

2) How did the programme help you the most?

"dealings with worries and distraction"
"giving me tips"
"in the most active way possible"

3) Is there anything else you would like to see included in the programme?

100% of children said 'no'

4) Is there anything you didn't feel was very useful or didn't enjoy?

100% of the children said 'no'
"I really enjoyed it"
"no, it was good"

5) Did you think Sue presented to programme well to you? And do you think she could have done anything different or have you anything else to say?

"She did an excellent job for me"
"It was good"

22nd February 2016

From a mum of a year 4 boy who has received a bespoke programme over four sessions, to help with building self-esteem, improving focus at school and teaching other general Cognitive Behavioural Therapy techniques (via email):-

"My son has loved writing in his book that Sue gave him, about his goal setting and how well he was doing with achieving his goals He has said that he was sad that it was the last session he was having with Sue, as he feels the sessions have really improved his levels of concentration. He really enjoyed learning the CBT techniques Sue taught him. Thank you for the lovely comments you have written in my son's book, Sue really seemed to 'get him in a nutshell'. We are really proud how well our son embraced the sessions and would like to thank Sue for her support".

9th February 2016

From a parent of a year 6 girl who has received the Thumbs Up Programme (via email):-

"I just wanted to let you know what a positive effect the sessions have had on my daughter and how much she enjoys the work you do. The most impressive part was that she now thinks out solutions to her worries. I think that the work you do is amazing Sue, and has had such an impact on my daughter. It's so important for children to have this type of education at school, it really is invaluable. Being able to help people change themselves and their circumstances for the better is the most important thing we can do. Thank you Sue".

8th December 2015

BLACK HORSE HILL JUNIOR SCHOOL

From the wonderful year 6 teachers at Black Horse Hill Junior School, thank you so much for your support for the programme and comments:-

1) Did you feel that the children responded well to the Thumbs Up Education Programme:-

"Yes"

2) Is there any topic discussed that you felt was particularly pertinent to the children ?

"Relationships"
"Pause button

3) Is there any other topics you would like to see covered by the programme?

"I think all the relevant topics were included but really the sessions could do with being longer"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- I would love to make the sessions longer, but to enable me to fit more than one group in or fit the four sessions in for the entire programme, sadly it will prove difficult with the time constraints.

4) Would you recommend the programme to other schools?

"Certainly"

5) Would you deem the implementation of the programme to your school an invaluable addition to your school's curriculum?

"Definitely"

6) Do you have any further comments to make on the delivery or the content of the programme?

"I feel that this is a really valuable resource and having read the children's evaluation reports and the positive comments, they really opened up their feelings"

8th December 2015

From the wonderful year 6 children at Black Horse Hill Junior School, thank you so much for the lovely comments and I am so glad you enjoyed taking part in the Thumbs Up Programme, BHHJS is still as fab as ever! I can't wait to see you all in the summer.

1) Did you enjoy the Thumbs Up Education Programme?

100% of the children said 'yes'
"A lot!"
"110% yes"
"Yes, it was fun"

2) How did the programme help you the most?

"It gave me the confidence I need to make new friends"
"It gave me the facts about how to stop bullying if it ever happened"
"It helped me with a lot of things, but mainly what it is like in High School"
"It showed me how everyone else feels about moving to secondary school"
"It told me how to deal with some tough situations"
"It helped not to be
"The interaction with the other children really helped me"worried and more relaxed"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Something that really helps children is to realise that they are not alone in the way they are thinking and feeling towards certain aspects of their school lives. For instance, generally when it comes to secondary school, the vast majority of children feel nerves and worry towards such a big change, to know others feel the same can really help. This is why I encourage the children to talk about their feelings with family members, teachers or friends.

3) Is there anything else you would like to see included in the programme?

98% of the children said 'no'
"friendship games"
"I would like it to be longer"

4) Is there anything you didn't feel was very useful or didn't enjoy?

100% of the children said 'no'

5) Did you think Sue presented to programme well to you? And do you think she could have done anything different or have you anything else to say?

"Sue presented it really well"
"Sue did a really good job and it was really clear what she was trying to do"
"She did everything perfectly"
"I think she made it really comfortable for all of us"
"She did it very well and was very funny and happy"
"She did everything confidently and couldn't have done anything better"
"Sue was great"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Thank you Joe (you did want your name on the website!)

6) Do you have anything else to say about the programme?

"It helped me a lot and I enjoyed it loads!"
"it was brilliant, thanks for your help Sue"
"I really enjoyed Thumbs Up and would like to do it again"
"Overall it's really fun and gets the point out well"
"The only thing more I can say about the programme is that I loved it!"
"I hope this helps other children like me"

24th November 2015

ST BRIDGET'S PRIMARY SCHOOL

From the two wonderful year 6 teachers at St Bridget's Primary School, Mrs Neal and Mrs Carver, thank you as always for your support for the programme and thank you for your comments:-

1) Did you feel that the children responded well to the Thumbs Up Education Programme:-

"Yes"
"Yes it was a large group but they responded well"

2) Is there any topic discussed that you felt was particularly pertinent to the children ?

"Pause button"
"Acts of kindness"
"11 plus"

3) Is there any other topics you would like to see covered by the programme?

"Strategies to calm down, possible with practice - I liked the stone activity"
"Lots of areas covered. Further work on self-esteem, perhaps tricky to do with short amount of time!"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- I will be looking at focussing further and going into more detail about self-esteem and how to increase it, when I work with smaller groups.

4) Would you recommend the programme to other schools?

"Yes" x 2

5) Would you deem the implementation of the programme to your school an invaluable addition to your school's curriculum?

"Yes" x 2

6) Do you have any further comments to make on the delivery or the content of the programme?

"Sue has a lovely manner with the children and they really warm to her, thank you again"
Invaluable addition to our transition work in year 6. The pupils quickly developed a positive, working relationship with Sue"

24th November 2015

From the brilliant year 6 children at St Bridget's Primary School, I love to time I get to spend at this wonderful school and I thank you all for your comments, please find below:-

1) Did you enjoy the Thumbs Up Education Programme?

96% of the children said 'yes'
"No, but enjoyed talking instead of work!"
"Yes it was really fun and Sue is really nice and thoughtful"
"Yes, it was really enjoyable and fun"
"Yes I learnt a lot"
"Yes I enjoyed learning about what to do in situations"

2) How did the programme help you the most?

"It helped me to realise the dangers in life"
"It made me feel better about the 11 plus"
"It helped me to learn about the pause button"
"The pause helped me to think about my actions and calm me down"
"It helped me to be more confident and to stay out of arguments"
"It me to feel more confident about moving to secondary school and it definitely helped me to make the right decisions"
"It helped me to get negative thoughts out of my mind"
"It really helped me to make new friends"
"It didn't really help me, but it was fun"
"It helped me to use the pause button and to stop lashing out and saying things I don't mean
It helped me to know how to be more happy and kind"

3) Is there anything else you would like to see included in the programme?

97% of the children said 'no'
"More about friendships"
"I'd like to have more interactive games"
"I would like to do some art or something"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Thank you for these comments. I try all the time to make the programme more interactive as I appreciate sometimes it is difficult to just listen for an hour, I will endeavour to keep evolving the programme and slotting in more interactive exercises when I can. With St Bridget's - because it is big classes, it sometimes proves a little more difficult.

4) Is there anything you didn't feel was very useful or didn't enjoy?

96% of the children said 'no'
"The pause button sort of helped me"
"Sometimes I felt we just sat there listening"
"I didn't enjoy the stone exercise"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- A couple of children said they didn't enjoy the 'stone' exercise. I really appreciate that this is certain children's feelings towards this exercise. The premise of this is that the stone represents 'taking your mind off things', it is an exercise in 'mindfulness', and I am trying to teach the children that focussing on something very simple

5) Did you think Sue presented to programme well to you? And do you think she could have done anything different or have you anything else to say?

"Sue is lovely and I love the programme"
"Sue was really nice to everyone"
"Sue was kind and helpful"
"I love it that Sue says we can contact her if ever we need to"
"I could understand everything she said"
"Sue kept my interest all the way through"

6) Do you have anything else to say about the programme?

"The programme was great and fun"
"It was a very helpful programme and Sue was really nice"
"Thank you so much for coming to St Bridget's, you really helped me"
"Thank you for coming to our school, it really helped us!"
"I would like to say thank you because she helped me get ready for next year and I loved doing this with you"
"We would love more drama and activities"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- A lot of children and teachers asked there to be more drama. This is most definitely something I am working on, particularly heading towards the transition sessions in the summer. I thank you for these constructive comments.

6th November 2015

ST ALBAN'S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

From the teachers at St Alban's, whom I would also like to thank for a lot of support for the programme, I really enjoyed working with you all. Please take a look at the comments below:-

1) Did you feel that the children responded well to the Thumbs Up Education Programme:-

"The children responded very well and positively"
"Children listened attentively and responded well to the questions/issued raised"
"They responded really well"

2) Is there any topic discussed that you felt was particularly pertinent to the children ?

"Thinking before you react to situations"
"Sharing respect"
"The importance of listening"
"Empathy - really useful for year 6 to be aware of this. This was introduced into the discussion very appropriately with lots of opportunity for the children to "open up"
"Moving onto High School and what to do"
"What are problems and what to report, what is 'snitching'"

3) Is there any other topics you would like to see covered by the programme?

"The four sessions covered many important themes, further focus on transition to secondary school would be helpful"
"From what I can recall, the coverage was very comprehensive and dealt with a lot of relevant and engaging issues"
"Not sure if it was done, but good organisational skills and expectation of ownership of behaviour in High School"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Thumbs Up have been booked in for transition sessions in the summer, there of course will be more focus on 'the move' and also there will be focus on homework and organisation.

4) Would you recommend the programme to other schools?

"Yes I would!"
"Yes, certain schools would benefit enormously"
"I would!"

5) Would you deem the implementation of the programme to your school an invaluable addition to your school's curriculum?

"Yes, very relevant at the beginning and the end of the year, this year group will definitely benefit from it"
"Very useful at the beginning of the year"
"It was an invaluable addition"

6) Do you have any further comments to make on the delivery or the content of the programme?

"A development would be including a little more practical activity eg drama/personal response journal for recording thoughts, ideas, tips"
"Perhaps as a way forward, if some of the activities were practical and interactive, allowing the children to record or even 'dramatise' some of the themes being covered"
"The children felt like their contributions were valuable, lovely sessions, thank you"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Thank you for the feedback, I agree, more interactive - particularly with some quieter groups would be a good idea, this is now in the process of being developed.

6th November 2015

From the super children at St Alban's, and I really appreciate the comments from you all, and at am chuffed to bits to say that I have now been asked to come back to see you

1) Did you enjoy the Thumbs Up Education Programme?

100% of the children said 'yes'
"Yes I did enjoy the Thumbs Up Programme"
"Yes it was lots of fun"
"Yes, because I got to meet Sue"

2) How did the programme help you the most?

"It showed me how important it is to think about my actions"
It helped me to become a better friend"
"It showed me how important respect is"
"It helped me to get negative thoughts out of my mind and to be more confident"
"It helped me to be more confident and to stay out of arguments"
"It helped me how to listen when I am being asked a question""
"It helped me to build my confidence"
"It shows you how to walk away from a bully"
"I liked the work the most about the transition to secondary school"
"The programme helped me the most when talking about communication"

3) Is there anything else you would like to see included in the programme?

97% of the children said 'no'
"More about friendships"
"To help me behave better to my brothers"

4) Is there anything you didn't feel was very useful or didn't enjoy?

98% of the children said 'no'
"I felt a bit uncomfortable when we started talking about animals and family and friends passing away"
"It was a really nice atmosphere"

5) Did you think Sue presented to programme well to you? And do you think she could have done anything different or have you anything else to say?

"Sue is lovely and I love the programme"
"Sue was really nice to everyone"
"Sue was kind and helpful"
"I love it that Sue says we can contact her if ever we need to"
"I could understand everything she said"
"Sue kept my interest all the way through"

6) Do you have anything else to say about the programme?

"The programme was great and fun"
"It was a very helpful programme and Sue was really nice"
"Thank you so much for coming to St Albans, you really helped me"
"Thank you for coming to our school, it really helped us!"
"I would like to say thank you because she helped me get ready for next year and I loved doing this with you"
"We would love more drama and activities"

14th October 2015

ROCK FERRY PRIMARY SCHOOL

From the wonderful Mrs Lavender and Mrs Sherlock at Rock Ferry Primary School - thank you so much for such positive comments and your support throughout the programme:-

1) Did you feel that the children responded well to the Thumbs Up Education Programme:-

"Majority of pupils loved and a few thought it was ok (but better than work!"
"Children responded extremely well"

2) Is there any topic discussed that you felt was particularly pertinent to the children ?

"I didn't hear each week's topic but felt that the 'making choices' topic was very pertinent as they all tend to follow like sheep"
"Everything covered was pertinent; making choices was great and 'pause button'"

3) Would you recommend the programme to other schools?

"Certainly would"
"Yes!"

4) Would you deem the implementation of the programme to your school an invaluable addition to your school's curriculum?

"Yes, really important part at Rock Ferry Primary School"
"Yes!"

5) Do you have any further comments to make on the delivery or the content of the programme?

"Sue, you are absolutely wonderful with the children and they love your calm, honest and confidence-raising discussions"
"Sue, can I just take this opportunity to say 'thank you' so much. Children loved having you in class and I can understand why; you had a great way with them and they responded very well"

COMMENT FROM SUE AT THUMBS UP:- Lovely comments, thank you so much.

14th October 2015

From the gorgeous children at Rock Ferry Primary School, who are such a credit to this amazing school and whom I just love working with enormously, and thank you for all your lovely comments:-

1) Did you enjoy the Thumbs Up Education Programme?

100% of the children say 'yes'
"Yes, because it helped me feel more confident about high school"
"Yes I loved it, it helped me a lot"
"Yes, it was the best time ever, thanks Sue"
"It was amazing, you're good with kids
"Of course! It is a really fab programme, I love it!"

2) How did the programme help you the most?

"It helped me want to be more confident about high school"
"It made me more confident about speaking out and going to high school"
"By walking about if you have a row with your best friend, just talk to her and I did and now we're friends again"
"Thinking about more people"
"It helped me with problems by showing using the pause button and it helped me think"
"It made me see the good side of things"
"With problems at home and the part when we used the pause button"
Because you were talking about being kind and caring and where you should show respect to people"
The red and golden buzzer really helped me because instead of shouting or hitting them back, I would walk away and think about what I'm going to do"
For stuff at home, and every time I had a problem at home, I took your advice"
"Which side of your brain is a bad a good path and both of the sides can't work at the same time"
"It helped me to see that laughing at an elderly person is wrong, it helped me to change my mind"
"It helped me not to laugh at people"

3) Is there anything else you would like to see included in the programme?

92% of the children said 'no'
"Saying positive things to each other"
"I would like Sue to talk about dealing with other stuff"
"Anger and sadness"
"More about family problems"
"More about bullying"
"About becoming a teen"

4) Is there anything you didn't feel was very useful or didn't enjoy?

98% of the children said 'no'
"The rock story, when we had to make the story up" (mindfulness)

5) Did you think Sue presented to programme well to you? And do you think she could have done anything different or have you anything else to say?

"It was really well presented and Sue really helped me in the four weeks"
"I'd like Sue to come in again at the end of year 6"
"She couldn't have done it better"
"I miss Sue's voice every day, my conscious is speaking saying 'don't forget to use your pause button"
"She explained everything so we could understand it and she made everyone listen by making it fun, and I loved it and hope Sue comes back again"
"I think Sue presented it well. She should not have told us about the pens at the start, and then we wouldn't have got so over excited"
"Would love a recap at the end of the year"
"Thumbs Up has been the best way for me to feel better about myself and Sue - I really miss you"
"It was perfect and amazing, I enjoyed it a lot"
"An amazing experience"
"Thank you Sue for all your help and support and for the Thumbs Up pens"
"I don't know what I would have done without it and Sue made it very clear and I was glad to talk to her"

From a parent of a year 7 pupil, whose daughter was struggling to cope with the quantity of homework she was receiving who requested the homework help sheet:-

"A friend told me about Thumbs Up as her son had received the programme in July, and he enjoyed it immensely. My daughter's school unfortunately didn't have the programme at their school, but I decided to send of for the Thumbs Up help sheets. At first, I just glanced through them with my daughter, but as she began to get a bit overwhelmed by the homework, I decided to read through the homework help sheet with her. It really helped her, and me too. It was written by Sue at Thumbs Up and her daughter, who was in year 10 at the time. The advice is invaluable, and really helped me daughter to cope. I cannot thank you enough at Thumbs Up, and I really do think more primary schools should have the programme, I wish my daughter had, but I am so pleased I just even got a taster of the sessions with the help sheets. Thank you."

From a year 6 pupil who has received the Thumbs Up Programme in the autumn term:-

"I found Thumbs Up was really good for me as I sometimes get angry with other children. Sue helped me to press my pause button and stop for five seconds and sometimes walk away from a problem instead of reacting too quickly. I do this every day, as Sue said if I practice it then I will be able to do it all the time. My mum is so pleased with how I am changing, and we both want to say thank you to Sue and Thumbs Up for all her help. I hope I get to see you again before I go to my new school".

From a year 7 pupil who received the Thumbs Up Programme in year 6:-

"Thank you Sue, you really helped me settle in quickly at my new school. I made five friends in my first two days just by asking them what team they supported and where they lived. I remembered all the things you told me about conversations and asking questions to other people, and it really worked. I am so pleased that you came to my old school Sue, thank you lots and lots. If anyone else has the Thumbs Up Programme at their school, you are really lucky, Sue comes up with some really good things that can really help you. I am sure that I wouldn't have been has happy so quickly at my new school if I hadn't had Thumbs Up".

9th September 2015

ST ALBAN'S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL

From a year 6 teacher at St Alban's, who attended my sessions with a small group of children from St Alban's in the summer term. Thank you for your feedback:-

1) Did you feel that the children responded well to the Thumbs Up Education Programme?

"Most of the children were lively"

2) Is there any topic discussed that you felt was particularly pertinent to the children?

"Talking about feelings was useful and stressing that those feelings are 'normal'"

3) Is there any other topics you would like to see covered by the programme?

"Talking more about peer pressure, right choices and wrong choices"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Peer pressure has been expanded on in the new programme, and that will also take in 'choices' too.

4) Would you deem the implementation of the programme to your school an invaluable addition to your school's curriculum?

"Yes, if in small groups"

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- Where possible the programme is presented to no more than 15-20 children, however this isn't always logistically possible with some schools. However, there are other facilitators coming 'on board' over this next school year, and my aim is when we do have a bigger group, that we can co-facilitate the sessions together.

5) Do you have any further comments to make on the delivery or content of the programme?

"Sue was very friendly and very approachable, the children seemed to like her"

9th September 2015 (just got evaluation sheets back)

From a few of the small year 6 group I took at St Alban's - just a lovely school, I really enjoyed my time there, and have been invited to present the programme to all of the new year 6 in September:-

1) Did you enjoy the Thumbs Up Education Programme?

"I enjoyed it very much"
"Yes it was fun"
"Yes I did enjoy it, it was really fun"
"I enjoyed it because I could relax when I was doing it"

2) How did the programme help you the most?

"To get confident to go to secondary school and happy to learn"
"By boosting my confidence for secondary school"
"It helped me to know that in difficult times it's good to press your stop button"
"The programme helped me by making me realise that being confident is a good thing"

3) Is there anything else you would like to see included in the programme?

100% of the children said 'no'

4) Is there anything you didn't feel was very useful or didn't enjoy?

100% of the children said 'no'

5) Did you think Sue presented to programme well to you? And do you think she could have done anything different?

"Yes she was great and amazing and can't think of anything different"
"Yes definitely, she did it like a superstar, I don't think she could do anything different"
"Sue was brilliant, she did everything brilliantly"

6) Do you have anything else to say about the programme?

"I appreciate you coming into school to work with us, thank you"
"Nothing else to say except I loved it"

From the parent of a pupil starting year 7 in September who has received the complete set of help sheets - from East Yorkshire:-

"I have been looking for some information so I could help my son with his worries about starting at secondary school. A friend of mine had liked the Thumbs Up page on Facebook and told me about the help sheets. They were so useful and gave me some really handy tips to help my son. They were worded in a way I could tell my son clearly and he understood. I would just like to say thank you, and also, please could you email me any future help sheets as I have a daughter starting year 7 in three years. Thank you Thumbs Up"

From a year 6 pupil that has received the Thumbs Up Education Programme at her school over this last term - via email:-

"I am so pleased that Sue came to my school. I was really scared about induction day and starting in September, but now Sue has been in, I feel very excited. When I went to induction day, I was still very nervous, but I did what Sue had taught me and I spoke to other people and asked them about themselves. Sue was right - this does help making new friends. I am now meeting up with some of them in the holidays, and now I am excited to start in September. Thank you so much for helping me, I think I will carry on with lots of things that you told me like the pause button and acts of kindness and I hope that I make lots of friends and do really well with my school work. I hope I see you again".

29th July 2015

BIDSTON AVENUE PRIMARY SCHOOL

From a year 6 teacher at Bidston Avenue Primary School who attended my sessions with the children. Thank you so much for your support and great feedback:-

1) Did you feel that the children responded well to the Thumbs Up Education Programme?

"Yes"

2) Is there any topic discussed you felt was particularly pertinent to the children?

"All areas pertinent and relevant"

3) Is there any other topic that you felt you would like to see covered by the programme?

"If earlier in the year, settling into year 6, national tests (SATs) etc

COMMENT FROM THUMBS UP:- This is to be covered in the new programme from September.

4) Would you recommend the programme to other schools

"Yes"

5) Would you deem the implementation of the programme to your school an invaluable addition to your school's curriculum?

"Yes"

6) Do you have any further comments to make on the delivery or the content of the programme?

"Valuable, informative, thought provoking, positive...and fun!"

29th July 2015

From the very polite and lovely year 6 children at Bidston Avenue Primary School. I am really pleased with the feedback, it is so positive and the programme seems to have made some real headway in helping the children with confidence and self-esteem techniques and how to control their emotions. I am so proud...and of course incredibly pleased:-

1) Did you enjoy the Thumbs Up Education Programme?

100% of the children said 'yes'
"It was very good and I enjoyed it a lot"
"Yes it helped me settle down"
"Yes because it helped me to be more confident"
"Yes because it taught us about ourselves"
"Yes, it was really interactive"
"Yes it helped me a lot and because of the pause button"

2) How did the programme help you the most?

"With confidence and helping to make friends"
"I feel happier about High School"
"Helped me with confidence and about sharing each other's opinion"
"How to stop bullying"
"It helped my confidence and stopped me getting wound up"
"The pause button" - from approximately 33% of the children
"It made me feel more confident" - from approximately 33% of the children
"With my feelings"
"Discussing that other people will feel the same as me"

3) Is there anything else you would like to have been included in the programme?

100% of the children said 'no'
"more to do with family problems"

4) Is there anything you didn't feel was useful or didn't enjoy?

100% of the children said 'no'

5) Did you think Sue presented the programme well to you? And could she have done anything different?

100% of the children said 'yes'
"Sue did it amazing, she was funny and nice"
"Sue did it perfectly"
"She could not have done it any better"
"It was all so clever"
"She was relaxed and clever with her words"
"She presented it well and I really enjoyed the sessions"
"Sue didn't rush it, she let us say what we wanted to"
"She interacted with us really well"
"I would like lots more help and more fun with Sue"
"Sue really included everyone"
"She made everyone feel really comfortable"
"She presented it in great detail"
"She was a great teacher, and made it so everyone was involved"
"I think she presented it really well"

6) Do you have anything else to say about the programme?

"Sue was the most kind hearted person. I had fun"
"It was amazing"
"It was so fun and useful"
"It was so fun and helpful"
"It was brilliant"
"I wish I could do it again"
"Thank you for your help"
"I think the programme was very well done, and made the year 7 transition very smooth"
"It encouraged me a lot"
"It was a knowledgeable, fun experience and a great big thank you"
"I just think it was amazing and helped me loads"

20th July 2015

From a year 6 teacher at Rock Ferry Primary School, thank you for your comments and feedback, looking forward to returning in the autumn:-

1) Did you feel that the children responded well to the Thumbs Up Education Programme?

"Most of the pupils responded very well to the programme"

2) Is there any topic discussed that you felt was particularly pertinent to the children?

"All of the topics were of value"

3) Would you recommend the programme to other schools?

"Yes, I would highly recommend it"

4) Would you deem the implementation of the programme to your school an invaluable addition to your school's curriculum?

"Yes, for year 6"

20th July 2015

From some of the pupils of Rock Ferry Primary School, lovely positive feedback, I have so enjoyed reading such great comments, good luck - thank you:-

1) Did you enjoy the Thumbs Up Education Programme?

100% of the children said 'yes'
"Yes it was very helpful and I am now ready for year 7"
"Yes, extremely"

2) How did the programme help you the most?

"The session about confidence, as I used to lack it and now I feel like I can do anything if I put my mind to it"
"Sue taught me that you can keep in contact with your friends when they are in a different high school"
"Not to worry about getting bullied at high school"
"Everything! Red buzzer (stop button)"
"By telling me how to achieve and ways to think better"
"It helped me not to be scared of high school...and it worked!"
"It helped me a lot with the red buzzer and if someone makes you angry, just press the button"
"To think before I do things"
"To prepare me for high school"
"By controlling my anger, thanks Sue"
"It covered everything!"
"It helped me to stay calm in stressful situations"
"The red button helped the most, and Sue being so friendly"
"It helped me to ask questions with people I've never met before"
"It helped me to be more confident going into my new school"
"It taught me that there are better solutions than reacting back to somebody"
"The red buzzer"
"By boosting my confidence and not to be nervous making new friends"
"It helped me lots because whenever I was angry and I pressed the red buzzer and then I would stop and think 'it's not worth it"
"It calmed me down and helped me to control my anger"

3) Is there anything else you would like to have been included in the programme?

95% of the children said 'no'
"I would like to talk about tactics of how to cope with stress apart from the red button"
"More about dealing with bullies"
"Some games"
"Some more games would have been fun, and how to keep calm and not get in a temper"
"More about friends and bullying"
"No, and it was fascinating to listen to how your brain works"
"No, it was absolutely amazing"
"It was amazing just the way it was"
"I felt included in everything"

4) Is there anything you didn't feel was very useful or you didn't enjoy?

99% of the children said 'no'
"no it was great"
"no, it was fun and helpful"
"I enjoyed it all"
"Everything was amazing"
Telling us how to stand out"
"Nope, everything was amazing, nothing was bad, it was all good"

5) Did you think Sue presented the programme well to you? And could she have done anything different?

"It was perfect"
"Yes she did, she presented it brilliantly"
"All that Sue did and said were all the right words"
"She presented it perfectly"
"Sue explained it really good to us"
"I think she presented it brilliantly to me and everyone in the class, she couldn't have done anything different"
"Sue was really nice to us"
"She was brilliant and very cool, hope I see her again"
"Sue was friendly and really understanding"
"She presented it better than a TV host!"
"It was perfect"
"To me she is an expert"
"I think she presented it well because she knew what she was doing"

6) Do you have anything else to say about the programme?

"Only that it was amazing and I will miss Sue and her help"
"Thank you it was fantastic"
"It was awesome"
"Thank you this programme is amazing!"
"It was really good and helpful"
"It is brilliant to help kids, it is so good"
"Yes, I want Sue to come to Beb High (my high school)!"
"Thank you Sue for helping me"
"I just loved it"
"Thank you for the pen Sue"
"I liked how we go the pens (which I am using now). It was extremely interesting about cognitive behaviour"
"It was extremely helpful and we were given useful information"
"I had a lot of fun with Sue and my class and it boosted my confidence humungously"
"It should go worldwide"
"I felt like I could make friends in high school because this helped me, and I've got a friend already from a different school"
"It was brilliant to me"

17th July 2015

ORRETS MEADOW PRIMARY SCHOOL

From a year 6 teacher at Orrets Meadow who sat in on my sessions - and a big 'thank you' for your support and positive feedback

1) Did you feel that the children responded well to the Thumbs Up Education Programme?

"Yes, prompted excellent discussion"

2) Is there any topic discussed that you felt was particularly pertinent to the children?

"Fears over transfer"

3) Is there any other topics that you would like to see covered by the programme?

"Preparing mentally for SATs exams and future testing"

4) Would you recommend the programme to other schools?

"Yes"

5) Would you deem the implementation of the programme to your school an invaluable addition to your school's curriculum?

"Yes"

6) Do you have any further comments to make on the delivery or the content of the programme?

"Some of our children struggle to listen and an activity for a few minutes for some or all of your points would be useful to keep focus"

17th July 2015

From some of the year 6 children at Orrets Meadows Primary School, many thanks for your comments:-

1) Did you enjoy the Thumbs Up Education Programme?

100% of the children said 'yes'
From an entire group - "Yes it was interesting"
"Yes it was good fun"
"Yes because Sue made me feel better"
"Yes thank you Sue, it really helped me"

2) How did the programme help you the most?

From an entire group - "it made us more confident ready for high school"
"it helped me be more confident"
"It made me feel more confident and independent"
"I feel braver"
"It helped me to learn how to make friends and feel happy inside"

3) "Is there anything else you would like to have been included in the programme?"

100% of the children said 'no'
From an entire group - "happy with everything, perhaps some practical activities"
"No and I think I found out a lot of things I didn't know before"

4) Is there anything you didn't feel was very useful or you didn't enjoy?

100% of the children said 'no'
From an entire group - "we enjoyed it all"

5) Did you think Sue presented the Programme well to you? Could she have done anything different?

From an entire group - "She was great, more practical activities and perhaps more visual images"
"Sue could perhaps do more acting with us"
"Yes, it was very good"
"Sue did everything good and explained it really well"

6) Do you have anything else to add?

"It will help me very much for high school"
"Very nice, and everyone else should do it"
"It was very good and I am so pleased Sue started this"

11th July 2015

ST BRIDGET'S PRIMARY SCHOOL

From some of the year 6 children at St Bridget's Primary School, thank you all for your comments and good luck at your new schools:-

1) Did you enjoy the Thumbs Up Education Programme?

98% of the children said 'yes'
"Yes because it was fun and educational"
"Sort of"
"I really really enjoyed it!"

2) How did the programme help the most?

"It helped me to understand the way I read into things and the way I should behave"
"socially"
"It helped me to become more confident into year 7"
"I already knew everything you told me"
"By telling me how to do things, not what to do"
"I'm now not as scared as I was before"
"It helped me to think before I act"
"It taught me to be more confident and to be empathic"
"It helped me to learn how to make friends"
"It helped me to understand that I should be more aware of what others are feeling"
"It helped me stop worrying and to think positively"
"It helped me settle down and know I will meet lots of new people"
"It helped me to be nice"
"It built up my confidence about moving to high school, at first I was really scared but now I am really happy about moving"
"It helped me to understand that there's nothing really to be worried about if you're not going with your friends because you make new friends"
"It helped me to learn how to talk to someone new"
"It boosted my confidence and made me understand that year 7 isn't as scary as I thought"
"It helped me to stop and think before I act"

3) Is there anything else you would like to see included in the programme?

98% of the children said 'no'
"How to make friends exactly"
"How to get on with annoying people"

4) Is there anything you didn't feel was very useful or didn't enjoy?

98% of the children said 'no'
"No, everything was fun"
"All of it"
"Sometimes we went a bit off topic, but other than that it was great"

5) Did you think Sue presented the Programme well? And could she have done anything different?

95% of children said 'no'
"She was very interactive and fun"
"Sue presented it amazingly!"
"She was good, but there could have been more student participation"
"It was really good, but I would have like her to involve the quieter children more"

6) Do you have anything else to add?

"Thank you, it helped me a lot"
"I would like the programme to be more interactive"
"It was really cool"
"I liked the stickers and pens"
"It helped me not to worry about secondary school or making new friends and she built up a really good relationship with us"
"It was so useful"
"More games would be good"
"I absolutely loved it"

11th July 2015

From the year 6 teachers at St Bridget's Primary School - and I thank them for all the support that gave me during the programme:-

1) Did you feel that the children responded well to the Thumbs Up Education Programme?

"Very positive"
"Yes - they have really enjoyed the sessions"

2) Is there any topic discussed that you felt was particular pertinent to the children?

"Movement to High School - relevant to them. How to make a positive contribution in society"
"Each topic was relevant, particularly for year 6 at this time of the year. The messages were clear and important ideas were discussed"

3) Is there any other topics you would like to see covered by the Programme?

"Small group work with specific children who may have difficulties to self-esteem, confidence, anger management and respectful attitudes"
"Developing positive behaviour in school"

4) Would you recommend the programme to other schools?

"Yes" - from both teachers

5) Would you deem the implementation of the Programme to your school an invaluable addition to your school's curriculum?

"Very worthwhile, yes"
"Yes"

6) Do you have any further comments on the delivery or the content of the programme?

"Excellent delivery of the programme. Developed positive relationship with the children. I feel for the programme to excel further, perhaps group or partner discussions could be utilised to break the lesson up further"
"Sue has a lovely manner with the children and they respond well to her. My class love to talk! Some activities related to the topics might be good to involve the quieter children or a class that is not as inclined to talk/listen for that long"

1 July 2015

From the parent of Lilly, a year 6 pupil who has received the programme at her school

"Thank you, thank you, thank you Sue, Lilly has loved you being at her school. She was really worried about going to her new school before, but now she has changed her attitude completely. I didn't know what to say to help her, and you have really helped with the things that you have said, I am so pleased. I have another daughter in year 3, I hope the school asks you to come back when she is in year 6."

27th June 2015

From the parent of Josh - a year 6 pupil who has received the programme at his school

"Josh loved the programme with Sue, the things he told me that he learnt were so good, and I've been reading the help sheets too. I think it will really help Josh when he goes to his new school in September and I can't thank his school and Thumbs Up for this chance for him, he really needed just a little bit more help to get him there, and I now think he has it. He loved the bit about how to feel good about yourself the most. Thank you Sue."

12th June 2105

MERSEY PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL

From: Miss Clynch at Mersey Park - the teacher who sat in on all my sessions with the children, and I thank her for her support during the programme:-

1) Did you feel the children responded well to the programme?

"Yes"

2) Is there any topic discussed that you felt was particularly pertinent to the children?

"transition to high school
giving children the tools to manage their 'thoughts, feelings, action/behaviour"

3) Is there any other topics that you would like to see covered by the programme?

"More time given to getting on/falling out - acceptance of differences (likes/dislikes/opinions)"

4) Would you recommend the programme to other schools

"Yes"

5) Would you deem the implementation of the programme to your school an invaluable addition to your school's curriculum?

"Yes"

6) Would you like to be contacted with a view to presenting further programmes at your school?

"Yes"

7) If 'yes', what programme would you like to see presented?

"Accepting individuality, accepting your own personality likes/dislikes"

8) Do you have any further comments to make on the delivery of the content of the programme?

"I felt that Sue had a very good approach to the programme. The children have responded well and have enjoyed taking part, in particular - year 5. I too have enjoyed being part of the groups and hope to see you back soon. Thank you."

12th June 2015

From:- some of the comments the lovely children from year 5 Mersey Park Primary had to share. Thank you Mersey Park for being my first and obviously my favourite school! You were all a credit to your teachers and your school:-

1) Did you enjoy the programme:-

"Yes" - from all the children except one "It was alright!"

2) How did the Programme help you the most?

"To not feel scared about what I want to be successful at"
"It helped me with my confidence to ask more people things"
"To be a better person and to think before I do something"
"To help me feel more confident on going to secondary school"
"It helped me to learn to share things with my friends"
"It helped me to be more kind"
"The best bit was when I turned around and everyone had their hand up to tell me what I was good at"
"It taught me what empathy was and how to use it"
"It helped me to put my hand up and not to worry about getting the answer right or wrong"
"It helped me not to retaliate when someone hits me"
"It helped me to put my hand up more in class"
"it did not help me one bit, she only made you laugh, there was no work!!"

3) Is there anything else you would to have been included in the programme?

"No" - from most of the children
"A bit more on bullying"
"It was perfect"
"No I think she said everything"

4)Is there anything you didn't feel was very useful or didn't enjoy?

"No" - from most of the children
"Definitely not"
"No just fine"

5) Did Sue present the Programme well to you? Could she have done anything different?

"Yes" - from most of the children
"Yes ish!"
"Yes she did a really good job"
"I think she presented it really well and I understood everything"
"Doesn't have to change anything"

6) Do you have anything else to say about the programme?

"I loved the pens"
"More pens please in different colours"
"It helped me loads and I liked the pens"
"You really helped me with friendships"
"Thank you for helping me be more confident"
"I liked it because Sue helped me lots"
"It's very fun"
"Thank you for helping me Sue"
"It was a lot of fun and Sue was nice"
"Boring!"

28th May 2015

From Louise Proctor - mum of three primary school age children from Liverpool

"I heard about Thumbs Up through a friend who knows Sue. My friend knew I'd been worrying about my middle child especially as she is in year 4 and is starting to worry already about going to high school. The help sheets are great, I've been working through them during half term with the kids, and it makes it all sound so easy with really logical ideas to help my children. Please can you do another help sheet Sue, on getting the kids to tidy their bedrooms!".

20th May 2015

From Jo - parent of year 6 pupil from Warrington

"I emailed Thumbs Up for all the help sheets that they were offering and they came back really quickly to me. My son is in year 6 and is pretty worried about going to high school. I wanted some help with how to talk to him about it and now I have the sheets from Thumbs Up, I think I can really help him. Thank you Sue and thank you for saying I can email you if I have any more questions".

15th May 2015

From Lucy - parent of year 6 pupil from Leicestershire

"I am so pleased I asked Sue for this handout. I was just needing some guidance as to how I was help my daughter with the move to her new school. She is really suffering with nerves and is scared stiff of the corridor. Sue's hints and tips are fantastic, and I really think that I will keep referring to it as my daughter approaches September. Please Sue can you write another one for when my daughter starts year 7!"

15th May 2015

From Jason Ray - parent of year 6 pupil from Newark

"A friend of mine had seen the Thumbs Up Facebook page, and saw that there was a sheet available, so she forwarded my email details to Thumbs Up and I received it very quickly. The information that is provided is going to be so useful, as my daughter is really worrying about moving to secondary school. I especially like the information about getting the children to stop before they act. Thank you to Sue for all this information - she has also said that I can email any questions directly to her and she will answer them personally. I wish something like Thumbs Up was located nearer to my daughter's school. Thank you Sue".

13th May 2015

From Jenny Danher - parent of year 5 pupil at Prenton Primary School

"I asked Sue to send me the handout that helps children with anxiety towards secondary school. The content was so inspiring and empowering for the children and really helpful to parents who have children of any primary school age, I will be passing it onto my friends too. Thank you so much Sue, I really hope Thumbs Up comes into my daughter's school, I think it would really help her and her friends too."

WHAT DO PEOPLE SAY ABOUT THUMBS UP?

SUMMER TERM 2018

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