You're Amazing (Summer/Autumn 2018) | Page 6

Supporting our Storytelling in the Evelina Hospital School Our young patients are being taught by a professional storyteller and actor at Evelina Hospital School, thanks to your generous donations. The special oracy and storytelling lessons encourage the children to delve into their imaginations and explore with their voices, helping them to improve literacy skills and build confidence. ott rm , with Phil McDe Lesson in full swing Group oracy and role play sessions allow interaction with each other in ways that are not always easy on the ward. Children can return to the comfort and normality of being pupils as they would be outside of hospital, and can put aside possible worries connected to being a patient. Fiona Dyson is a teacher at the Evelina Hospital School, which teaches patients of all ages in classrooms or at the bedside. ‘It’s great to see the confidence that the children have to contribute with people that they may not know very well,’ she says. ‘It’s important for their self- esteem at a time when a lot of things are out of control in their life.’ You get to use lots of creative words and you can really express yourself, it also really calms me down. I go into my own little world and am just thinking about what to write next. Milla, aged 11 6 Milla with Phil during a workshop