Early results from a groundbreaking SHINE-backed project in Bradford show that storytelling can be a powerful way to help young pupils better understand their emotions, build empathy, and manage their feelings.
The Story Project, which uses children’s books and stories to teach emotional and social skills, has seen pupils expanding their vocabulary for talking about feelings, learning practical ways to handle emotions, and growing more confident in discussing sensitive topics.
Launched in January 2024 following a SHINE grant of £600,000, The Story Project is working with primary schools across Bradford, using relatable stories to explore emotions and wellbeing with children in Years 2 to 6.
In the last three years, the likelihood of young people in England having a mental health problem has increased by 50%. Five children in a classroom of 30 are likely to have a mental health problem. The issue is even worse in deprived areas. Children from low socio-economic backgrounds are 3 times more likely to experience a mental health problem than their peers.
Earlier this year, a report from Child of the North and the Centre for Young Lives highlighted the scale of the mental health crisis among young people in Bradford.
Its findings suggest one-in-five Year 9 pupils in the area have a probable eating disorder, and one-in-six 12-to-15-year-olds have self-harmed in the last 12 months.
Issues such as this have a significant impact on attainment as well as health and research has found that teaching wellbeing skills improves academic performance by 11–17%.
In its first year, The Story Project has partnered with ImpactEd Evaluation to assess its impact across five schools taking part in the pilot. An interim report, based on data from January to July 2024, presents early findings on the programme’s effectiveness and highlights its successes, challenges, and areas for improvement.
The report finds that teachers and pupils alike are seeing the benefits, with pupils engaging more openly in discussions about feelings, and teachers feeling more equipped to guide these conversations.
Impact highlights
- Children have a better understanding of emotions and wellbeing
The Story Project has significantly boosted pupils’ emotional literacy, with teachers noting a wider emotional vocabulary and greater confidence in expressing feelings. Pupils are now using more nuanced emotional language and grasping complex wellbeing ideas like resilience and gratitude. Overall teacher ratings for pupils’ wellbeing vocabulary increased from ‘poor’ at the start to ‘good’ at the end of the year – a 42% improvement.
- Pupils are better at handling their emotions and wellbeing
Stories like Peace at Last and Angry Arthur helped them learn practical ways to cope, such as using breathing techniques and sharing their worries. Overall, pupils saw an increase of 3% in their understanding of wellbeing and emotional management tools. For children on free school meals, the increase was 7%. - Children are becoming more empathetic and aware of their emotions
Pupils have become better at recognising emotions in others and showing more empathy through The Story Project. Teachers said that the stories helped students understand both their own and others’ feelings. Overall pupil responses to the statement “I can recognise other people’s feelings without them telling me” improved by 6%. Children on free school meals improved by 8%. Teachers initially rated their pupils’ ability to empathise with others as “poor”, with an average score of 2.73, but this improved by 37% to a “fair” rating of 3.81 by the end of the project.
- Pupils are more confident and open in talking about their emotions and sensitive subjects
Teachers reported a 22% improvement in wellbeing discussions, noting that stories from The Story Project helped pupils feel at ease and engage more deeply in these conversations.
- Pupils can express their emotions more clearly
Teachers say that through The Story Project, students have learned more words related to wellbeing, which helps them understand and express their own emotions and those of others. A teacher survey showed a 24% increase in students’ exposure to this vocabulary.
- Teachers feel more confident in leading wellbeing and PSHE/RSE lessons
Confidence has improved, thanks to The Story Project curriculum, even in a short time. The story-based approach made it easier for staff to handle sensitive topics and have more effective discussions. - Teachers feel more confident in supporting their pupils’ wellbeing
Teachers said they felt more confident in supporting their students’ wellbeing, behaviour, and emotional needs after using The Story Project curriculum and praised the resources. Their responses to the statement “I believe I can effectively support my pupils in managing their wellbeing needs” improved from an average of 3.73 to 4.10 – a 10% uplift. Teachers also mentioned learning new strategies, like breathing techniques, and finding helpful books for addressing specific emotional challenges.