For each course, a full day’s training is free for one delegate from each participating school. This day provides a basic introduction to P4C, a wealth of engaging thinking games, and the opportunity to enjoy doing some philosophy yourselves.

A follow up Day 2 course is held 3-4 weeks later and is optional. It will extend your skills as a facilitator, enable you to plan for progress and help you to make connections between P4C and the rest of the curriculum. The fee for this day includes accreditation for the Level 1 Certificate in Philosophy for Children by SAPERE, the national body for P4C.

Obviously my job is to wow you with the first day’s training so that you insist on being released for a second day of high quality CPD. But the free Day 1 is designed as a basic introduction in its own right, and benefits from excellent post-course support.

For details of the course hosted by the regional gifted and talented Hub, Excellence London at Queen Mary’s University of London, (17th June and 15th July) click here.

For details of the course hosted by R A Butler School in Saffron Walden, Essex, (14th June and 7th July) click here.

Each course is limited to 30 participants but a waiting list with priority for future courses will operate once they are filled. If you are interested in hosting a course elsewhere in the country, or would like to be ahead of the queue when I run a course in your area, email firstdayfree@outspark.org.uk

The first day was a variation on my Evilometer workshop, with the second day given over to developing storytelling and facilitation skills. The next step is for the Year 10 pupils on the course to visit primary school pupils to give them a taste of philosophy, running some thinking games, using “Horrible Histories” style stories and facilitating some simple discussions.

I was very impressed with how quickly they gained in confidence, adapted the stories I had offered them (culled from the Thinkers’ Stories DVD) or created new thought-provoking stories.

Of course, this isn’t intended as a substitute for teachers taking up P4C, but as a complement to it. The course was funded by Staffordshire Advisory Service, who are being very proactive in encouraging schools to adopt P4C through a variety of initiatives. So a big thank you to them and to Andrea O’Neil, the G&T coordinator at Clayton who organised the event.

If you are interested in the possibility of your pupils doing the Young Philosopher’s Award Course, please get in touch.

(Download Would You Rather Be A Bee or A Chicken — 7-page PDF version.)

Each player has a card with a different animal or bird, and they pair up with someone else and decide which creature they would rather be and why. Then they swap cards and swap partners.

We tried it out, and what was interesting was that even such an apparently frivolous activity leads very quickly to some interesting philosophical questions. Lots of people preferred animals that were free – but others thought that there was something to be said for being safe from predators.

I’ve told stories many, many times to classes of children and to teachers on training courses, but this was my first opportunity to do a telling to the general public. I’d offered to tell “The Emerald”, my reworking of John Steinbeck’s poignant, fairytale like novella “The Pearl.”

Taffy is a brilliant storyteller – he has a light touch and easy rapport with the audience which makes it seem quite effortless. The other tellers in the first half were also in a light, humorous vein, so I fretted that my story would be out of place.

But that’s the beauty of a storytelling evening. You can have a serious tale sandwiched between two comic yarns. The audience picks up from the first few words what mood you’re creating, and settles in to the story.

I was pleased with how well it went, but more than that I was pleased to have got the story off my chest: it had been following me around for a few days and I’d had enough of it.

(You can read The Emerald online here or download a printable PDF version.)

Visit Once Upon A Story

I recently attended an excellent training session by Gemma Hannah of onceuponastory.co.uk.

I’m continuing to develop my storytelling skills for use in my philosophy in role workshop, Alien Adventures in Philosophy.

There’s something very special about the connection between storyteller and audience. It’s similar to the difference in connection between the participants in a P4C enquiry that really takes off and an ordinary lesson.

I don’t want to sound too mystical about it, but I think it’s about being completely present with other people in a live moment that is created by your shared intelligences. Anyway, if you want a storyteller with style and energy, contact Gemma.