Talking Tales – February Update

Talking Tales is a two-year inquiry-led project, funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation. Read the February update from the project below!

Since July, we’ve hit the ground running. Over the past six months, Polka has partnered with six primary schools in London, working closely with their Key Stage One teachers and Senior Leads to explore how drama and storytelling can be embedded in their teaching practice to enhance pupils’ oracy and communication skills.

At the heart of this project is a dynamic partnership between each school and their Polka Practitioner. This collaboration fosters a valuable exchange of knowledge, blending artistic and teaching expertise—a key focus of our work.

As part of Talking Tales, we’ve also developed inquiry questions that continue to shape and guide the project. Three core areas form its backbone: the relationship between Project Teachers and Polka Practitioners, the implementation of Polka’s Six-Step Oracy Framework, and strategies for sharing this framework more widely within schools. We’re excited to see how these elements evolve as the project progresses!

Since September, we have hosted four days of CPD training at Polka for all the Project Teachers. These sessions have laid the foundation for the project, introduced new skills, and explored innovative ways to incorporate drama and storytelling into the classroom.

Last term, our practitioners delivered drama workshops across our six partner schools, focusing on Conversation and Discussion. This term, they will lead workshops on Role Play, where pupils will step into the Polka Pizzeria, and Retelling a Story, taking them on a journey to the Polka Library. Feedback from teachers and senior leaders has been overwhelmingly positive—students are thoroughly enjoying this dynamic approach to learning.

We have also developed two comprehensive resource packs, packed with drama games and storytelling activities. Designed to help teachers incorporate creative techniques into their classrooms, these resources provide step-by-step guidance, adaptable activities for different learning levels, and practical tips for seamlessly integrating drama into everyday lessons. Our goal is to ensure that the impact of drama and storytelling extends well beyond the workshops, becoming an integral part of classroom practice.

Alongside these resource packs, and with the support of Senior Leaders from our partner schools, we are working to further embed our Polka Practitioners within the school environment. By creating opportunities for co-learning, we are fostering deeper collaboration between teachers and practitioners, ensuring that drama-based learning becomes a sustainable and enriching part of the school culture.

One aspect we’re particularly proud of is the development of our online learning hub. This central resource provides teachers with reference materials, project guidelines, and interactive tools to support their journey. A standout feature is the collection of “how-to” videos, offering practical insights into how Polka Practitioners lead activities—empowering teachers to implement these techniques independently.

We’ve also gathered the first reflections from our Project Teachers, revealing valuable insights into their experiences so far. Here are a few highlights that showcase the impact and early successes of the project:

“The warm up (ready routine) activity has become a routine after lunch to gather children’s focus and attention and to calm their minds to get them ready for an afternoon learning.” – Links Primary School, Project Teacher

“I love any kind of drama/talking so love all of these activities – was great to add a few more games to my armour. The children responded really well to them. I felt confident and happy.” – Malmesbury Primary School Project Teacher

“It has felt like a very positive experience for both the children and myself. I have found some time to fit these in, but need to do more. I was nervous modelling the “Imagination Hike”, as I’m not really an actor, but children responded so well and I enjoyed the silence!” – Malmesbury Primary School, Project Teacher

Read more about the Talking Tales programme here.

This programme is supported by Paul Hamlyn Foundation through the Teacher Development Fund.