Reviews

From start to finish the day ran smoothly and the children were absorbed in every aspect of their learning. They were fascinated to meet a 'real life' Viking and ask questions. Hearing stories about Viking life and seeing artefacts has been a great opportunity to embed their learning and drive their passion for history forward. The day was targeted and catered towards every child in the class and no one felt left out or favourited.

The Anglo-Saxon day was enjoyed by everyone in Year 4 at Southey Green. Ben was truly amazing in character as Oswald. He provided an extremely engaging session, coupled with excellent subject knowledge. The children loved it and learnt a lot, especially through being able to interact with the artefacts. The battle was superb and the children came away with a comprehensive understanding of the tactics used during the Anglo-Saxon period, which were gained in an immersive but safe way. Ben also covered the morality of war, which was appreciated by all.

It was a really fantastic introduction to the Vikings to start our new term! The children were so engaged, which is particularly impressive over an online platform! They learnt a lot and the content really led to the children asking interesting and thoughtful questions at the end. We would definitely recommend and will look to book another virtual experience for our Year 4s again in the future.

The artefacts shared on the day were meaningful and each piece had a story behind it, which was explained effectively. The highlight of the day for some was the battle between the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons, which taught them different battle techniques, rather than just pointless fighting for fun. Key vocabulary was used throughout the day, as well as historical terminology and references to the Old Norse language, making the session very informative. But the best part of the workshop had to be Olaf's amazing sense of humour and story telling, which kept all of the children (and staff) laughing all day!

Our Year 4 students had a wonderful time participating in the virtual session with Olaf the Beardless today. Ben did an exceptional job engaging the children throughout the hour with captivating stories about his life as a Viking. His skillful use of questioning kept the students focused and involved, while also encouraging positive behaviour by reminding them to raise their hands and wait their turn to speak. Ben's personal touch, acknowledging several students by name, made them feel valued for their contributions. Despite the 5-hour time difference between Kazakhstan and the UK, Ben was incredibly accommodating and flexible in arranging the session.

Ben was brilliant in his character as Olaf, and balanced imparting his excellent subject knowledge with keeping the children engaged through the whole day. He was also incredibly flexible with session timings to fit two workshops and battle experiences into our timetable and hall availability. We can't wait to continue with our learning about Vikings in class, using today as a springboard.

We loved the virtual session with 'Olaf the Beardless'. He made sure to speak very clearly as English is not the first language for many of the children at the school here in Andorra. The session was well organised and very informative and the children were hooked from start to finish. Ben's communication before the session was also excellent. I would definitely recommend the online sessions to any other international schools around the world.

A fantastic day full of enrichment opportunities for the children to build on their knowledge of the Vikings. The session met the National Curriculum objectives and engaged the children throughout the day. Highlights of the day have to be the Battle between the Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings and also the story around the warming hearth. You certainly brought out the best in all of the children.