Peer Massage Guidance

Class teachers have all completed Story Massage online training, and they will deliver the sessions.  There is a short Story Massage session at the start of the afternoon session in order to support readiness for afternoon learning.

Parents / carers must be informed that the school is intending to start Story Massage through a letter.  The letter will be sent prior to peer massage starting so that parents / carers raise questions or, if requested, decline their child participating.  Any children whose parents / carers have requested they don’t participate will be spoken with to understand the reservations, resolved wherever possible and, if the decision remains, recorded, so this is known by all class staff.

The children’s readiness to take part should be respected at all times.  If a child chooses not to take part their choice should be respected, and they will be permitted to sit quietly and observe or read quietly to themselves.  They may also ask for the session to stop at any time and this will be complied with.  This ‘its ok to say no’ policy helps reinforce our Safe touch learning from our school Safeguarding policy.

This is a ‘peer-to-peer’ activity through clothes, restricted to the back, shoulders, head, arms and hands.

The teacher will lead the session by telling the story and modelling the strokes on another adult or a soft toy or the Story Massage YouTube channel may be used. 

The teacher will select or create simple stories and match Story Massage strokes (choice of 10) to the story.  Stories will be repeated across different sessions to aid familiarity.

The majority of strokes will be repeated at least three times to improve the benefits of the massage.

The Story Massage sessions would normally be no longer than five minutes. 

Before starting a session the class teacher will be mindful of any medical, physical or any other reason, that may prevent a massage programme taking place.

Some children may be offered additional peer massage sessions as part of a small group with Karen Harvey, where they may reap further benefit from extra.