Case study: ASN School Residency at Rowanfield School

Storyteller and Director of My Kind of Book(this link will open in a new window) Ailie Finlay has been working with pupils at the Rowanfield School in Edinburgh as part of their ASN School Residency.

In June 2024, the school held a final story-sharing session to celebrate the project. Parents were invited along with Scottish Book Trust staff, and we had the chance to speak to Ailie about the project, as well as some of the parents and teachers.

Before the session started, Ailie told us about the project, which was set in Rowanfield’s playground woods. She said:

‘I worked with two groups from the Sycamore class, around 12 children in total. The majority of the children are autistic and their needs vary – most have some understanding of language, some use quite a bit of language and some are non-verbal.

The school staff really wanted the project to happen outside, and setting our project in the woods allowed the children to focus more and engage with storytelling and literacy. We’d share stories together while the children could spin, jump, or move in any way they like. 

At the start of the project, it was all about getting to know the children and the staff. It’s a two-way thing – I have to get to know the children and figure out where they’re at, as well as building their trust.

Repetition is hugely important for the children, so that’s something we focused on during the project. Some children need more repetition than others, but in general, we would always start with Story in a Basket, using the same little rhyme to introduce the session and the same introduction to the story.’

The final residency session took place during Rowanfield’s Book Week. Ailie had created a sensory story to tie in with the book they’d been enjoying as a class, Float by Daniel Miyares. During the session, Ailie sat in the woods with the children and introduced Story in a Basket by singing a song that they could join in with. Ailie then took different objects out of the basket to guide the children through the story, such as rainmakers, silky material and wind-up musical toys, so the children could join in. The pupils were engaged – sitting in a circle, listening to Ailie sing and exploring the props together. 

After the session, we spoke to one parent who told us:

‘Callum* was in mainstream school for the first year before he came here, so this is the first time I’ve seen him do anything like this. Even when he’s facing away from the group, he’s always listening. I won’t be surprised if he’s singing that song when we get home later. He kept telling us about forest time every Thursday and I wasn’t too sure what he meant, whether it was a book or something so it’s great to see what they’ve been doing each week with Ailie. Sometimes we try and read together at home, but it can be really hard for him to focus like that. It’s so nice for them to be outside and to enjoy stories in a different way, hearing all the different sounds.’

One of the Sycamore class teachers told us:

‘I was inspired by Ailie to try leading a sensory story with the children yesterday. We’ve invested in some materials, like this stretchy black material. At one point in the story, we’re in a boat and it becomes really dark, so the children have to hide under the material. I also used a spray bottle of water for the bit where it starts raining, which they found really funny. I think the children have really enjoyed it. The other day when Ailie started doing Story in a Basket, Louisa* recognised what would happen next and encouraged Ailie to make sure everyone had their turn to sing, including Ailie and all the teachers! It was lovely to see.’

When I caught up with Ailie after the session, she said:

‘There were lots of special little moments during the project. During one session, one of the children copied what I was doing with the wind-up musical toy, when usually he would hold the toys but then chuck them away. These moments might not sound like much but it’s noteworthy when you know the child, as the teachers said they’d never seen him do this before. 

It was also really special when the kids recognised Story in a Basket or remembered bits of the story between sessions. One child always wanted to go faster when we sang the song, which was something we then did each week together.

For me, it’s not so much about the children listening to me tell a story, but about having a conversation with them. This can be really difficult for the children, as because they have limited language, communication can become quite functional. This means the children can miss out on moments of connection, but sharing a story together gives them a chance to experience that. It’s such a magical moment when the children realise that their reactions can have an effect on the story. 

Success looks very different for each child, but these children shouldn’t be left out of these experiences. It can be tricky to find out what they enjoy and what works for them, but that doesn’t mean it’s not important to try.’

*Names have been changed for the purpose of this case study