The Doodle Bug
About The Doodle Bug
Educational Wall Art, Motivational Talks, Cross Curriculum Workshops, Cartoon Wall Art for Children's Bedrooms, Free quotations without obligation, References available to view, Enhanced DBS Certificate, Public Liability Insurance.
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Customer reviews for this trader
All of the children and staff had a brilliant day and had nothing but positive things to say about the workshop. We will be using your feedback to award house points to a number of students. Thank you!
We had the pleasure of welcoming Ian Brealey, The Doodle Bug, for a full day of workshops and staff CPD and what a fantastic experience it was. Ian's sessions were engaging, inspiring, and perfectly pitched for each age group. His unique blend of art, maths, and growth mind- set messages helped our children build confidence, resilience, and pride in their work. It was wonderful to see pupils surprising
themselves with what they could achieve, and the quality of their
completed artwork was genuinely impressive. His feedback was
incredibly detailed and insightful, giving us a clear picture of how our children compare nationally and highlighting areas of strength and development. His kind and encouraging approach made a real impact not just on the children, but on staff too. The CPD session was equally valuable, offering practical strategies and thoughtful reflections that we can take forward in our teaching. Ian's passion for his work and his commitment to supporting schools shines through in everything he does. Ian's workshop was an uplifting and purposeful experience. The children were buzzing with pride, and I came away with new ideas to support resilience and growth mind-set in the classroom.
Ian visited our inner city school in Oxford and provided three art sessions with the children but they were much more than art sessions - they were growth mind-set infused sessions developing the
resilience of even the most reluctant and challenging pupils. He was very patient, got down to their level and engaged and encouraged
them. Ian led a step by step drawing workshop with our year 5 and 6s, answered their many questions both art related and completely random. He was very inspirational and the children loved his visit. Thanks
Ian!
We had the pleasure of having Ian in school to deliver his art/maths workshops for Key Stage 2 students. Ian not only delivered engaging and creative sessions but also skilfully promoted a growth mind-set and resilience throughout his teaching. He encouraged students to
embrace challenges, view mistakes as opportunities for learning, and celebrate their progress. The positive and supportive atmosphere he created allowed every student to feel confident in their abilities, regardless of their skill level. Ian's ability to instil these important life skills through art was truly inspiring. The students
left each session feeling empowered and motivated, which is a
testament to his dedication and passion for both the subject and the development of the children. Highly recommend Ian for any future
workshops.
Ian was by far the most organised and well prepared visitor I have
had the pleasure of working with. His commitment to his role and to his business is exemplary. The workshops were pitched well and key
messages regarding resilience and well being were woven in
throughout. The children were thoroughly immersed in their work and were proud of their completed art work. Both the assembly and staff development sessions displayed Ian's wealth of knowledge and
expertise for work on growth mind-set and provided both staff and
children much food for thought. The feedback given following the visit was incredibly detailed and insightful. An excellent day which was very fairly priced. I would recommend both the workshops and staff training
session.
Ian was a delight to work with from start to finish. His thorough
planning meant that the workshops in school were delivered in a
manner that suited our children, who all benefitted hugely from them. The sessions were enjoyable and the children and staff were impressed with what they could achieve. Ian's assembly on growth mindset was impactful for the children, staff and parents that we invited to join us. The staff training session was very useful in terms of practical approaches in the classroom and the recommendation of further
reading/resources.
Ian came to our school to work with our Key Stage 2 children - all of the children had an absolutely fantastic time, and came out of the
workshops enthused and proud of the work they had produced. It is clear that Ian is passionate about his work, and this was passed onto the children as they explored themes of resilience and wellbeing through art. Throughout the process, Ian was easy to contact, highly organised and provided excellent feedback for us as a school to use moving forward.
Ian did excellent workshops at our school. He was very clear what his objectives were for the day. He was very accommodating and flexible with regard to our class sizes and he gave helpful suggestions along the way to make the day run smoothly. He was engaging and the
children gained a great deal from his workshops. The feedback he gave was detailed, clear and so helpful. The staff training was fast
paced, informative and gave us a clear platform to move forward. I would highly recommend his workshop and staff training package.
A great experience for all. Children very engaged. Trader knew his stuff, was confident and professional.
A great day. The children benefited from excellent teaching and
feedback.
Ian came to our school to deliver a workshop and staff training. Ian has been to our school before and we loved his sessions so much that we were eager to invite him back. The sessions Ian puts on are fantastic and give the children a real sense of achievable success. He is great with the children and staff and provides excellent feedback to the head teacher about all aspects of the days. Because
he
visits
so many schools it is great to see how your children compare across a number of factors to other schools in the country. The growth
mind-set
approach is key for our school and Ian highlighted this to the children. He draws on his own experience which makes the workshop
realistic for the children as they can see the journey that Ian has been on. I would book Ian again in a heartbeat!
Ian Brealey, the Doodlebug, led a series of workshops at our school for children from Reception to Y6. The workshops linked aspects of maths with art and helped to develop the children's resilience and growth mindset. Feedback from children has been overwhelmingly
positive with all of them able to talk about learning a new skill in art as well as how Ian motivated them to keep going even when things became tricky. By sharing stories from his life, Ian gave growth mindset a relatable context for the children. One child in Y2 said, "At first I had a lot of trouble doing the drawing, but Mr Brealey kept encouraging me so I didn't give up. I tried very hard and in the end I did a good drawing. This made me so happy". Well priced, good communication from booking to feedback after the session and really enjoyable for staff and children.
From the very start, Ian was easy to contact, quick to reply and very approachable. His session in our school was very reasonably priced for the quality and quantity he delivered, and the children were genuinely buzzing both before, and after, they had produced their
pictures.
Members of our Y6 class have already begun using phrases such as
'Growth Mind set' and 'Forward Thinking' in other areas of the
curriculum, and this is a direct impact of Ian and The Doodle Bug. We are already looking at inviting him back for another session, later
in the year, and would thoroughly recommend him to any other school - he was fantastic.
The Doodle Bug was fantastic. Ian who runs it was very organised and kept me up to date before, during and after the event. Our children and staff really enjoyed the day and got a lot from it. It went towards our work on Mental Wellbeing and Growth Minds et/Resilience. The feedback around how well the children did was amazing and really useful for our records.
Ian was very thorough in pre-visit organisation, to ensure the day went smoothly. The children engaged really well with the activity and were pleased with their outcomes too. The message of 'being
resilient' is regularly reinforced whilst the children are
completing their drawing. Ian's charges are very competitive too - would recommend Ian 'The Doodle Bug' to others.
Ian worked with our Key Stage One children as part of our particular focus on building resilience and building confidence. The workshops supported children to work in a slow methodical way and to really think about their work and develop pride in it. The children enjoyed their sessions with Ian and all achieved success.
Working with Ian was excellent. He was patient and understanding to context of my school and made sure that everything went smoothly.
His communication was very good before, during and after the
workshop. The workshops assemblies and staff training was very good. The objectives were clear and met. Ian brings a lot of his passion and interest into the workshop which I think is really important and certainly made a great impact on the workshops being successful. I was not expecting the reports on each classroom and their
resilience/GMS so this was a nice, added surprise but very
informative. If you want to teach and develop a GMS in your school, I wouldn't hesitate to book Ian.
Three very positive days of workshops. Both children and staff
enjoyed the activities that Ian provided and we felt that the aims of the sessions were met. The children developed their resilience and found some transferable skills. We would recommend Ian to others.
Ian completed training for our school pupils. It was well received and organised.
Ian from 'Doodle Bug' was the ultimate professional and was very well planned for his work in school. The pupils benefitted greatly from his 'Growth Mindset' workshops and they were very proud of the
drawings they produced. We will certainly be using him again in the
future.
Excellent delivery and content. Ian brought the best out of our children and their potential really shone through in the activities he presented. A great reaction from the children to the workshop which is always the most accurate measure. Would definitely book
again!
Ian was fantastic - the children and staff had a really fun day and learnt so much about growth mindset. Very reasonable price, well worth it. Thoroughly recommend!
What a great experience the children had! Ian engaged the children, and the staff meeting was informative and helped us shape our next steps as a school. Ian quickly built a positive rapport with the
children and staff. Thank you!
This is the second time Ian has visited our school to lead workshops and we were as delighted by the outcomes this time as we were the first. Ian conducted himself like part of the team and built positive rapport with the children and staff. This time we had included staff training and this was very useful, particularly for staff new to our school, including two ECTs. I would thoroughly recommend Ian's workshops for promoting a growth mind-set and building resilience, both of which are hugely beneficial to all children.
Ian brings a high level of professionalism and dedication to his
workshops. Ian is so passionate about developing children's mind set and attitude. We highly value the work Ian has done with our
children, it is an opportunity for them to test and build upon the resilience skills they develop at Chater Infant School. Ian's sessions are uplifting, fun and engaging. Our children understand they can learn from their mistakes and Ian has helped to reinforce this. Thank you, Ian.
Ian is brilliant and passionate at what he does. We are so privileged to have experienced his workshops.
Ian has a unique approach to growth mind-set with the children. He immediately hooks them through the medium of art. By the end of the session, every child had produced cartoon artwork they were proud of and been steadily exposed to messages focussing on growth mind-set along the way. Ian has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the principles of growth mind-set. Presenting it through the medium of art really allowed that to be brought to life.
Ian delivered some inspiring workshops and assemblies at our school promoting the importance of having resilience and a Growth
Mindset. The children enjoyed their sessions and Ian's class feedback was appreciated. Email contact was always responded to
professionally and he went out of his way to organise a timetable that worked for us all.
Ian visited our schools to support the mental health and well being
of our children and help to build their growth mind-set. It was a
wonderful workshop with all children in Years 1-6 using art to
encourage these vital life skills. The children really enjoyed the day and a lot of extremely important life skills were learnt. Thank
you.
Ian from The Doodle Bug came to our primary school on a chilly,
bright January morning. We pride ourselves on being a school which actively supports children's mental health, resilience and well-being and this course was booked with this intention in mind, in furthering staff and children's skills. Ian arrived and was instantly warm, kind and approachable for both staff and children - setting a parameter of trust and a 'can do' attitude to his workshops. All children achieved and all staff came away with top tips they can use in class to
support our pupils. The day was a combination of Art, Maths and
Growth Mind-set. It was a great day and the message was delivered in a creative way with the children all gaining opportunities to practise the message of 'Y ET' which can be applied to all learning. We would recommend The Doodlebug to anyone interested in Growth
Mind-whether you already follow these principles or whether this is your first step. We hope to see you again in the future Ian. Thanks very much from all the children and staff. Naomi Bowers, PSHE Lead at Coombe Bissett Primary School.
Ian from The Doodlebug spent the day in my primary school teaching the children all about Growth Mind-set through the medium of art and maths. A great day was had by all, the message was delivered in a very creative way and the art the children produced was of a very high quality. Ian was strong in his presentation and met all Covid guidelines to work safely in our school. Would recommend The
Doodlebug to anyone interested in Growth Mind-set to use - this was not a session just about art, it was all about having the right mind-set to do anything! Thanks Ian. Liam Jackson Headteacher, Reedness Primary School.
A fabulous unique and insightful experience for children, staff and parents. It is a chance to view children yourself in a different light and shines upon their/your resilience levels and attitudes.
This is crucial knowledge to a teacher/parent/individual and can be considered in other areas of life/school.
Ian Brealey's Resilience Workshops were enjoyable and very effective with the pupils and staff at St. William's. The staff meeting was informative and supports our work on growth mind-set.
Doodle Bug's growth mind-set workshop enabled children to use
the 'power of yet' and other growth mind-set skills to see what they could achieve. All pupils were engaged. Ian was particularly good at engaging all children and he demonstrated empathy and built a
relationship with some pupils with autism in a short space of time
gaining their trust. Thank you! Many pupils surprised themselves at their drawing skill!
The Doodle Bug workshops were engaging for the children. They enjoyed completing the drawings and seeing them come together a section at a time. Ian was very positive and patient with the children and was full of enthusiasm.
Ian was very well organised and gave thorough instructions before his visit. During his visit, he was enthusiastic and knowledgeable - our pupil's really enjoyed the sessions and it was evident that they had further improved a growth mind-set.
Was a great experience for the children, they loved being able to
draw and was beneficial as it supported children's speaking and listening skills.
Ian visited our school this week and I can only rate the sessions he offered as excellent. There really was a buzz for art and growth
mind-set in the school. The level of art that was produced was outstanding from all of our classes. The children thoroughly enjoyed the sessions and many of the teachers said the children have been talking about it and applying the growth mind-set aspect to other pieces of their learning. Thank you Ian for your time and your
amazing sessions, highly recommend to anyone. Will be booking again in the future.
We had a fabulous time when Ian came to visit our school. He worked with all age groups across our primary school and tailored each
session accordingly. Ian put into place a timetable of sessions to
meet our lunch and break time needs which made it so much easier to organise the event. He was clearly very passionate about what he does and left a positive impression on our school.
Ian has a lovely engaging manner hooking the children and staff in straight away with his well organised Doodle Bug workshop. Ian
promotes a 'can do' mindset, that it's okay to make mistakes [staff included] that's how we learn and improve, boosting self esteem, resilience and growth mindset. Ian provided excellent and honest
feedback throughout the day and in his written report plus areas to build on as a school. Thank you Ian for a day we'll remember,
everyone can achieve a quality piece of Art whatever their age! from all the children and staff at Kells Infant School, Whitehaven.
Thank you for coming into our school and running the mindfulness
sessions. You've certainly left us with plenty of ideas to move forward with. Good luck at your future schools.
The Doodle Bug visited our school in January as part of our "Get Fit, Get Healthy" week. The focus on growth mindset and resilience is key and we found it to be a really positive experience for our children. The Doodle Bug was friendly and approachable and was brilliant with our children. The children thoroughly enjoyed the workshops and were happy with their drawings. Ian helped them to have a positive growth mindset and it really helped build their resilience! Overall, we were very happy and everyone had an enjoyable day! Thank you Ian!
Another great day with Doodlebug, all the children engaged and focused on their learning.
The workshops were fantastic and really allowed our pupils to see
their own growth mindset. The children thoroughly enjoyed the art activity and remained focused throughout you could hear a pin drop!. An assembly for the rest of the Key Stage and parents was the icing on the cake - thank you.
Once again Ian has been brilliant. The children thoroughly love the sessions and benefit from the clear instructions that Ian provides. It's always great to see the look of amazement on their face's when they have completed one of the pictures. In a short space of time Ian is able to develop the confidence and resilience of the children by using simple techniques that can be used again and again in other areas of the school curriculum. Thank you once again.
Ian provided a wonderful 'Growth Mindset' workshop using maths and art for all of our pupils ranging from Y1 to Y6. Feedback from the pupils and staff was overwhelmingly positive - they produced great artwork and felt that they'd learnt a great deal about trying their best, learning from mistakes and the power of practice. Ian also gave some useful feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of the
children's skills and current attitudes to learning such as
resilience levels. A fun and engaging workshop for all.
The children had a superb day with 'The Doodle Bug' he was clear in his instructions and the children focused throughout the sessions. Outstanding work was created by children and adults.
A very good source for supporting children to have a growth mind-set.
Ian was extremely enthusiastic and dedicated. He helped to launch an awareness of Growth Mind-set within our school community.
Ian motivated the children throughout school with his enthusiastic approach. The children created fabulous, high-quality drawings that they were desperate to take home and show parents. Many were heard to say it was the best drawing they had ever done! We would be more than happy to have Ian back in school and would highly recommend him to other schools who are looking to boost the confidence of their children and encourage a 'can do' mindset.
My school, Holland Haven Primary, used Ian to deliver these workshops in KS2. The sessions work well to promote growth mind-set; all of our pupils focused well and staff and pupils have been able to relate to the skills and attitudes discussed within the day, in future lessons too. Ian also provided an assembly for parents to begin to develop parents' understanding of growth mind-set. I would recommend the pupil-sessions particularly.
The Doodle Bug was highly successful in helping all children at our school to produce some wonderfully accurate cartoon drawings!
Ian provided our school with some very thorough workshops based on growth mind set and an assembly at the end of the school day. The workshops were well structured and organised and the children were fully engaged in the tasks provided. The assembly rounded the day off in a very positive way. I would recommend The Doodle Bug to other
schools.
Ian worked with all of the classes in our school, enabling each child to draw with confidence and to higher standard than previously. He
worked with them to develop their growth mind-set and resilience in the face of challenge and provided the children with valuable learning strategies to support them in other contexts. The children thoroughly enjoyed the sessions and were very proud of the art work they produced. The staff meeting that Ian delivered, at the end of the day, was very informative and gave the staff many ideas for how we can develop the growth mind-set of our pupils further. Thank you
Ian.
Ian Brealey worked with the pupils in my school for two days last week. He inspired them to develop a Growth Mindset. He was always professional and spoke to the children in a way they could
understand. I would recommend him to any school.
The drawings were pitched perfectly for the children to challenge
themselves and understand the need for growth mindset skills. Ian was very patient with the children, giving enthusiastic praise and
encouragement.
Ian worked with every child in our school, enabling each one to draw to higher standard than previously. He worked with them to develop their growth mindset and resilience in the face of challenge, learning strategies to support them in other contexts.