Walsall School Health Advisors in partnership with Walsall Healthy Schools Scheme identified the need to develop an interactive teaching resource to meet the needs of local children as they approach puberty.

School Health Advisors wanted to create a resource that would support the delivery of their puberty health promotion sessions for older pupils in primary schools.

The aim of the project was to move away from ‘one off’ drop in sessions and develop a co-ordinated programme of work which is offered in all schools.

The project has been part of ongoing development work in partnership with Walsall Healthy Schools Scheme and Walsall Teenage Pregnancy unit to creatively support the delivery of health education in local schools.

Catcher Media was the successfully appointed company which led on the creative consultation with pupils and teachers from four local primary schools and older pupils from a local feeder secondary school. Children worked with artists to explore issues around growing up and puberty to develop ideas for appropriate storyboards and scenarios for the DVD with support from the artists, school health advisors and teaching staff.

Building on the successes of ‘Help I’m Hairy’ two futher projects have been commissioned by Walsall Teenage Pregnancy Team- ‘SEXPERT’ key stage 4 DVD resource and currently in development a resource for Key Stage 1

Help I’m Hairy is a child friendly, interactive resource with supporting lesson plans, guidelines and classroom based activities. The participatory DVD uses drama, interviews, humour and animation to explore themes around hygiene and emotional and physical development. The resource has been distributed to more than 80 primary schools in the borough alongside borough wide teacher training sessions to support the implementation of it within a classroom setting.