CUPPA book series launched to build confidence in children

When his father died in 2012, followed by the untimely loss of his young niece three months later, Preston-based Ross McWilliam just knew he had to use his 30 years’ educational experience to create a legacy, not only to honour these key figures in his life, but to also help young children.

There are three books in the series which aid children, teachers, parents and other interested adults.

The Child Activity Book is a fun and engaging way to measure individual learning and progress. It offers ways to consolidate learning by developing and demonstrating independent and collaborative skills which are crucial in developing the confident mindset.

The CUPPA Book Series complies with many National Curriculum objectives such as Personal, Social, Health Education (PSHE), British Values, Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC), Special Educational Needs (SEN), Pupil Premium, Emotional and Social Literacy Development and Higher Order Thinking Skills. It is also the gateway to acquiring a Growth Mindset with specific detailing and examples of how to incorporate the many facets of a Growth Mindset.

Barry Hymer Professor of Psychology in Education University of Cumbria “When a deep sense of self-worth is associated with a love of learning, resilience in the face of failure, and a seeking out of challenges, we see happier results in individuals’ personal lives and educational achievements. The underlying (implicit) messages in many of the CUPPA stories speaks of this phenomenon.”

Karen Briggs Assistant Headteacher and mum of two boys 10 and 12 “As a mum of two boys aged 10 and 12, the CUPPA books have provided us with a shared language to redefine failure positively; appreciate the uniqueness of ourselves; check our perception against reality and consider the consequences of the important choices we have to make. We laughed at the characters and resonated with some of them too! Months later we can still apply what we learnt as we deal with the challenges of the transition from finishing Primary School and settling into Secondary Education."

"However, I soon realised that many children were set in their ways in their teens and so I decided to focus my attention on younger children who had yet to pass over the teen threshold and were willing to change. Equally, I wanted to create learning tools so that learning could be fun and engaging and not something seen as boring or predictable. Crucially, I have created measurement tools to track progress and this can be done by both adults and children.”