About Rory
Rory is a resource aimed at primary school children. The resource pack is based on the Rory storybook which tells the story of a dog who can’t understand why his owner is acting a certain way, until it’s explained to him that his owner drinks too much alcohol.
Introducing Rory
Rory is a programme for use in primary schools.
Rory is based on the story of a little dog who lives with his owner Fred.
Rory becomes sad when Fred forgets to take him for a walk, feed him and pat him.
Rory thinks he may have done something wrong and blames himself for what is happening at home until his friend Felix explains to him that his owner Fred drinks too much alcohol and that is why he forgets things.
Rory feels much better knowing that he isn’t to blame and that he has someone to talk to who can offer him the support he needs.
The Rory programme covers lots of different topics from caring for others to coping with your feelings and emotions.
Rory can help children understand the feelings they might experience when living with someone who has an alcohol problem and encourages children to speak to a trusted adult.
Rory can be used by anyone who is in a position to raise awareness and respond to issues of parental alcohol problems such as teachers or statutory and voluntary support agencies. Alcohol Focus Scotland recommends practitioners looking to use Rory should undertake training in advance of using the resource.
Rory Training Workshop
Duration: 3 hours
Rory is used widely across Scotland. With strong links to the Curriculum for Excellence, teachers report that Rory is an excellent way to develop children’s health and wellbeing.
Our half day workshop is recommended to support workers using the Rory resource.
Learning outcomes
- Understand the impact of alcohol on Scottish society
- Describe the impact of harmful parental drinking on children and families
- Describe the key themes of Rory and how they relate to identifying and supporting children affected by parental drinking
- Demonstrate how to use the Rory resource with children (and link with the Curriculum for Excellence)
After the workshop, we will share
- Your certificate of attendance
- The Rory Resource Pack, which contains:
- Rory book
- Abridged Rory book
- Rory puppet
- Kennel for puppets
- USB containing audio, video, and information for class activities
Who is the workshop for?
Anyone working with or living with young children of primary school age. The workshop is particularly beneficial for primary teachers and classroom assistants.
Organisations are likely to benefit more if multiple members of staff complete the training. Get in touch to organise a personalised session.
Rory Resource Pack
Order a Rory Resource Pack by contacting training@alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk
Resource packs cost £75.00
FAQs
Why use Rory in schools?
Health and wellbeing education is an integral part of the school curriculum in Scotland. Alcohol education is a key part of a syllabus on health and wellbeing. The Rory resource links to the health and wellbeing outcomes contained within the Curriculum for Excellence and covers a range of topics across the curriculum.
Rory aims to build resilience and protective factors in children, regardless of whether they live with someone with an alcohol problem or not. These are valuable and transferable skills for all children.
Is it appropriate to discuss alcohol with young children?
Rory is tailored for different age groups with alcohol being introduced gradually and in an age-appropriate manner.
Children are often aware of alcohol from a young age. Even if they have not been around adults drinking alcohol, they are likely to have been exposed to alcohol on TV, in shops, and at celebrations or events.
Research has found that:
- Children as young as 7 were aware of alcohol, its effects, and could determine different levels of drinking, from occasional drinking to habitual drunkenness [1]
- 10-year-olds were more aware of some beer brands than brands of biscuits [2]
During an independent evaluation of the Rory resources, children aged 5 and 6 years spoke about alcohol use and were able to identify specific brands of alcohol that were consumed at home.
What do children learn from Rory?
Age 5 – 7 years
The focus is on emotions, friendships, relationships, empathy, caring, life skills, and how to cope in difficult situations. There is no discussion about alcohol specifically.
Age 8 – 9 years
Discussions focus on alcohol and the impact of parental drinking on Rory. Advice is given to children on where to get help and support when they feel troubled.
Age 10 – 11 years
The key focus is on the impact of alcohol on Rory and the other characters. There is also a general focus on the impact of alcohol on families and communities, and the choices people face in life.
Rory provides a safe environment and a sensitive way to explore the topic of alcohol and raise awareness of the harm that alcohol can have on others.
How do you know this resource works?
Rory has been independently evaluated for use in a school setting. The evaluation showed that Rory successfully supports teachers to work with children to talk about others’ alcohol use and how it makes them feel.
How much alcohol is too much?
The Chief Medical Officers advise not to regularly drink more than 14 units per week, to keep health risks from drinking alcohol to a low level. Drinking any amount of alcohol increases the risk of damage to health and that risk generally increases in line with how much you drink.
Read more about the low-risk drinking guidelines.
[1] Pre-teens learning about alcohol: drinking and family contexts, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2010
We recommend undertaking the Rory training to ensure you can make full use of the resources. Get in touch for more information or to book a personalised session
Need something more personalised? All of our training, can be customised to focus on particular aspects or to suit particular groups.
Can’t make it to Glasgow? Our team can travel across the country or deliver online sessions to bring our learning and development opportunities to you.
Email training@alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk
Call 0141 572 6700
More contacts
Parentline Scotland
Free confidential parent support helpline and website. 0800 028 2233
Drinkline
Free confidential alcohol helpline available 8am-11pm, 7 days a week. 0800 7 314 314
