Our Puberty Programme is Thirty!

One of Loudmouth's first ever theatre in education programmes is about to turn thirty!

My Mate Fancies You, was first developed at the start of 1995 and toured Birmingham schools. The programme has now reached hundreds of thousands of children. The programme supports teachers in teaching about puberty and equips children to make sense of the emotional and physical changes that they will experience. The programme also helps children to make the most of the move from primary to secondary school.

The programme has seen many changes over the years. In 1995 there was no social media, mobile phones were enormous and expensive and Taylor Swift was only 5 years old! Every year the programme is updated to help the next year of students. The programme has been running for so long that we now have contacts (and even some of our own staff) who learned about puberty through watching My Mate Fancies You when they were at school.

The original tour was performed by Eleanor Vale and Chris Cowan who are still the company directors of Loudmouth. It was supported through funding from the health service in what was then South Birmingham Community Health National Health Service Trust. It remains one of our most popular programmes for primary schools.

We are still very proud of this programme and the way that it finds a fun way to cover topics that some children (and staff) may usually find embarrassing. It is such an enjoyable and memorable way to learn about changes that most people go through and develop a better understanding of what is happening. It is still so rewarding to see the nervous giggles at the start give way to such mature and thoughtful discussions by the end of the session.

“My Mate Fancies You is possibly the most important lesson these children have. It is a safe insight into puberty and prepares them for secondary school.” - Headteacher

My Mate Fancies You, helps to normalise the changes and reassure children that they are not alone. 99% of children who took part said that they thought that the programme helped them to learn about growing up and puberty. 88% of children after taking part said that puberty was a normal part of life.

You can read a short report on the My Mate Fancies You programme here and some of tke key quotes and statistics are listed below.

"I now know who to ask for advice and that everyone goes through it so there's no need to be embarrassed." - Year 6 pupil

"I will be less freaked out by puberty" - Year 6 pupil

100% of all students evaluated said they thought that they would recommend My Mate Fancies You for next year’s pupils.

We still have availability for 2025 for bookings for this programme. The summer is a busy time for puberty education as primary schools prepare their Year 6 pupils for the transition to secondary school and cover the key body changes in their Relationships and Health Education (RHE).

To book your My Mate Fancies You session or to find out more contact us on 0121 446 4880 or email enquiry@loudmouth.co.uk