Helen Battelley

Helen is an internationally renowned consultant, trainer, author and speaker in Physical activity/movement in Early and Primary Education with an MA in Early Childhood Physical Activity. Her training style is energetic, passionate and highly motivational. She has been working as a dance and movement specialist for over 19 years and continues to work directly with children. Helen is respected globally for her valued contribution to raising the profile of early years physical activity and reducing sedentary behaviours.

Helen’s consultancy now takes her all over the world, from Malaysia to Dubai, from China to Romania. The movement philosophy Helen promotes is to embed movement within the curriculum and framework to enable a movement philosophy. Young children learn through movement, early years practice must adopt an approach which is accessible to all.

Moreover, reducing sedentary behaviour and ensuring practitioners are aware of the impact movement has on cognitive development and PSE well-being. Last year Helen completed the Skinner Release Technique dance/movement/somatic practice which hugely influences her work. The embodiment of her practice is to raise confidence in the areas of music and movement play.

Her work with families and communities has been exemplary in exploring perceptions around movement and physical activity and subsequently the development of various initiatives and schemes to increase movement potential.

Helen was the lead physical development advisor on Change4life’s 10 Minute Shake Up Cards (UK) and is frequently found presenting at education conferences across the globe. In 2021 Helen developed a Physical Phonics programme for The National Literacy Trust, the programme will be rolled out across the UK in the academic year 2021-2022.

2018 saw the release of Helen’s first publication Music and Movement: The Early Years, to find out more please visit: https://www.musicandmovement.org.uk/music-and-movement/the-early-years-publication/ Helen’s second publication with Bloomsbury publishers was released in Spring 2020.

Summer 2019 Helen conducted an action research project with reception children (4-5 years) for Birmingham City University on ‘Can delivering a movement-based intervention positively impact on attainment and well-being?’ After collating the data, results showed a significant increase in developmental maturity, communication skills, physical competency and PSE development, the study also saw increases in all areas of the Early Learning Goals.

 

I deliver training, seminars and consultancy to practitioners, managers and teachers internationally, in understanding the importance of dance/movement/physical activity in play and the cross-curricular links associated with dance in early childhood. I work as an associate trainer for BSME (British Schools in the Middle East), COBIS, CPD for Teachers, NSM training, Infinite Learning and OSIRIS as well as working independently and with local authorities. My courses and training hold a reputation for excellence as evidence in my testimonials.

The training courses I provide are primarily aimed at increasing confidence, motivation and basic movement skills, to enable delegates to create their own movement activities to support learning- building on these core principles to become part of their everyday planning. Staff have found the courses to ‘reignite a spark’ within them to become more physically active in their own lives.

‘Helen’s passion, enthusiasm, knowledge and dedication in her field demonstrate her commitment to movement’

Helen Moylett , President of British Association Of Early Childhood Education
Helen Battelley
Helen Battelley

Helen Battelley currently works as a consultant for the following schools:

Hartland International, Dubai
Leman International School, Chengdu, PRC
British Embassy School Ankara, Turkey
British School of Alexandria, Egypt
Jess, Jumeriah, Dubai
Oporto British School, Portugal
Kings College, Madrid, Spain
Acorns, Bucharest, Romania