CPD Training and Consultancy

Helen is an internationally renowned consultant, trainer and speaker in Physical Development/movement in Early Education. 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 was fundamental in the creation and release of Change4life’s ’10 Min Shake up cards’.

Children have an innate desire to move, respond to music and role-play. Our ethos focuses on a child-centred approach to learning. The courses are practical and combine a unique mix of both movement play and theory. Our training focuses on building confidence, self-belief and competence in all practitioners. Our aim is to boost staff well being, raise confidence in the area of movement practice and theoretical concepts. We develop an eagerness within practitioners to become more active within their own lives and to adopt a ‘Are you worthy of imitation!’ (Steiner) approach. Equipping practitioners with ideas, resources and the confidence to incorporate dance/movement effectively within their setting and planning.

Courses Delivered

All training provision will:

  • Support children’s physical development in a whole school approach.

  • Great INSET for teams to work together in an informal, fun and creative way.

  • Improve children’s learning across the school and develop new ways to motivate and encourage children to become independent learners.

  • Prioritise opportunities to be more creative within your planning.

  • Inspire teams and members of staff by developing their confidence.

  • Provide hands-on experience and active learning, to understand how music and movement stimulates brain development.

I had the pleasure of being a part of the Level 1 Music and Movement course that took place in June at my school. From the start, the level of engagement was high, I felt that I had learned new ways of critical and creative thinking that I was eager to put into place within my own teaching practice. Helen had us thinking outside of the box by challenging the groups ways of working through tasks and exercises. I was so inspired that I felt the need to share what I had learned with other practitioners and therefore I asked Helen to come back in September and work with our wider EYFS and Specialist teacher team. I can’t wait!
Alex Kais - Leader of learning for Art, Design, Technology and Specialist Teachers, Monteagle Primary School

My students have loved using the going balls that we use for movement and music activities, including learning about tempo changes, pitch and structure. I use scarves for movement activities, including the Rainbow fish story and Jack and the beanstalk. The children from 3-5 years love the mime and movement stories. I have included Jack and the beanstalk, We’re going on a bear hunt (I taught this out side) and I have included many other musical mime stories that link in with the IEYC topics that the children are covering at the time. The children 3-5 really enjoyed having the bells and pipe cleaners on their feet for the Indian dances and castanets for the flamenco rhythms. I have included the parachute activities for 4-5 year olds incorporating nursery songs, counting songs and phonics activities. The children love the wave drum which fits in nicely with 2-3 year old topic of ‘The seaside’. Active learning is the best way to learn, you can see that the children have enjoyed their experience with the activities when they ask in the following lesson “can we do what we did last lesson?”

Feedback from Course Attendee Upon Implementation

Seminars and Workshops

CPD Training
Continuing Professional Development Training
CPD Training

‘In-Set’ Training Days for Schools

Are you looking to have a specialist ‘inset’ day on movement skills? Our training provides staff with the skills to create a movement based methodology. Staff are often found to increase their personal physical development needs following the training.

Host Schools

Would your school be interested in becoming a ‘host school’? Host schools receive up to 5 free places on the training course. The host school must fill a further 5 places through contacting cluster schools, feeder settings etc at a cost of £100 per delegate. If this is something which interests you please contact me on [email protected]

Parents Course

Parenting courses are offered throughout the year on assisting parents with an awareness of the importance and impact movement has on all areas of a child’s development.

In today’s society, as parents and educators, we have a battle on our hands against technology and sedentary behaviour. Research demonstrates how this ‘change’ in society has impacted on our child’s physical, emotional and psychological behaviour. Following the release of the governments Social Mobility Commission Report ‘Helping Parents to parent’, we will be focusing on strategies and skills we can have in place to create a secure, nurturing, playful environment where our children can explore and grow to become creative thinkers.

“Super hands-on course. Great fun and I can’t wait to try out the ideas in school!” 

“Amazing Course, can’t wait to put the ideas into practice. So much content!” 

“I got so much more from the course than I had expected”
“Invaluable, great value for money”

“Outstanding course, ALL EYFS staff should attend this course!” 

“Fantastic, engaging, inspiring, enjoyable course, thank you.”

“Just to let you know we did Rainbow Fish at preschool today. I made a cardboard tabard with scales on for Rainbow and we had coloured silk scarves to ‘give away’. We sat in the hall and read the story to the children first, then discussed feelings when the fish wasn’t included – it was very interesting how some children could empathise and some could not. I also took in a bubble gun, which I only used when rainbow fish shared with the other fishes. They absolutely loved it and we also had the children playing the part of the rainbow fish and, as you said, they were lining up to do it. After the session they had snack time and then before our session ended, we asked the children about what they had done in the hall – the majority of them remembered it very well. I have been at the preschool 20 years and it is the first time I have ever ‘lead’ the activity session. The other staff thought it was very good on several levels.”

Feedback from Course Attendee