Workshops and Training

One of the key areas for creative practice is having the opportunity to gain knowledge, skills and understanding, to review and revitalise and to have time to share ideas and reflect on experiences.

The training sessions and workshops listed on these pages are designed for anyone working with or caring for children and young people so that at the end of the session, you will have new ideas, new ways of working and increased confidence in your practice.  Weare also able to provide a range of creative resources to compliment the training and to provide further scope for application in your setting.

Each training session has specific aims to illustrate the scope of what will be covered but in essence, the sessions are designed to be challenging and participatory so you get the benefit from engaging and meaningful enquiry, sharing experiences with colleagues and relevant information.

If you are interested in any of the themes listed on this page or if you have a specific request for an event or workshop, then please let us know.   Please click on each heading for more information:


Early Years 

A variety of sessions linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage are available (Unique Child, Positive Relationships, Enabling Environments, Learning and Development) - please ask for more information depending on your interests as all training sessions and workshops can easily be adapted to meet your needs.

Examples of other topics include: click here

How do Children Learn?

Promoting Choices in the Early Years

Supporting Boys to be Confident, Creative and Capable

Communication Matters

What is 'Readiness to Learn'?

Basic Child Development (a choice of themes including language, social and emotional development, physical and creative)

The Magic of Imagination!

This is a new workshop which aims to enthuse in the art of storytelling with and for children at home, in the early years setting or at school. Using simple props to stimulate and inspire, we explore the range of benefits and opportunities alongside the key elements of storytelling and a range of creative approaches. This training can be delivered as part of continual professional development along with project design and support for extracurricular activities.

Introducing Family Learning

Making the links with home and family learning are critical in order to ensure successful outcomes for children. This workshop will look at a variety of ways in which settings can help build positive relationships as well as imaginative ideas for continuation of childrens learning in the home. This training can be delivered as part of continual professional development along with project design and support for family learning and parental engagement.

Making the Most of Circle Time

The wider scope of this training package includes: developing key theoretical understandings; enhancing the application of circle time on a practical level; and stimulating a reflective and dynamic approach to practice. Making the Most of Circle Time compliments and links to existing key initiatives and vital areas of children’s learning. Specifically, the training makes explicit links to the Early Years Foundation Stage four key themes across the spectrum of the EYFS curriculum and early learning goals. In addition, practitioners are able to make links with initiatives such as Every Child a Talker and Letters and Sounds.

The focus of learning during the training is essentially through the notion of ‘enquiry’ including a high level of participation and the opportunity for practitioners’ to draw on their own knowledge and understanding. In a bid to improve the implementation and delivery of Circle Time across various settings, the training is facilitated to allow practitioners to energetically challenge their own perceptions of the existing status quo in terms of thinking and understanding around the scope of delivery and the opportunities represented when working with groups of children.

Coaching and Mentoring

This short course of two x 3-hour sessions ensures theoretical understanding is firmly linked to practice and is of particular interest to those practitioners who have leadership and mentoring responsibilities. The course will explore the nature and potential for coaching and mentoring (based on the GROW model and a selection of simple tools) with opportunities to practice and develop key skills.

So How do we Know we're Making a Difference?

A short course focusing on how to ensure projects and services have a clear framework for evaluation from planning through to delivery and review. Using a simple set of headings, small groups or teams can work together to form a clearer understanding of the rationale and purpose of projects and specific areas of work. The training provides opportunities to work with real projects or services followed with an optional session that looks at how to prepare reports and findings.


Look out for more short courses and workshops that will be added during 2014

Training sessions and workshops can be delivered according to your specific requirements: we are able to design and deliver sessions for local authorities and clusters of schools, pre-schools and children’s centres as well as regional and local groups of child minders, parents and carers.