Professional Development Workshops
The aim of our workshops is to use fiction and diverse stories to promote meaningful discussion, imaginative thinking and critical reflection with children. We view sharing and creating stories as an important way for children to bring their lived experiences and voices into the classroom. This can create opportunities for culturally relevant learning where all children’s voices are valued.
Opening New Doors to Story-Making
This course is an introduction to co-creating stories with children using play-based activities. We will consider why this is important for children’s development and learning. During the course you will:
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Experience and learn a new creative process to engage children in story-making and storytelling
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Come away with a series of practical creative activities to encourage children’s playful story-making and telling
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Have the opportunity to discuss and reflect on practice and pedagogy in collaboration with a group of professional peers
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Develop confidence in leading and co-creating story-making and play-based activities with children
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Gain feedback and receive support from professional artists working in drama education
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On this programme you will be guided through a play-based story-making process inspired by a small selection of door handles. The initial activities are based on using physical door handles to develop and warm up children’s bodies and imaginations. From this starting point the facilitators share several creative activities that encourage children to play and co-create stories with their peers and the teacher. These activities include developing new characters, imagining new worlds, and physically playing out stories and plotlines. The final part of the workshops explores how this process develops children’s confidence to share stories and characters verbally with and in front of peers and teachers in the classroom.
Who can apply?
Teachers and artists working with KS1 & KS2. No experience with drama, play-based practice or story-making is necessary.
Delivery model
2 x 90min workshops. Creative tasks are set after each workshop and feedback and guidance is offered from the course tutor.
Cost and Start dates
£100 per person - please ask us about group discounts, our loyalty scheme and our CPD packages. Please email us for more information.
Drama for Agentic Writing
In this workshop the evidence-base for using drama with children to engage children in creative writing will be shared and explored using examples of how drama for creative writing has been used successfully in primary schools to facilitate agentic writing.
The workshop will contain interactive elements, which will give teachers first-hand experiences of approaches to teaching writing through drama. These include:
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Key drama conventions
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Free writing within the fiction
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Teachers taking on the identity of a writer to create a community of writers.
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Learning Outcomes for the workshop:
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You will be able to articulate a rationale for using drama for creative writing in the classroom;
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You will develop an understanding of key drama conventions and how they can be used to promote writing within the classroom.
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You will develop an understanding of ways of encouraging children to write within the fiction;
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You will begin to think of yourself as a writer and understand how to utilise their teacher-writer identity to create a fruitful community of writers in the classroom.
Who can apply?
Primary School Teachers and Literacy Coordinators
Delivery model
2 x 90min workshops. Creative tasks are set after each workshop and feedback and guidance is offered from the course tutor.
Cost and Start dates
£100 per person - please ask us about group discounts, our loyalty scheme and our CPD packages. Please email us for more information.
Children's Voice: Exploring diversity, relationships and community through stories
How do we represent children’s voice in school?
This workshop draws from our Story Makers Press, where we create stories with children from diverse backgrounds. Drawing from our evidence-based Explorer’s guides for teachers, we will share concrete examples of ways to use drama in which to explore complex areas relating to belonging and wellbeing through fiction. We will explore inclusive multi modal techniques to create meaningful classroom inquiry and talk linked to these themes and wider cross curricular learning. This workshop will give first-hand experience of this specialist work and invite colleagues to apply these to their own classroom.
Learning Outcomes:
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You are able to articulate a rationale for using drama for emotional literacy in the classroom.
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You will develop an understanding of key drama strategies and how they can be used to promote empathy, compassion and self-awareness.
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You will develop an understanding of ways of encouraging children to explore difficult areas of learning meaningfully through fiction;
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You will gain confidence in using imaginative and inclusive ways to explore and celebrate diversity through oracy and multi-modal languages.
Who can apply?
Primary School Teachers and Literacy Coordinators
Delivery model
2 x 90min workshops. Creative tasks are set after each workshop and feedback and guidance is offered from the course tutor.
Cost and Start dates
£100 per person - please ask us about group discounts, our loyalty scheme and our CPD packages. Please email us for more information.
Bibliotherapy for the curriculum
How to audit the school library and develop an inclusive reading curriculum
This work will draw on the evidence-based work from CLPE addressing diverse representation of children’s literature. We will look at reviewing the classics and the school library. We will critically evaluate current popular fiction including celebrity authors and how to find suitable alternatives. Specialist input will be shared on independent publishers and book lists and how you can use them to help you curate an up to date and diverse library.
We will also look at different ways in which reading for pleasure can be incorporated into the wider curriculum and how you can tailor your book selections to individual classes. This workshop will give you expert guidance and the tools to easily incorporate this into your practice.
Learning Outcomes:
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You will develop an awareness of the book market and what’s on offer for children.
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You will be empowered to audit the school library and review problematic classics.
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You will learn how to navigate existing resources in order to create a more inclusive and representative reading experience.
Who can apply?
Primary School Teachers and Literacy Coordinators
Delivery model
2 x 90min workshops. Creative tasks are set after each workshop and feedback and guidance is offered from the course tutor.
Cost and Start dates
£100 per person - please ask us about group discounts, our loyalty scheme and our CPD packages. Please email us for more information.
Development Programme for Creativity Lead
In order for creativity to be embedded in a sustainable and at a whole school level there is a need for a dedicated member of staff to lead the work.
This innovative programme is for those schools willing to lead the creative agenda by contributing to the national debate on this important topic.
You will explore what effective creativity policy and practice looks like and the steps needed to ensure effective implementation, impact and review.
You will share good practice with other creativity school leads and undertake an audit of your school to identify highlights and challenges within your school and use this to create a targeted creativity plan.
On completion of the programme you will have grown your capacity and confidence for creativity strategies. You will have developed a deep understanding of how to effect change in your school and the implementation of effective support strategies.
Who can apply?
Senior Leaders with a strategic responsibility for creativity,
Delivery model
Online with x5 ‘Live’ facilitated sessions (spread over a 8 month period) with moderated professional development record, private online forum and resources and two coach or mentoring sessions.
Cost and Start dates
£450 per delegate - please ask us about group discounts, our loyalty scheme and our CPD packages. Please email us for more information.