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CPDs in Your School

In addition to the CPDs we have on offer in the academic year’s programme, we can provide bespoke sessions in your school for all your staff for a fee. Take a look at the list of different sessions we have offered in the past, or contact us to discuss the individual needs of your school.
Email us to discuss the individual needs of your school

EYFS

Day-long hands-on sessions to help early years practitioners develop messy and magical learning environments for the youngest learners

  • Participants will take part in a series of hands-on activities that develop creative practices with children in outdoor spaces. The day will follow children’s lines of enquiry, using drama and storytelling to explore the outdoors (gardens, parks, woods), meet mini-beasts and create outdoor learning environments.

    “I learned new outdoor activities without using just sand, water and mud. Following this session I can re-imagine the outdoor area as a storytelling world. Lots of practical ideas that can be applied immediately.”

  • This course gives staff the tools to provide sessions which use movement, physical expression and dance together with messy and creative play to enable children to explore their bodies and their imaginations.

    “Taking part in the session has helped me realise the value of mess and I have definitely learned new ideas which I will take back and use for my own sessions. Loads of useful information delivered in a fun and engaging way. Great use of a short amount of time! I loved playing with the coloured rice! I can get messy too!”

Creative Curriculum

Day-long or half-day sessions to explore ways of teaching KS1/2 curriculum subjects through drama.

  • This course explores active drama strategies to develop and enhance children’s learning in the classroom, with a focus on teaching numeracy (2D/3D shapes, problem solving, reasoning, number pattern and sequences, interpreting data). The session concludes with planning time to identify next steps for using drama to teach maths within a creative curriculum.

    “I don’t usually enjoy interactive CPD programs, but I learnt so much, found it easy to understand and can see it being successfully implemented in my classroom. I will definitely be bringing maths to life in my lessons from now on, using props and drama. I feel I can now look outside the box and bring relevant activities in for the children to know the importance of mathematical understanding.”

  • This course explores active drama strategies to develop and enhance children’s learning in the classroom, with a focus on teaching science (forces, heat and light, sound, electricity, materials, plants and animals and the environment). Includes an opportunity for curriculum planning.

    “I learned lots of great techniques for creating context embedded environments in which children can learn. Good techniques for engaging EAL & LA children. Great enjoyment and learning when making a human digestive system out of people. Dramatising the refraction of light was practical, fun and I learned a lot myself!”

  • This course explores active drama strategies to develop and enhance children’s learning in the classroom, with a focus on teaching history (chronological narrative, ancient civilisations, empires, continuity and change, cause and consequence, creating historical accounts and interpreting the past).

    “A really good day’s learning. Interesting, practical, ‘doable’ activities perfect for engaging children (and adults) of all ages. Different, fresh ideas. New strategies for developing historical roles and characters. The day encouraged me to be more imaginative with space and work beyond limitations of the fixed classroom.”

  • This course explores dramatic techniques to enhance children’s imaginative responses to visual artwork for literacy. Focusing on storytelling and the teaching of literacy (developing characters; narrative structure; story extensions), the course uses the new Gallery at Half Moon as its stimulus.

    “I really enjoyed the whole day – it was very useful as a creative toolkit to make learning more interesting – a way to encourage children’s natural activities. Creating a story from an observed picture and drawing into freeze frames were all great ways to stimulate children’s imaginations using a picture as a starting point. I really stepped out of my comfort zone to take part in the activities but really enjoyed the whole experience.”

  • This course, led by a professional poet, gives staff an extensive toolkit through which to work confidently and creatively with poetry and spoken word with their classes. The course looks at a variety of different forms of poetry and includes a chance to see a performance of a Half Moon poetry show.

    “I now have so many brilliant ideas which are easy to put into my lessons, particularly grammar and vocabulary games. It got me really excited about poetry, gave me lots of pointers for teaching poetry every day without the need to do a full lesson. The performance was a wonderful experience.”

PSHE

Day-long or half-day sessions that can be delivered in-person or online. Combined or separate sessions for the two topics.

  • This course offers drama and creative activities for using forum theatre techniques in class to explore children’s fears around transition to secondary school and how they can stay safe online. The day will conclude with planning time to identify next steps for using forum theatre for a PSHE topic. The course is can be a springboard for Half Moon to come into school to deliver creative activities with children and sessions with parents about transitions and staying safe online.

    “Half Moon provided an eye-opening course into how to educate young people about their online presence, getting them to consider if their online behaviour is different to real life. It was a very valuable day that gave a number of strategies and activities that I will take straight to school! The drama activities will bring the learning to life and help me to engage all learners. On a personal level, I will be implementing a lot of what I learnt in my own home with my own children.”

Inclusion and Classroom Management

Day-long or half-day sessions that can be delivered in-person or online for small or large groups of staff.

  • This course gives staff the tools to address challenging behaviour in young people through creative approaches in proactive and reactive strategies.

    “I learned to think more about why the bad behaviour is being presented. I need to be more aware of my physicality and focus on being calm and creative. By looking at the ‘gift table’ I learned to see young people in a new light. I am taking away a greater understanding of how to manage challenging behaviour.”

  • This course works with staff on reflective practice and drama techniques to encourage non-verbal participation and communication in all its forms in the children with whom we work. The course also introduces participants to the Speech Bubbles methodology which uses small group drama work in an intervention for children displaying a communication need. Participants will learn how to use drama techniques to develop children’s expressive and non-verbal communication as well as receptive and attending skills. Participants will also explore drama methodologies for inclusive practice with SEND children.

    “I enjoyed learning about myself and others in the group. Putting myself into the shoes of a child to see how things we expect them to do can be challenging…. I will introduce more activities where there are no correct answers to promote communication.”

  • This course aims to develop the use of drama as a tool to improve classroom communication and cohesion. Participating staff will be encouraged to engage with reflective practice and explore new ways of making their teaching practical and creative. This will include the use of drama to manage challenging behaviour and develop confidence and voice.

    “I feel I can apply this knowledge to all sorts of scenarios which will ultimately help me to make lessons stimulating and make my behaviour management more effective. I loved the amount of reflection and the exercises which will be easily used in the class.”

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