Upcoming Course Dates

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​​​​Author-led Course

taught by

Sally Goddard Blythe​

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19th September 2025

Crowne Plaza Hotel

Chester, England

 

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​​​Aims

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Research published in December 2024 by the Centre for Young Lives and Child of the North found that 33% of children start reception class without the skills and knowledge to succeed at school. This rate rose to 45% for children eligible for free school meals.

In addition to time of school entry, the percentage of children under-achieving or identified as having special educational needs (SEN) is on the increase. Teachers often feel impotent in knowing how to identify factors underlying this increase or having the resources to help them.

One factor that can interfere with development of a range of skills needed to support success in the classroom is immature motor development.

This one-day course provides teachers with practical tools with which to identify signs of immaturity in motor skills and to implement a daily class activity programme to help improve the physical basis for learning.

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Symptoms of underlying physical factors

 

Difficulties with:

• Sitting still

• Maintaining focus

• Coordination needed for changing for activities such as P.E.

• Self-regulation

• Disorderly activity in class

• School refusal

• Educational under-achievement

• Writing

• Reading

• Spelling

• Numeracy and sequential tasks

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Course content

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The one-day course has been devised primarily for teachers who intend to use the INPP School Intervention Programme or the play-based programme for 4—6 years of age. The course comprises:

 

Morning session: (3 hours)

• Introduction

• Signs and symptoms of movement disorders in the classroom

• The role of movement in sensory perception and coordination

• Links between specific learning difficulties and sensory-motor dysfunction

• What is Neuro-Motor Immaturity?

• Primitive reflexes as signposts of maturity in the functioning of the central nervous system and measures of improvement following an intervention programme.

• Instruction in the use of The INPP Screening Test(s) for children aged 4-7 years and from 7 years of age upwards.

 

Afternoon Session: (2.5 hours)

• Instruction in the use of the INPP screening tests.

• Instruction and group participation in how to implement the INPP Developmental Movement Programme for use in schools or daily play programme based on Movement. Your Child’s First Language.

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Requirements for implementation of the INPP Programme in Schools:

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Dedicated staffing by a teacher who has attended the INPP Day course, to cover:

• 15 minutes’ assessment per child at the beginning and the  end of the programme

• Supervision by class teacher of activities for 10 minutes per day, 5 days a week for minimum of 1 academic year.

The programme has been designed to be used either with an entire  class of children or selected groups of children as required.

 

The INPP Screening test is designed for use anyone with a first degree and professional qualifications and experience in a field allied to Education, Medicine or Psychology.

 

The INPP Developmental Movement Programme for use in Schools has been designed specifically to be used in schools with groups of children over the course of one academic year. Exercises from the INPP programme for schools should not be used out of context with individual children.

 

*A movement and music programme designed for daily teacher super- vised play activities to be used in schools for children aged 4— 6 years.

 

Please note that it is essential that all attendees have a copy of the course training manual, which may be ordered directly by attendees or the organisation paying for attendance, from the publisher priced at £68.95.  Wiley may offer a discount on orders of 10 or more copies.

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https://www.wiley.com/en-gb/Assessing+Neuromotor+Readiness+for+Learning%3A+The+INPP+Developmental+Screening+Test+and+School+Intervention+Programme%2C+2nd+Edition-p-9781394337736

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A summary of reports from schools where the programme has been implemented in the past may be found at: https://www.inpp.org.uk/inppschoolprogrammereports

 

Course Fees

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Full day : £250 per person.  If manual is required, please add £68.95 

 

Assessing Neuromotor Readiness for Learning (2024) is a substantially revised and expanded edition of a long established INPP training manual that has been consistently proven in practice.

 

The publication and training day include tests to assess children’s neuromotor skills, a developmental movement programme, and online access to paper and pencil tests, observation and scoring sheets and paid access to INPP video test and exercise samples.

 

• Based on the evidence based INPP model for neuromotor development screening and intervention, which is unique in having been rigorously evaluated in research and practice.

• Places emphasis on assessing children’s physical development and understanding how neuromotor skills provide physical foundations for learning success.

• Includes a physical intervention programme designed for use in schools (6+ years).

 

Sally Goddard Blythe is Director of The Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology (INPP Ltd). She is the author of 8 books and numerous published papers including: Reflexes, Learning and Behaviour (2024), The Well Balanced Child (2003), What Babies and Children Really Need (2008), Attention, Balance and Coordination – the

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 A.B.C. of Learning Success (Wiley-Blackwell, 2009), The Genius of Natural Childhood (2011) and Neuromotor Immaturity in Children and Adults—The INPP Screening Test for Clinicians and Health Practitioners (2014).​

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