INPP One-Day Training Course
IN NEURO-MOTOR IMMATURITY (NMI)
TEACHERS COURSE
Assessing Neuromotor Readiness for Learning & School Intervention Programme
Upcoming Course Dates
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With UK Trainer, Pauline Shannon
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​28th February 2025 in Welwyn Garden City, England
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22nd March 2025 in Coleraine, Northern Ireland
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To book your place:
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Author-led Course taught by Sally Goddard Blythe​
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19th September 2025, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Chester, England
To book your place for author-led course:
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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:
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Sitting still
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Maintaining focus
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Coordination needed for changing for activities such as P.E.
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Self-regulation
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Disorderly activity in class
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School refusal
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Educational under-achievement
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Writing
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Reading
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Spelling
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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)
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Introduction
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Signs and symptoms of movement disorders in the classroom
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The role of movement in sensory perception and coordination
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Links between specific learning difficulties and sensory-motor dysfunction
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What is Neuro-Motor Immaturity?
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Primitive reflexes as signposts of maturity in the functioning of the central nervous system and measures of improvement following an intervention programme.
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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)
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Instruction in the use of the INPP screening tests.
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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:
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15 minutes’ assessment per child at the beginning and the end of the programme
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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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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.
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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.
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Places emphasis on assessing children’s physical development and understanding how neuromotor skills provide physical foundations for learning success.
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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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Published Peer Reviewed Research
based on
Assessing Neuromotor Readiness for Learning
The INPP Developmental Screening Test and School Intervention Programme
Goddard Blythe SA., 2005. Releasing educational potential through movement, A summary of individual studies carried out using the INPP Test Battery and Developmental Exercise Programme for use in Schools with Children with Special Needs.
Child Care in Practice.11/4:415.432. 2005
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Goddard Blythe SA, 2011. Neuromotor maturity as an indicator of developmental readiness for education. Report on the use of a Neuro-Motor Test Battery and Developmental Movement Programme in schools in Northumberland and Berkshire. 2011. IN: Movement, Vision, Hearing – The Basis of Learning. Ewa Maria Kulesza (Ed). Wydawninctwo Akademii Pedagogiki Specjalnej im> Marii Grzegorzewskiej. Warszawa.
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Zielińska M & Goddard Blythe SA. 2018. School functioning of students with neuromotor immaturity. International Journal of Pedagogy Innovation and New Technologies journal homepage: Vol. 7, No. 2, 2020, pp. 40-46 International Journal of Pedagogy Innovation and New Technologies. journal homepage: http://www.ijpint.com ISSN: 2392-0092,
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​Goddard Blythe SA & Lunina N., 2020. Assessing neuromotor readiness for learningModern methods of prevention and correction of developmental disorders for children: Tradition and innovation: Sat. materials of the II International Interdisciplinary Scientific Conference, October 22-23, 2020. eds. O. N. Usanova. - M .: Kogito-Center - Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis, 2020 .-- pp. 11-23. ISBN 978-5-89353-607-2
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Goddard Blythe SA, Duncombe R, Preedy P & Gorely T., 2021. Neuromotor readiness for school: the primitive reflex status of young children at the start and end of their first year at school in the United Kingdom. 2021. Education 3-13/ International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03004279.2021.1895276
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Kalemba A, Lorent M, Goddard Blythe SA and Gieysztor, E., 2023. The Correlation between Residual Primitive Reflexes and Clock Reading Difficulties in School-Aged Children—A Pilot Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023, 20, 2322. https://doi.org/10.3390/ ijerph2003232
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Goddard Blythe SA., 2023. Are Immature Neuromotor Skills Significant Factors in Educational Under-achievement and Special Educational Needs? Literature review of the role of Primitive Reflexes as Indicators and Measures of Neuromotor Immaturity. Goddard Blythe, Sally. Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology, Wielka Brytania. Szkoła Specjalna. 2023-04-30.https://e-szkolaspecjalna.pl/resources/html/article/details?id=611494
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Infante-Can ̃etea, L. Aguilar-Guerrerob, B. Wallace-Ruiza, A. Effect of a psychoeducational intervention on motor and perceptual-visual development through the inhibition of primitive reflexes in schoolchildren aged 4 to 7 years old https://riuma.uma.es/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10630/27516/1-s2.0-S2530380523000059-main.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
For a listing of excerpts from reports provided by some schools and local authorities where the INPP Developmental Screening Test and School Intervention Programme has been used...
CLINICIANS COURSE
Neuromotor Immaturity in Children & Adults
(The INPP Screening Test for Clinicians & Health Practitioners)
NEXT DATE: TBC
LOCATION: TBC
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To register your interest please email mail@inpp.org.uk
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Neuromotor Immaturity in Children and Adults makes proven tests available for the first time to the health community at large, allowing practitioners to test for neuromotor immaturity and provide help if required.
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Research has shown that contrary to popular belief many children do have immature neuromotor skills without more serious pathology, and that this is directly linked to underachievement in education and other areas
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Disorders of movement can also affect thoughts and behavior – the test can be used with adults to identify cases where factors influencing balance and perception underlie psychological symptoms such as panic disorder
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Includes a range of reproducible score sheets and observation sheets for use in practice
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Builds on the success of the author’s previous work, Assessing Neuromotor Readiness for Learning, allowing a new audience of primary and secondary health care practitioners to screen for signs of neuromotor immaturity and take appropriate action.
