Why movement may be the missing link in today’s classrooms
Across early years, primary and secondary classrooms, teachers are seeing increasing numbers of children who struggle to settle, listen, communicate or participate. These challenges often reflect underlying developmental needs rather than behaviour. When educators understand this, they can respond with strategies that support children’s bodies and minds together - and create the conditions for real learning to take place.
At MovementWorks, we support children and young people of all abilities through developmental dance and movement. Our programmes translate neuroscience into practical approaches that strengthen communication, emotional regulation, attention and confidence. This work is especially supportive for autistic learners and children with additional needs, but it benefits all learners.
Why movement matters for learning
Movement is not an add-on to the curriculum. It underpins the physical, social and emotional foundations that children need to learn.
Skills such as balance, coordination, spatial awareness, self-regulation and expressive communication all develop through movement. When these areas strengthen, children are more ready to engage with classroom routines, group learning and focused tasks.
Educators who participate in our training often describe a shift in how they understand the children they work with. They begin to see the root causes behind difficulties with attention, frustration or emotional overwhelm - and feel more confident offering support.
About the Professional Development Day
Our one-day ‘MovementWorks For Learning’ Professional Development Day gives staff a grounded understanding
of the developmental building blocks that sit beneath learning readiness.
📍25th September 2026
📍The Albany, Deptford
Presented by Ali Golding and grounded in the recent publication Move More, Learn More (Teachers College Press, 2026), the training introduces developmental dance and movement as a practical, evidence-informed approach educators can use across a wide range of settings.
The day includes:
♦ How movement supports cognitive, emotional and social development
♦ The developmental skills children need for focus and participation
♦ Activities that strengthen communication, attention and self-regulation
♦ Approaches that help children navigate overwhelm or dysregulation
♦ Ways to embed inclusive movement into everyday classroom practice
♦ Adaptations for different ages, needs and abilities
By the end of the session, participants leave with a clear toolkit of simple and repeatable activities.
The training is suitable for teachers, special educational needs coordinators, early years practitioners,
learning support assistants, senior leaders and local authority professionals.
What educators gain
♦ Strategies that help children settle and prepare for learning
♦ A deeper understanding of how movement supports brain development
♦ Practical tools to support autistic learners and children with additional needs
♦Approaches that strengthen inclusion and classroom culture
♦ Insights that support early intervention and whole-school practice
Many schools choose this training because the activities are easy to use and can be applied immediately within the school day.
“I would like to see this training rolled out across all early years settings, to make practitioners aware and to promote this type of learning.”
Shantell Lucy, Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
👉 Find out more or book your place: Movementworks for Learning