From HEAD to TOE
We believe, and have been witness to the brilliant impact, that movement, dance and creativity can have on learning experiences of pupils in Primary School settings; on their regulation, their knowledge attainment, their engagement and on their overall enjoyment of school.
From HEAD to TOE explores how creativity, movement and learning through the body can improve children’s experiences in school. We look at how these approaches can help both pupils and teachers feel more regulated, supported and engaged, while creating more positive and sustainable learning environments in primary schools.
Through caring and inclusive practices, our professional development programme helps teachers and pupils become more aware of themselves, understand what they need, express their preferences, and use creativity and movement to play, learn, connect and build confidence.
We are also exploring how working together can create lasting change in schools, improve fairness and opportunities for young people, and ensure that wellbeing and care are central to how programmes are planned, delivered and reviewed.
This project creates space to try new ideas, reconnect with creativity, learn from mistakes and improve our approach as we go. We work collaboratively throughout the process.
Everyone involved in the project is encouraged to take time to reflect, pause, ask questions and learn from their experiences.
“The children thoroughly enjoyed all the dance sessions. The teachers have spoken highly of both dance teachers and we will defintely be looking to work with you again in the future.”
Katie Yates, Teacher, Brying with Warton Primary School
“The children thoroughly enjoyed all the dance sessions. The teachers have spoken highly of both dance teachers and we will defintely be looking to work with you again in the future.”
Katie Yates, Teacher, Brying with Warton Primary School
“The children thoroughly enjoyed all the dance sessions. The teachers have spoken highly of both dance teachers and we will defintely be looking to work with you again in the future.”
Katie Yates, Teacher, Brying with Warton Primary School
Where it started
From HEAD to TOE is a new and exciting research project, which marks a different way of us working within education – in a different learning environment, a different area of the curriculum and through a different relationship with teachers.
During phase 1 of our project, from 2021 – 2023, we worked with year 3 and 4 pupils from 5 Primary Schools across Lancashire in English and Maths time, to use creativity, dance and movement to explore different learning strategies for concentration, engagement, memory and recall. We were interested in looking at methods which go beyond the traditional forms and look into how the body and environment can play its part. Through our tried and tested strategies, we were able to encourage pupils to better understand their own learning styles and preferences, to be inquisitive and creative.
We worked collaboratively with class teachers and senior leaders to shape this project to the school’s needs, to the pupils’ needs and to allow space for the teachers’ own development. INSET and additional PPA time allowed space for teachers to reflect on practice, evaluate progress and for self-enquiry and to explore how we best embed the learning in future school life.
As we move inot the second phase of our project, we are beginning to share this practice through short term CPD programmes in schools across Lancashire as well as branching out into stratgeies to instill executive functioning and metacognition in pupils alongside deeper Teacher CPD programmes that support their own self-regulation, embodied teaching and mental health and. resilience for teaching in our ever-evolving education settings.
Through our approaches, we are noticing that pupils’ autonomy is developing, they are finding new ways to access learning and teachers are noticing improved retention of knowledge by exploring it more physically and creatively. Our journey so far has allowed us to explore key curriculum topics within English and Maths, including place value, fractions, narrative writing and word class and grammar but have also established great transferbale approaches into all other areas of the Primary curriculum.
You can hear more about the project from our artists in blogs here!
Phase 1 and 2 of From HEAD to TOE was generously funded by Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
“The children thoroughly enjoyed all the dance sessions. The teachers have spoken highly of both dance teachers and we will defintely be looking to work with you again in the future.”
Katie Yates, Teacher, Brying with Warton Primary School
want to know more?
We’d love to chat with you and create a bespoke programme of CPD for your school or setting.
Laura, From HEAD to TOE Project Manager
C/O UCLanDance, Media Factory, UCLan, Preston, PR1 2HE