Supporting Wellbeing and Progress in the Early Years - Speakers

Sonia Mainstone-Cotton, Early Years Participation Trainer & Consultant

Sonia is a freelance trainer, consultant and nurture consultant with 30 years experience of working with children. She works as a freelance nurture consultant for a small charity in Bath, supporting 4 year olds in school who have social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Sonia is the author of several books including Promoting young children’s emotional health and wellbeing, Promoting emotional wellbeing in early years staff and Listening to young children in early years settings.

Helen Battelley, Consultant, Trainer & Author, Music & Movements

Helen is an internationally renowned consultant, trainer, author and speaker on physical devlopment/movement in early years and primary education. Helen's training style and delivery is highly evocative, energetic and passionate, her enthusiasm is contagious!

Julie Cigman, Early Years Consultant, Trainer & Author

Julie is an early years consultant, trainer and writer. She has worked as a primary and nursery teacher, reading intervention teacher and has run early literacy groups for young children and their parents. This was followed by 3 years training EYFS teachers on an early years PGCE based at Oxford Brookes University, before she moved on to work as an early years advisory teacher in Oxfordshire. Julie designed and runs early writing projects in schools and settings, which have successfully improved the confidence, motivation and attainment of early writers in the project settings.

Neil Farmer, Independent Early Years Adviser

Neil is an independent educational consultant supporting schools and setting development across London, the Midlands and the South East. He is also an improvement advisor to a number of schools and Early Years settings in the Middle East.

Jeremy Hannay, Headteacher, Three Bridges Primary School

Jeremy has worked in both Canada and England as an educator and is passionate about creating the conditions under which teachers and pupils flourish. He believes passionately in growing schools that are characterised by cultures of trust, agency, collaboration and happiness.

Katie Jones, Founder, Wellbeing in Schools

Our mission is to inspire and support schools to embed wellbeing into the heart of the curriculum. Wellbeing in Schools was born out of a desire to help every child learn practical techniques to both recognise and manage big emotions.

Sue Keenan, Speech and Language Therapist, Pendle Education Trust

Sue graduated from Leeds Metropolitan University in 2013 with a degree in Speech and Language. Since qualifying I have been a school-based Speech and Language Therapist, currently working in primary schools in the Pendle Education Trust. In 2017 Pendle Primary Academy won the Shine a Light Award for their excellent Speech and Language provision throughout the school.

Matt Robinson, Training and Development Officer, Learning Through Landscapes

A qualified teacher, Matt has led Learning Through Landscapes training for the last 6 years. He is passionate about engaging children with nature and adventure. Author of a number of Early Years courses and resources, Matt is also involved in a number of ERASMUS programmes, including the Take Me Out project with Early Years partners across Europe..

Sally Russell, Education Director, Wellbeing in Schools

Our mission is to inspire and support schools to embed wellbeing into the heart of the curriculum. Wellbeing in Schools was born out of a desire to help every child learn practical techniques to both recognise and manage big emotions.