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Ready to learn online training

  • Professionals and Clinicians
10 year old boy sitting in classroom at desk, looking up

To help teachers and schools, we have created a series of online learning sessions. These sessions have been created to support teachers and professionals learn about helping children to be ready to learn. 

Please take your time to watch through each session. 

Once you have watched all the videos, you can book onto an online question and answer session.

Download the ready to learn workbook

Introduction and learning aims

  • Having a whole school or whole classroom approach to reduce time needed out of the classroom.
  • Having less disruption in the classroom and playground.
  • Children settling quicker and ready to learn.
  • Children having greater focus.
  • Understanding how to support a child to maintain regulation.
  • Understanding how to have the optimum learning environment.
  • Understanding why you may be making these changes.

Service information

We follow a tiered model of approach, which includes:

  • Universal: Good for all.
  • Targeted: Necessary for some.
  • Specialist: Essential for a few.

Realities of being a teacher

As a teacher a lot of time is often spent supporting children to stay focussed on a task. But there are ways to decrease the time spent on getting children ready to learn, and spend more time teaching. 

The brain

The brain can be split into the thinking brain, action brain and emotional brain. We want children to use their thinking brain in the classroom. But some children will need to use their action brain to allow them to think.

The senses

There are 7 senses including:

  • sight 
  • smell
  • touch
  • taste
  • hearing 
  • vestibular
  • proprioception

Some children can have sensitivities within the different senses. There are some things that can help manage these differences. 

Introducing strategies

Watch the 2 videos below to learn about classroom based strategies that can help children to get ready to learn.

Strategies - part 1

There are lots of different practical classroom based strategies and activities that can help. You can try the exercises in the video for yourself. You will need a piece of paper for the first exercise. 

Strategies - part 2

Asking children to get into different postures can help them to be ready to learn. You can try these exercises yourself if you feel comfortable to do so.

Strategies - part 3

It can be helpful to understand how to adapt and modify the environment to meet the needs of a child. For example, you can consider if your classroom could be reconfigured, who sits at the front or who sits near the door.


Last reviewed: 18 March, 2025

Online question and answer session

The question and answer (Q&A) session will be run by an occupational therapist. It will be on Microsoft Teams. The session will last for approximately 1 hour. 

If you have any specific dates reserved for staff training, you can contact us at ccs.sensoryworkshop@nhs.net, and we will try to accommodate your request.

Woman sitting at a table with headphones on a Microsoft Teams call on a laptop.
Information

Need more help?

You should consult an occupational therapist if:

  • the child or young person is not making any progress
  • school staff or parents need more advice 
  • the child or young person's need appears more complex than the solutions offered
  • the child or young person has a neurological condition like Cerebral Palsy which may impact which strategies are given
  • the child has a degenerative condition and their needs are changing rapidly
  • there are safety concerns related to the activity or strategies provided

Our Advice Line is available. You will need to get informed consent from the parents or carers to discuss their child with our service. Please have this information available when making the call:

  • child's name and date of birth
  • child's address
  • parent/school email address
  • NHS number (if known)

You can speak to an occupational therapist by calling our Advice Line 0300 029 5050.

Have your say

Please tell us about your recent experience with any of our services by answering a few simple questions. We want to hear about what you felt went well and what you think we could do differently. 

Your voice makes a difference and helps us improve our services for you and other families.

Two young primary school girls laughing together in the playground.

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