What to Expect
The day is divided into three parts — morning, midday, and afternoon — with a range of focused workshops led by experienced trainers.
Each session offers practical ideas, real examples, and strategies you can take straight back to your classroom.
Morning Workshops (9:00 AM – 11:00 AM)
Movement for Writing Readiness – with Sophie Booth
Understand how movement, coordination, and fine motor control prepare children for writing, with simple activities to use straight away.
Positive Behaviour – Supporting children to manage their emotions – with Emma Jayne Morgan
Discover how emotions connect to brain development and to the relationships children have with the adults around them and practical ways to build emotional language and support children through every big feeling.
Creating an Inclusive Classroom – with Yasmin Elsayed
Creating an inclusive school or nursery begins with ensuring that the setting is ready to welcome and support every child. Find out how leaders and educators can build a culture of belonging and respond to diverse learning, communication, emotional and behavioural needs, while respecting cultural and linguistic differences.
Midday Workshops (11:15 AM – 1:15 PM)
Phonics Part 1 – with Sophie Booth
Learn how to introduce children to phonics through listening, sound exploration, and play to build a strong foundation for early literacy.
Maths beyond Number – with Emma Jayne Morgan
Early numeracy should feel fun, hands-on and achievable for every young child. Learn how to plan and develop a range of experiences that explore early concepts and support children’s mathematical language.
Regulated Nervous Systems are Essential for Learning – with Adeline Hardman
Discover how the developing nervous system influences a child's ability to learn, how to recognise the less obvious signs of dysregulation, and how educators can create environments and use simple, practical strategies that help children feel safe, regulated and ready to learn.
Afternoon Workshops (2:00 PM – 4:00 PM)
Phonics Part 2 – with Sophie Booth
Build on early phonics skills with effective ways to introduce written letters and sounds through developmentally appropriate activities.
Embedding Physical Development into Everyday Practice – with Emma Jayne Morgan
As a Prime Area of the EYFS, physical development deserves a place in every part of your day. Discover how everyday moments, often linked to growing independence, can become valuable movement opportunities and easy, practical ideas to maximise physical activity in your setting.
Special and Additional Learning Needs in the Early Years: From Concern to Support – with Pavla Gariboli
Find out how Early Years settings can use a graduated approach to identify and respond to emerging needs, provide reasonable adjustments, targeted intervention and more individualised levels of support, alongside the evidence we should be gathering to understand whether what we are doing is actually working.
Each workshop focuses on a different aspect of early years practice and offers ideas you can apply straight away. You can select up to three sessions to create a learning plan that suits your professional goals. Use code CPDDEAL at checkout to receive one session free when registering for three.
Plan Your Day
To make it easier to plan your professional learning, we’ve outlined three workshop combinations that work well together. Each one connects related topics and offers a focused way to spend your day at CPD Saturday — or you can create your own schedule from any of the sessions listed above.
Literacy Focus
Strengthen children’s language and early writing skills through phonics, reading, and movement.
Includes:
-
Phonics Part 1
-
Phonics Part 2
-
Movement for Writing Readiness
This package includes three workshops for a total of 200 AED (Buy 2 Get 1 Free).
Inclusion Focus
Combine our inclusive and special learning needs sessions.
Includes:
-
Creating an Inclusive Classroom
-
Special Additional Learning Needs in the Early Years
-
TBC
This package includes three workshops for a total of 200 AED (Buy 2 Get 1 Free).
Meet the Trainers
Our CPD Saturday workshops are led by experienced early years educators and specialists. Each trainer brings a strong background in classroom practice and a commitment to supporting professional learning across the sector.
Emma Jayne Morgan
General Manager QuEST
Emma has worked in Early Years education in the UAE since 2003 and has a wealth of experience supporting children across a range of age groups.
She is passionate about providing high-quality care and learning experiences, believing that the early years are the foundation for every child’s future success.
Sophie Booth
Educational Consultant
Sophie is an experienced early years educator with a strong passion for supporting children’s growth and development.
She values the importance of play in helping children build confidence, curiosity, and key skills for lifelong learning.
Sophie is dedicated to creating nurturing, engaging environments where every child can thrive and discover their potential.
Pavla Gariboli
Head of Inclusion at Taleem Charter School
As Head of Inclusion at Taleem Charter School, Pavla brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in supporting children with a wide range of individual needs.
Passionate about championing equality and inclusive practice, she is dedicated to creating an environment where every child is valued, supported, and able to thrive.
Yasmin Elsayed
Early Years Educational Consultant & Professional
Development Facilitator
Yasmin Elsayed is an Early Years Educational
Consultant and Professional Development Facilitator,originally from Egypt and currently based in the UAE.
She is passionate about developing educators, supporting emerging leaders and helping nurseries and Early Childhood Centres strengthen their educational practices.
With over 11 years of experience in Early Years education, Yasmin has worked across different countries and multicultural educational settings.
Adeline Hardman
Educational Consultant
Adeline has an extensive healthcare
background, with experience in diverse
settings ranging from the NICU, where
she cared for preterm and critically ill
infants, to community healthcare, where
she assesses children's health and well-
being while advocating for their needs to
help them thrive.
A compassionate and
dedicated professional, Adeline
prioritizes the child at the center of care,
using an evidence-based approach to
ensure the best possible outcomes.
What Former Attendees Said
Early Years Teacher, Dubai
“The sessions were practical, engaging, and full of useful examples.
I appreciated how each trainer connected theory to real classroom practice — it helped me see simple ways to apply new ideas straight away.
It’s easily one of the most worthwhile training days I’ve attended.”
Getting There
The CPD Saturday event will be held at GEMS Founders School, Al Barsha South — a central, easily accessible venue.
Workshops will take place in three separate rooms, with morning, midday, and afternoon sessions running at the same time.
Tickets must be purchased in advance to secure your place in your preferred sessions.
Frequently asked questions
Questions? Contact us.
Office 4, 4th Floor
Tanvi Hub Business Center
Horizon Building
75 Al Ittihad Road
Deira Dubai
+971 58 541 2606
