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)
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.
From Reflexes to Readiness – with Adeline Hardman
Understand how functional neurodevelopment and early movement patterns influence learning readiness, and explore classroom tools to support development.
Positive Communication – with Fatima Vohra
Discover strategies to strengthen children’s listening and speaking skills through practical activities that promote confidence and clear communication.
Midday Workshops (11:15 AM – 1:15 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.
Marvelous Maths – with Emma Jayne Morgan
Explore hands-on, engaging ways to develop early numeracy skills and encourage a positive attitude towards mathematics.
Developing Early Reading Skills – with Eri Akbar
Learn how vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension come together to support early reading, and how to apply these principles in your daily teaching practice.
Afternoon Workshops (2:00 PM – 4:00 PM)
Supporting Dramatic Play – with Sophie Booth
Discover how drama and role play can enhance communication, social development, and creativity in early years settings.
Movement for Writing Readiness – with Emma Jayne Morgan
Understand how movement, coordination, and fine motor control prepare children for writing, with simple activities to use straight away.
Supporting Children’s Learning – with Pavla Gariboli
Gain practical strategies to identify developmental needs and create inclusive environments that support every child’s learning.
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:
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Phonics Part 1
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Phonics Part 2
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Movement for Writing Readiness
This package includes three workshops for a total of 200 AED (Buy 2 Get 1 Free).
Supportive Learning
Combine communication, numeracy, and inclusive practice for whole-child learning.
Includes:
-
Positive Communication
-
Marvelous Maths
-
Supporting Children’s Learning
This package includes three workshops for a total of 200 AED (Buy 2 Get 1 Free).
Foundation of Learning
Combine movement, early reading, and creative play for a balanced approach to early development.
Includes:
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From Reflexes to Readiness
-
Developing Early Reading Skills
-
Supporting Dramatic Play
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.
Adeline Hardman
Chief Nursing Officer
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.
Fatima Vohra
Founder of Early Years Excellence
Fatima Vohra is an accomplished Early Years education consultant and strategist, and the Founder of Early Years Excellence. She supports nurseries and early learning centers in achieving operational and educational success.
With a career spanning more than two decades across the UK and UAE, Fatima brings a unique blend of hands-on leadership experience and analytical insight to the early years sector.
Through Early Years Excellence, she partners with nursery owners and management teams to deliver strategic solutions in operations management, compliance, staff development, and curriculum design and transform their centers into thriving, well led environments that nurture both children and educators.
Eri Akbar
Early Childhood Education coach
Eri Akbar is a 'teacher's coach' who might be recognisable through her community work on EYFS Professionals UAE & Oman, a social media platform, with 7000 members, dedicated to promoting best practices in early years education.
Qualified in Leading Teaching and Learning, the UK Master's graduate channels her passion into promoting teacher's agency. She strives to inspire educators to reignite their 'why' everyday (why did they choose to become an educator?).
Through a child-centred approach, Eri supports educators to reflect on their practice by answering the essential question - "What does quality look like through a child's eyes?" - and creating their own action plan towards becoming outstanding practitioners. She has since supported over 500 teachers in her 15-year career.
Eri continues to enjoy coaching in her current role as a director of a leading nursery in UAE and a guest speaker at early years conferences.
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.
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 Media Rotana Hotel, Barsha Heights (Dubai) — a central, easily accessible venue just off Sheikh Zayed Road. The hotel offers complimentary valet parking and is within walking distance of Dubai Internet City Metro Station (Red Line).
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
