Teacher Training for Schools

We will come to your primary school or special school or your special Autism /SEND Unit on a normal school day to train your staff to deliver inclusive yoga as part of the PE/PSHE Curriculum

We will train staff as an INSET DAY

Remote Teacher Training Twilight Sessions

Our Inclusive Model

Over the past three decades I have developed a practical , highly inclusive model for teaching yoga to children in Primary Mainstream and Special Schools as part of the PE/PSHE curriculum. This model is strongly geared towards supporting neurodivergent children while remaining accessible and beneficial to all pupils

The model enables:

Class Teachers , Teaching Assistants and support staff with no previous yoga experience to confidently deliver lessons

Staff working in mainstream classes to include neurodivergent pupils

Staff working in specialist units within mainstream primary to deliver yoga in a way that meets specific needs of the children in their care

The structures , activities and postures are easy to learn , safe to teach and adaptable. The model is suitable for :

Early Years Foundation Stage
KS1 & KS 2 in Primary & Special Schools
Specialist Units within mainstream primary
KS 1, 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 & 6 in Special Schools

Crucially , this approach allows some pupils who begin their yoga in smaller , supported groups to develop the confidence, regulation and skills needed to gradually join mainstream yoga lessons with their peers in their appropriate Year Groups

Advantages of training in your school

Training is geared to the specific needs of your pupils, including neurodivergent children
Inclusive strategies that benefit all children , not just those with identified needs
More staff can be trained at a lower cost per head.
There is no time away from school for any staff (or reporting back)
Staff can use the model immediately
Pupils who do not normally enjoy physical activity will be fully engaged
Class teachers quickly feel confident and will be inspired to teach this programme

The Training

Training is practical, hands on with full staff involvement and is geared to staff who may have little or no yoga knowledge. Staff will be shown how to:

Structure inclusive yoga lessons
Engage neurodivergent children alongside their peers
Deliver postures and activities safely
Use calming & relaxation techniques
Incorporate sensory strategies
Organise resources for both mainstream and SEND Units

Staff will also be shown how yoga can support improve to improvements in:

Speaking & Listening Skills
Social Skills
Self concept

Scheme of Work

Following the day you can be supported over the phone and by email.

You will be given a comprehensive Scheme of Work, which will include:

Lesson Plans for each Year Group across the entire academic year

Adapted plans for specialist units , classes or ability groups

Guidance on differentiation and inclusion

The pack also includes activity and posture cards, all of which will allow you to introduce yoga immediately.

Yoga for Neurodivergent Children

This training has a strong focus on supporting children with Autism, ADHD, sensory disorders and behavioural problems.

I can walk into any Mainstream or SEN environment knowing that I will engage with 93% of the pupils in the yoga lesson. This is due to the structured , flexible system developed and refined over many years

The system is not only highly effective for children with Autism , but also for pupils with:

ADHD
Sensory processing difficulties
Behavioural and Emotional Needs

Importantly , the approach supports pupils to:

Experience success in a calm , structured surrounding
Build confidence and self control
Progress towards joining mainstream yoga sessions with their peers in their appropriate Year Groups

Feedback from Schools

I get some great feedback from schools where I deliver training.

In every single case day expectations are exceeded and teaching staff are inspired to roll out yoga on the weekly timetable.

Their reviews are well worth the read. Here is an example:

'Wow, what a great day we had when Michael came to our school to kick-start off our well-being week with yoga workshops for all of our classes, from Reception - Year 6.

By the end of the day the children and staff were all buzzing about their sessions, and saying which poses and games they liked best. Ever since his visit, if super sitting is mentioned, 200+ children all correct their posture and do the yoga pose taught by Michael.

The support he gave to teachers during the sessions was great. The structure allowed us to see how we would teach our own lessons and we are all now looking forward to when it is our turm for yoga. Michael's resources are also fantastic and will definitely help the staff to follow the scheme of work provided after our day's CPD.

I would just like to say another big thank you to Michael as all of the staff and children really did engage with this new part of our PE curriculum.

To anybody else who is thinking of asking Michael to visit your school, I would highly recommend you do!'

Katie Edwards, EYFS/KS1 Leader and PE Leader

Green Oaks Primary Academy, Northampton

Articles in the Educational Media

NUT Magazine

Primary school teacher writes about her experience of Michael's yoga teaching approach in a primary school.

SEN Magazine

Michael Chissick explains how one special school is using yoga to promote pupils' social skills as well as their physical development
Special Children Magazine.

Special Children Magazine

Michael Chissick outlines the benefits of yoga and shows how it can be adapted to make it fully inclusive in mainstream schools.