We are counting down the final days to Ivy Insider 2026 the 10th edition of our annual event, celebrating a decade of insight, impact, and finding the right fit.

Saturday, 9th May 2026 | 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Sunday, 10th May 2026 | 11:00 pm – 1:00 pm

This event will be held exclusively on Zoom

Join our panel of UAE seniors from British, IB, and American curriculum schools who secured offers from Brown, Cornell, UPenn, Dartmouth, UC Berkeley, Columbia, King’s College, Cambridge, and IE among many other top universities, during this highly competitive admissions cycle. They will be sharing their experiences, insights, and key takeaways from their university admissions journeys.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Registration link to copy & paste, or share on socials: https://forms.gle/BCt66NDoVEST8Dos8

Agenda Saturday 9th May

3:00pm – University Admissions: Uncovered & Unpacked

3:05pm – Finding the Right Fit – Factors & Frameworks for Success

3:30pm – From Cultivating Interest to Creating Impact

3:30pm – Continental Crossroads: European University Admissions

4:15pm – Prime Prospects: The Recruiting Playbook for US Student Athletes

Agenda Sunday 10th May

11:00am – University Admissions: Uncovered & Unpacked

11:10am – Admissions & Achievement: Case Studies & Road Map to US University Success

12:15pm – British Blueprint: UK University Pathways and Success Stories

1:00pm – Closing Notes

Disclaimer

This training is organised by an external organisation and Louise Dawson Professional Development and Management Training cannot accept any liability or responsibility for the content or quality of the training.

Payment is made directly with the external training partner and any conversation about delivery of the training, payment, refunds, etc should be addressed directly to the external company.

If you have concerns about any content of the training then please let us know so we can raise them with the training provider on behalf of all delegates/attendees.

The post FREE! Hale Education “Ivy Insider 2026” – 10th Anniversary Edition (10th May) appeared first on Louise Dawson Professional and Management Development Training.

If you haven’t yet registered for the upcoming deep dive CPD webinars, you’ll find further details below, along with a link to sign up at the end. We hope you can join us for all four sessions that promise to be packed with practical ideas and strategies to take straight back to your classroom.

The question many leaders are asking is: How do we build a literacy strategy that works—for every learner, in every classroom?” Too often, literacy developments can feel fragmented, focusing on one specific area of literacy need, but not providing a 360 solution. The Literacy for All team are here to present you with exactly that. A joined up 360 approach to literacy development across your school.

Individually, each of these approaches below is powerful. But together, they form something much more impactful—a connected literacy strategy that supports the whole child.

Lexonic:  28th April, 12PM BST / 3pm GST

Join Sarah Ledger for a deep dive into effective reading interventions for older students.  Covering each of the 5 Pillars of Reading we will focus on using data effectively, closing gaps quickly, developing fluency and building vocabulary.

Lexonic – dedicated to transforming literacy education by training teachers to deliver powerful, evidence-based reading interventions. Our programmes focus on developing foundation knowledge in reading, with a specific focus on targeted support for older learners.

Pobble: 5th May, 12PM BST / 3pm GST

In Simon’s session, he will share ten ideas for improving writing in your school. The journey will begin by looking at ways to inspire children to write and end with thoughts on how to create a real audience and purpose. Simon will also share a short demo of Pobble and explain how schools are using Pobble 365 to support their existing writing plans.

Pobble is passionate about helping every child find their voice as a writer, expressing creativity, identity, and understanding. We supports schools with high-quality, engaging writing resources and platforms that motivate students to write with purpose.

Widgit:  12th May, 12PM BST / 3pm GST

Join Rebecca to explore 9 reasons to use symbols to support Literacy for All. We will look at how symbols support understanding, reduce cognitive load, develop literacy skills, and promote inclusion and independence for all learners. The session will also demonstrate how quick and easy it is to create a symbol‑supported Pobble word mat in Widgit Online, showing how symbols can be seamlessly embedded into everyday classroom practice.

Widgit believe that understanding should never be a barrier to participation. Their work centres on making language accessible through the use of symbols – supporting anyone who needs visual scaffolds to engage with reading, writing, and communication, including but not limited to Pupils of Determination, BML and early readers.

Get more details about Widgit here

Everway:  19th May, 12PM BST / 3pm GST

Carrie-Anne and Paddy will share five practical strategies to use technology to remove barriers to literacy, improve access to text, and include every learner. Through the lens of Read&Write, you’ll see how to support a wide range of needs across pupils of determination, with targeted strategies for those with dyslexia and ADHD. You’ll leave with a clear plan, a proven approach, and the confidence to use a tool that is necessary for some, useful for all, across every literacy level and setting.

Everway – provides accessible learning tools that work everywhere. Supporting over 250 million learners worldwide, products like Read&Write, OrbitNote and ExamWritePad remove barriers caused by difference, disability or language. Their mission is to help everyone understand and be understood through tools that are necessary for some, useful for all.

Get more details about Everway here

If you can’t make the session do still register as we will make a recording of the webinars available after the event.

Click to register for any of these sessions…

Registration link for all 4 sessions, to copy and paste or share on socials: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/5317751415238/WN_brQPkf7fRei6bD_ncwm-LA

Disclaimer

This training is organised by an external organisation and Louise Dawson Professional Development and Management Training cannot accept any liability or responsibility for the content or quality of the training.

Payment is made directly with the external training partner and any conversation about delivery of the training, payment, refunds, etc should be addressed directly to the external company.

If you have concerns about any content of the training then please let us know so we can raise them with the training provider on behalf of all delegates/attendees.

The post FREE! Literacy For All – Widgit CPD session, May 2026 appeared first on Louise Dawson Professional and Management Development Training.

In this short session we look at what science and research tells us about stress and uncertainty and how it affects all of us, how there are differences in levels of stress and how our own past experiences affect how we feel stress.

Uncertainty causes stress, this is because the human brain is wired to crave predictability and certainty for survival, uncertainty and ambiguity is therefore felt as a threat to safety.  How our brains and nervous systems respond to that stress is an individual process, but it affects the ways in which we interact with others and the world around us.

Throughout this session we will look at practical examples of what we can do to support ourselves through times of uncertainty and stress, ways in which we can help our brains and nervous systems to cope. We will also look at what we can do to support the children and young people that we work with, practical examples that help us to help them to cope during uncertainty and stressful times.

The aims of this session are:

• The science of the impact of stress
• The science and understanding of uncertainty and its impact
• How these both affect how we interact with each other and the world around us
• Some examples of what we can do to support ourselves during these times
• Some examples of how we can support children and young people during these times 

This session will include a 10 minute Q&A section for participants

For more information on Jigsaw Education here

Disclaimer

This training is organised by an external organisation and Louise Dawson Professional Development and Management Training cannot accept any liability or responsibility for the content or quality of the training.

Payment is made directly with the external training partner and any conversation about delivery of the training, payment, refunds, etc should be addressed directly to the external company.

If you have concerns about any content of the training then please let us know so we can raise them with the training provider on behalf of all delegates/attendees.

The post FREE webinar! The Impact of Stress and Uncertainty: How to support ourselves, children and young people appeared first on Louise Dawson Professional and Management Development Training.

We know the work Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) undertake is vital in engaging and supporting pupils in the classroom.

This focused series of 10 webinars equips LSAs with practical tools to support oracy and writing across EYFS and Key Stages 1 & 2.

Each session builds essential skills—from oral language and sentence construction to genre awareness and targeted interventions.

Through this series of webinars LSAs will:

• Develop expertise in how to inspire creativity through talk and play
• Scaffold sentence-building, and apply techniques like oral rehearsal and vocabulary expansion

By the end of this series of webinars LSAs will feel confident to help pupils become expressive, accurate, and purposeful writers.

Webinar Dates And Topics

• Wednesday 22nd October 2025 – Laying the Foundations: Building Oral Language for Writing Success
• Wednesday 19th November 2025 – From Scribbles to Sentences: Supporting Early Writing in EYFS
• Wednesday 10th December 2025 – Visuals, Prompts & Physical Skills: Inspiring Writing Through Images, Handwriting and Dictation
• Wednesday 14th January 2026 – Scaffolding Sentence Construction in KS1
• Wednesday 11th February 2026 – Oral Rehearsal That Works: Reducing Cognitive Load in Writing Tasks
• Wednesday 18th March 2026 – Vocabulary Matters: Expanding Word Choice and Expression
• Wednesday 15th April 2026 – Grammar in Action: Making Sentence Rules Stick
• Wednesday 13th May 2026 – writing for Purpose: Helping Pupils Understand Genre and Audience
• Wednesday 17th June 2026 – Tracking Progress with Confidence: Simple Tools for Meaningful Assessment
• Wednesday 15th July 2026 – Targeted Interventions in KS2: Closing the Writing Gap

This is an opportunity for strategic investment in your staff and a powerful driver for school-wide improvement.

By equipping your LSAs with this training, you will see:

• A direct impact on pupil attainment
• increased confidence across your team, and
• A more cohesive, expert-led approach to the teaching of oracy and writing across your school.

Please share these details with your LSAs and they can book easily via the Mighty Writer website – click here to book as many sessions as you like.

Registration link: https://www.mightywriter.co.uk/ta-webinars

More details about Mighty Writer here

Disclaimer

This training is organised by an external organisation and Louise Dawson Professional Development and Management Training cannot accept any liability or responsibility for the content or quality of the training.

Payment is made directly with the external training partner and any conversation about delivery of the training, payment, refunds, etc should be addressed directly to the external company.

If you have concerns about any content of the training then please let us know so we can raise them with the training provider on behalf of all delegates/attendees.

The post FREE! High-Impact LSA Literacy Training with Mighty Writer – 13 May appeared first on Louise Dawson Professional and Management Development Training.

The sessions will include:
* Structured sharing
* Gentle grounding practices
* A contained and respectful environment

The group will be small to maintain emotional safety.

Participation requires completing a short screening form beforehand.

The sessions are free to attend.

Wednesdays | 4:00 PM UAE time

Dates
April 22 – Primary
April 29 – Middle
May 6 – Secondary
May 13 – Primary
May 20 – Middle
June 3 – Secondary

Registration

Primary School Counsellors
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Q9YPUzo8T-eGz__wfBNIvg

Middle School Counsellors
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Q9Smrp5IQ32AljuoTWTtTQ

Secondary School Counsellors
May 6 session:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/31vDj-E4SceP4jppmjc-jA

June 3 session:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tkwPxR04SzCku6utCMWVgQ
Limited openings to allow for meaningful discussions
Please feel free to share with colleagues who may find this helpful.

This is simply a space for reflection, expression, and being heard.

The group will be small to maintain emotional safety.

Participation requires completing a short screening form beforehand.

The sessions are free to attend.

Disclaimer

This training is organised by an external organisation and Louise Dawson Professional Development and Management Training cannot accept any liability or responsibility for the content or quality of the training.

Payment is made directly with the external training partner and any conversation about delivery of the training, payment, refunds, etc should be addressed directly to the external company.

If you have concerns about any content of the training then please let us know so we can raise them with the training provider on behalf of all delegates/attendees.

The post FREE! Reverse Psychology – 60-minute online support circle – Primary appeared first on Louise Dawson Professional and Management Development Training.

Teaching programming can easily become high-effort and hard to scale. Students get stuck, teachers get interrupted, and marking quickly becomes a drain on time.

The session is all about practical ways to help learners make more progress independently, while still giving teachers enough visibility to know when to step in.

In this 45-minute webinar you’ll see ways to help students work more independently, while making it easier for teachers to track progress and reduce workload.

You’ll come away with practical ideas to help you:

• Reduce the amount of manual marking and repetitive feedback
• Support students to solve more problems independently
• Spot misconceptions and struggling students earlier
• Create a more consistent, manageable approach to programming practice

Who it’s for: Teachers, Computer Science educators, and school leaders looking to reduce marking and support more independent coding practice.

Proudly hosted by GEST Consultancy, with input from Dodona Learning Technologies

GEST works with schools and educators to solve real teaching and learning challenges. Dodona is a programming practice platform used by schools and universities, helping thousands of students learn programming more effectively through faster feedback and better visibility of progress.

A big thank you to Matthias De Witte for collaborating with us on this webinar.

Registration link, to copy & paste or share on socials: https://pages.gestconsultancy.com/coding-webinar

Disclaimer

This training is organised by an external organisation and Louise Dawson Professional Development and Management Training cannot accept any liability or responsibility for the content or quality of the training.

Payment is made directly with the external training partner and any conversation about delivery of the training, payment, refunds, etc should be addressed directly to the external company.

If you have concerns about any content of the training then please let us know so we can raise them with the training provider on behalf of all delegates/attendees.

The post FREE! Webinar – How to Reduce Marking & Help Students Become More Independent Coders – 14 May 2026 appeared first on Louise Dawson Professional and Management Development Training.

This is a peer-led group, where attendees can discuss and co-create solutions to current challenges with colleagues from other schools across the UAE.

Tea, coffee and light refreshments will be provided.

Please be aware that some people have had issues trying to book spaces on our events. We believe this is an issue with the mobile networks. We apologise for this issue, which is beyond our control.

If you experience this problem booking for our events please send a email to media@louisedawson.com with the event and date, your name(s) and email address(es) of the people you would like to book on to the event.

To book your space at this event…

• Using the + and – buttons in the “Tickets” dialog box select the number of tickets you require

*** If you do not select the number of tickets you required you will be unable to progress with your order ***

• Click on the “Get Tickets” button

On the next screen…

• Add your name as the “purchaser” of the ticket(s)
• Add your email address [this is the address the confirmation details will be sent to]
• Enter your payment details [if required]
• Click on the “Get Tickets” or “Purchase Tickets” button at the foot of the page to complete your order

You will receive an on-screen order confirmation, and you will also be sent two emails to the email address you entered, which will include:

• Your tickets, and
• Your purchase receipt

If you do not receive your purchase receipt or tickets please ensure you have checked your spam or junk folder!

The post FREE! Heads of Inclusion Network Meeting – May 2026 appeared first on Louise Dawson Professional and Management Development Training.

This event is for young people, regardless of background or experience. We aim to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable and welcomed.

Here’s what’s happening:

Chess – Think you’re a chess master, or want to learn? We’ve got all levels covered – from beginners to grandmasters!

Dungeons & Dragons – Embark on an adventure with your friends or join an epic campaign! Perfect for beginners and experienced players alike. Ready to roll?

Self-led Activities – Whether you’re into crafting, reading, or just vibing with your friends, we’ve got the space for you to do your thing.

Hangout Zone – If you’re just in the mood to chill, chat, and relax, this is your spot. Come be yourself and enjoy the day!

If interested, please WhatsApp: +971 56 261 6241

Planned dates – please confirm before attending:

• May 30
• June 20
• July 4

To book your space at this event…

• Using the + and – buttons in the “Tickets” dialog box select the number of tickets you require

*** If you do not select the number of tickets you required you will be unable to progress with your order ***

• Click on the “Get Tickets” button

On the next screen…

• Add your name as the “purchaser” of the ticket(s)
• Add your email address [this is the address the confirmation details will be sent to]
• Enter your payment details
• Click on the “Get Tickets” or “Purchase Tickets” button at the foot of the page to complete your order

You will receive an on-screen order confirmation, and you will also be sent two emails to the email address you entered, which will include:

• Your tickets, and
• Your purchase receipt

If you do not receive your purchase receipt or tickets please ensure you have checked your spam or junk folder!

The post Social Group Hangout for 13 – 21 year-olds – 16 May ’26 appeared first on Louise Dawson Professional and Management Development Training.

If you haven’t yet registered for the upcoming deep dive CPD webinars, you’ll find further details below, along with a link to sign up at the end. We hope you can join us for all four sessions that promise to be packed with practical ideas and strategies to take straight back to your classroom.

The question many leaders are asking is: How do we build a literacy strategy that works—for every learner, in every classroom?” Too often, literacy developments can feel fragmented, focusing on one specific area of literacy need, but not providing a 360 solution. The Literacy for All team are here to present you with exactly that. A joined up 360 approach to literacy development across your school.

Individually, each of these approaches below is powerful. But together, they form something much more impactful—a connected literacy strategy that supports the whole child.

Lexonic:  28th April, 12PM BST / 3pm GST

Join Sarah Ledger for a deep dive into effective reading interventions for older students.  Covering each of the 5 Pillars of Reading we will focus on using data effectively, closing gaps quickly, developing fluency and building vocabulary.

Lexonic – dedicated to transforming literacy education by training teachers to deliver powerful, evidence-based reading interventions. Our programmes focus on developing foundation knowledge in reading, with a specific focus on targeted support for older learners.

Pobble: 5th May, 12PM BST / 3pm GST

In Simon’s session, he will share ten ideas for improving writing in your school. The journey will begin by looking at ways to inspire children to write and end with thoughts on how to create a real audience and purpose. Simon will also share a short demo of Pobble and explain how schools are using Pobble 365 to support their existing writing plans.

Pobble is passionate about helping every child find their voice as a writer, expressing creativity, identity, and understanding. We supports schools with high-quality, engaging writing resources and platforms that motivate students to write with purpose.

Widgit:  12th May, 12PM BST / 3pm GST

Join Rebecca to explore 9 reasons to use symbols to support Literacy for All. We will look at how symbols support understanding, reduce cognitive load, develop literacy skills, and promote inclusion and independence for all learners. The session will also demonstrate how quick and easy it is to create a symbol‑supported Pobble word mat in Widgit Online, showing how symbols can be seamlessly embedded into everyday classroom practice.

Widgit believe that understanding should never be a barrier to participation. Their work centres on making language accessible through the use of symbols – supporting anyone who needs visual scaffolds to engage with reading, writing, and communication, including but not limited to Pupils of Determination, BML and early readers.

Get more details about Widgit here

Everway:  19th May, 12PM BST / 3pm GST

Carrie-Anne and Paddy will share five practical strategies to use technology to remove barriers to literacy, improve access to text, and include every learner. Through the lens of Read&Write, you’ll see how to support a wide range of needs across pupils of determination, with targeted strategies for those with dyslexia and ADHD. You’ll leave with a clear plan, a proven approach, and the confidence to use a tool that is necessary for some, useful for all, across every literacy level and setting.

Everway – provides accessible learning tools that work everywhere. Supporting over 250 million learners worldwide, products like Read&Write, OrbitNote and ExamWritePad remove barriers caused by difference, disability or language. Their mission is to help everyone understand and be understood through tools that are necessary for some, useful for all.

Get more details about Everway here

If you can’t make the session do still register as we will make a recording of the webinars available after the event.

Click to register for any of these sessions…

Registration link for all 4 sessions, to copy and paste or share on socials: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/5317751415238/WN_brQPkf7fRei6bD_ncwm-LA

Disclaimer

This training is organised by an external organisation and Louise Dawson Professional Development and Management Training cannot accept any liability or responsibility for the content or quality of the training.

Payment is made directly with the external training partner and any conversation about delivery of the training, payment, refunds, etc should be addressed directly to the external company.

If you have concerns about any content of the training then please let us know so we can raise them with the training provider on behalf of all delegates/attendees.

The post FREE! Literacy For All – Everway CPD session, May 2026 appeared first on Louise Dawson Professional and Management Development Training.

The sessions will include:
* Structured sharing
* Gentle grounding practices
* A contained and respectful environment

The group will be small to maintain emotional safety.

Participation requires completing a short screening form beforehand.

The sessions are free to attend.

Wednesdays | 4:00 PM UAE time

Dates
April 22 – Primary
April 29 – Middle
May 6 – Secondary
May 13 – Primary
May 20 – Middle
June 3 – Secondary

Registration

Primary School Counsellors
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Q9YPUzo8T-eGz__wfBNIvg

Middle School Counsellors
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Q9Smrp5IQ32AljuoTWTtTQ

Secondary School Counsellors
May 6 session:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/31vDj-E4SceP4jppmjc-jA

June 3 session:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tkwPxR04SzCku6utCMWVgQ
Limited openings to allow for meaningful discussions
Please feel free to share with colleagues who may find this helpful.

This is simply a space for reflection, expression, and being heard.

The sessions are free to attend.

Disclaimer

This training is organised by an external organisation and Louise Dawson Professional Development and Management Training cannot accept any liability or responsibility for the content or quality of the training.

Payment is made directly with the external training partner and any conversation about delivery of the training, payment, refunds, etc should be addressed directly to the external company.

If you have concerns about any content of the training then please let us know so we can raise them with the training provider on behalf of all delegates/attendees.

The post FREE! Reverse Psychology – 60-minute online support circle – Middle School appeared first on Louise Dawson Professional and Management Development Training.