Understanding Executive Functioning Skills: Supporting boarders with life management, emotions and goals
🏷️ From £135
🎧 School nurses, pastoral leads, inclusion leads, boarding staff
📍 Online
Course outline:
The aim of this half day seminar is to provide an opportunity to learn more about the importance of the management system of the brain – known as executive functioning skills and to consider strategies that can be used to support pupils.
Training topics will include:
- The three main areas of working memory, cognitive flexibility (flexible thinking) and inhibitory control (including self-control) will be unpacked. When people struggle with executive function, it impacts them at home, in school, and in life because the skills involved support goal setting, planning, and completing tasks.
- Executive function is responsible for many skills including: paying attention; organizing, planning, and prioritising; starting tasks and staying focused on them to completion; understanding different points of view; regulating emotions and self-monitoring. Executive functioning skills usually develop quickly in early childhood and into the teen years but are still developing into the mid-20s. Some people struggle with EF, and this can cause challenges during childhood, as a teenager and young adult.
- We will hear from an EF expert about what executive function skills are and how they impact our lives. We will also hear directly from school staff about adjustments and proactive work that has made a positive impact in their settings.
Learning outcomes:
- Attending this half day seminar will help delegates increase their knowledge and understanding of the importance of supporting executive functioning for all pupils, but particularly for those who have weaker EF function. Delegates will hear about a range of practical strategies, to adopt, adapt or use and will leave with the understanding and confidence to build on current practice.
This event will be held jointly with:
Speaker:
Dr Katharine Sharpe, Chartered Educational Psychologist, Assistant Head (Pastoral) & Head of Learning Support, Caterham Prep School
Dr Katharine Sharpe is a Chartered Educational Psychologist, experienced educator, and Director of Sharpe Psychology Ltd. She has extensive expertise in psychological assessment, consultation, training, and teaching. After completing her degree in Psychology, she began her career as a primary teacher before qualifying as an Educational Psychologist (EP). Katharine spent 15 years working as an EP within a large local authority, including 7 years as a Senior EP managing a large locality team of psychologists. She then moved into the independent sector as Head of Learning Support and Assistant Head (Pastoral) at a prep school, while continuing to run her private EP practice. She holds a Doctorate in Educational Psychology from UCL.
Now working full time in private practice, Katharine supports schools, pupils, and families across both local authority and independent sectors. She is an experienced conference speaker, formerly served as SEND Subject Advisor for the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS), and currently sits on the Independent Schools Council (ISC) Cross-Association SEND Advisory Group.
