The LEAP (Little Explorers and Parents) Project

In 2024 we were fortunate to be selected to join a research project ran by Northern Ballet, in conjunction with North East and North Cumbria Child Health and Wellbeing Network and Newcastle University.

The project was designed for Early Years practitioners to confidently deliver creative movement and storytelling sessions to children in their settings, with a view to encouraging wellbeing through movement, and improving educational outcomes for children by making links to the EYFS.

Three of our educators took part in the training which involved a 2-hour online CPD session with Northern Ballet’s Community Dance Artist. They were then provided with a resource pack and a bundle of multi-sensory resources to deliver the five sessions.

The sessions were hugely impactful, and we witnessed a significant improvement in children's, confidence, motivation and engagement, but also in their knowledge acquisition, as well as their language and attention skills.

The project was evaluated by researchers from Newcastle University and you can read the results below: