Update from Over Half Way Through the Immersion Course

Ian Read and I are now well into delivering the Immersion Course at his school, and the journey so far has been both energising and deeply affirming.

With two senior leaders attending from each of four local schools, the group has been intentionally small. What we’ve discovered is the true value of “small is beautiful.” The intimacy of the group has allowed us the rare luxury of time – time to work directly with children, to connect meaningfully with one another, and to engage deeply with the model in practice.

Each immersive training day has created space not just for learning, but for doing, observing strategies in action, reflecting together, and refining approaches in real time. As Jheni Weir shared:
“I got so much from it and it was so lovely to see the children engage in circle time with you like they did.”

A particularly powerful element of the course has been the opportunity for each school to bring their most challenging classes into the process. While I worked directly with these groups, colleagues observed, leading to rich professional dialogue. Together, we explored the realities facing children today, how the impact of COVID continues to be felt, the increasing prevalence of mental health challenges, and the importance of creating spaces where these conversations can happen openly and honestly.

These are the kinds of discussions that flourish in smaller groups, where trust builds quickly and ideas can be shared without hesitation.

Looking ahead, Ian and I are hopeful that this Immersion Course will continue to grow over the coming years, building momentum and fostering a wider sense of solidarity across schools.

This work connects closely with my new book, A Primary Circle Approach to Supporting Oracy, Wellbeing and Inclusive Relationships, published this week. In it, I highlight the pioneering work of Watercliffe Meadow and Sheffield’s Health Child Development Framework (0–19), which powerfully reframes our approach:

“This flips system thinking on its head – from treating illness and focusing on what’s gone wrong, to proactively promoting wellness and healthy child development at every opportunity, alongside early help and support where needed…This is where Jenny’s Golden Model sits. I have worked in education for 35 years now and in that time I have not come across a better model or in fact any model that gives the structure and framework as holistically as Jenny’s which creates by design, the psychological safety and attuned relationships between children, staff and families that are necessary to enable children to thrive”

If you are interested in my new Primary Book – here is a discount code!!