The Art of Connected Presence for Teachers and Parents
A flexible one-year training, Waldorf-inspired and grounded in contemporary research · Begins February 2027
For teachers, early years practitioners and parents who sense that childhood has its own wisdom and timing, and want to bring a deeper understanding of it into classrooms and homes.
Where we begin
We begin with the human being: the child, the adult, and the relationship between them. From there, we explore the art of teaching and of being with children.
Waldorf insights are explored alongside contemporary research and other educational approaches, so you can weigh them for yourself and come to your own understanding.
What the year offers
- An understanding of the growing child from birth to 21, with a focus on the early years
- Practical skills in play, storytelling, rhythm, the arts and practical work
- Your own inner development, so you meet each child with presence
- The confidence to find your own way, rather than follow a prescribed method
- A community of teachers and parents who share your values
The three phases of childhood
Three pictures of the growing child run through the year, as guides rather than fixed descriptions:
The world is good.
Learning through imitation, movement, the senses, rhythm and play.
The world is beautiful.
Learning through imagination, story and artistic experience.
The world is true.
Independent thinking, ideals and a growing, conscious relationship with the world.
How it’s structured
Eight modules follow the PRESENCE pathway.
Creative play runs through the whole year: sensing when to offer, when to step back, and how to trust the child’s own unfolding idea.
The full year
With guided study, artistic practice, observation and a reflective portfolio, leading to a certificate.
Single modules
To explore one theme in depth.
The Present Practitioner Practice
Ongoing circles for teachers and practitioners alongside their work. Coming soon, once the training is under way.
Companions along the way
From the Heart of Childhood and The Way We Meet accompany the training as well as a library of resources. The books →
Parents can also begin with a mini course and explore the same principles at home.
Julie Lam & Delia Sesiu
Julie Lam, founder of Highgate House School, and Delia Sesiu, a long-standing Waldorf kindergarten teacher and trainer, with two invited guest tutors.
For ten years Julie and Delia taught the Ofqual-regulated Crossfields Institute Level 4 Diploma in Early Childhood Pedagogy together. That was our previous training. This new one is bespoke: it carries the depth of the diploma into a flexible format, for parents and for teachers who are already qualified.
With Crossfields Institute, Julie created four of that Diploma’s units, beginning with Inner Development, and the same care for the adult’s own growth runs through this year.
Register your interest
Details coming soon.
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