The INPP Schools Programme
Foundations for learning, built into ten minutes of the school day.
Teachers often notice it before anyone else. A child who tries hard but tires quickly, who fidgets not from a lack of will but because sitting still asks more of their body than it can easily give, who can read the words but loses the meaning by the end of the sentence. Underneath this, there is often a physical explanation rather than an academic one. When primitive reflexes remain active beyond the point they should have settled, they can quietly interfere with posture, coordination, and concentration. The INPP Schools Programme addresses this directly, through a simple daily movement routine that class staff deliver within the normal school day.
Why movement matters for learning
Primitive reflexes are present from birth and are meant to integrate, gradually giving way to more mature patterns of movement and postural control, during the first years of life. For most children, this happens quietly and without incident. For some, one or more reflexes remain more active than they should be, and this can go unnoticed for years because the effects rarely look like a reflex problem at all. What this can look like is a child who finds handwriting effortful, who loses their place easily when reading, who struggles to stay seated without additional support, or who becomes disproportionately anxious under time pressure.
None of this reflects a child's intelligence or effort, and it is not a sign that a teacher has missed something. It is often simply a matter of developmental readiness, one part of the picture that classroom strategies alone cannot fully address because the difficulty sits in the body rather than in understanding.
The INPP Schools Programme was developed to meet this at a whole-class level. A short, structured daily movement routine, delivered by staff who have completed our training, gives every child in the room the chance to build the physical foundations that learning depends on.
"Neuromotor immaturity is a frequently overlooked factor behind difficulties with focus, behaviour, and academic progress. The INPP Schools Programme offers teachers a practical, whole-class way to address it, within the time and resources a normal school day allows."
What children gain from the programme
As reflexes integrate over the course of the programme year, teachers and parents often notice change across several areas at once, since the same underlying foundations support each of them.
Reading & Literacy
Retained reflexes can unsettle eye tracking and visual processing, which makes decoding text more effortful than it needs to be. As reflexes integrate, many children read with greater ease, fluency, and comprehension.
Handwriting & Fine Motor Control
Certain reflexes affect pencil grip, hand stability, and the small, controlled movements handwriting requires. Children often find writing less tiring and more legible as neuromotor maturity develops.
Balance & Coordination
Improvements in balance and gross motor coordination are among the changes teachers notice most consistently, supporting a child's ability to sit still and move with greater control.
Focus & Sustained Attention
When the nervous system is still managing unintegrated reflexes, less capacity remains for concentration. As maturity develops, many children can attend for longer, and with noticeably less effort.
Emotional Regulation
Primitive reflexes are closely linked to the body's stress response. As integration progresses, many children respond more calmly to the ordinary demands of the school day.
Self-Confidence
Children who have found school consistently hard often carry quiet anxiety about their own ability. As skills build, many show a real shift in confidence and willingness to engage.
Bringing INPP methods into schools
It is often easier to picture how the programme fits into a school day by seeing it in place. This short film shows the INPP Method being brought into a school setting, and the practical, everyday shape the daily movement routine takes once staff have been trained to lead it.
Watch: Bringing INPP methods into schools
The benefits for your school
Alongside the gains children experience directly, the INPP Schools Programme brings benefits that are visible across the classroom, in behaviour, and in the outcomes schools are asked to account for.
Improved Attention and Focus
When children's postural and motor systems are better regulated, they settle more readily, sustain attention for longer, and engage more consistently with classroom tasks.
Better Academic Outcomes
Published research points to measurable gains in reading, writing, coordination, and academic performance over the course of a programme year.
Calmer, More Settled Classrooms
What can look like restlessness is often neuromotor immaturity rather than a behavioural choice. Addressing the underlying cause, alongside your existing strategies, tends to lead to steadier classrooms.
A Proactive, Whole-Class Approach
Rather than waiting for individual children to be identified and referred, the programme supports every child at once, addressing neuromotor needs before they become entrenched difficulties.
Minimal Disruption, Meaningful Impact
The programme asks for ten minutes of the school day. No specialist equipment, no room changes, no withdrawal from class. It sits comfortably within your existing routine.
Supports SEN and SEND Priorities
For schools managing pressure around SEN identification and support, the programme offers a practical first response, one that may ease the volume of specialist referrals over time.
What the training involves
The INPP One-Day Teacher Training Course gives school staff everything they need to bring the Schools Programme into their classroom with confidence. It is practical, grounded in evidence, and designed to work alongside the expertise staff already bring, not to ask them to set it aside. Everyone who attends leaves with something they can put into practice the next morning.
Understanding the Foundations
What primitive reflexes are, why they matter for learning, and how to recognise the signs of retained reflexes in everyday classroom behaviour.
Screening for Neuromotor Readiness
Practical training in the INPP screening tests, a straightforward, structured way to identify children most likely to be affected by neuromotor immaturity.
Implementing the Movement Programme
Hands-on practice with the INPP Developmental Movement Programme. Staff leave knowing how to lead the daily routine, how to progress it across the year, and what to look out for.
Delivery Guidance and Best Practice
Practical guidance on fitting the programme into the school timetable, keeping it consistent across the year, and talking about the approach with parents and colleagues.
"Teachers often tell us they can see when a difficulty isn't quite what it seems, but aren't sure what to do with that instinct. This course gives them a practical way to act on it."
For further guidance and resources written specifically for teaching staff, our page for teachers is a good next stop.
Who should attend and what to expect
The training suits anyone working directly with children in a school setting. We recommend at least one member of staff completes it before the programme is introduced, ideally the person who will lead it day to day.
Suitable for
- Class teachers at any key stage, particularly EYFS and KS1
- SENCOs and SEN support staff
- Teaching assistants and learning support assistants
- School psychologists and specialist support teachers
- Head teachers and school leaders
- Multi-academy trust staff seeking a consistent whole-trust approach
Bring the Training to Your School
We run open teacher training events at locations across the UK throughout the year, and we're also glad to deliver the training on-site for staff at your school or across your trust.
Teaching staff looking for resources ahead of a training day may also find our page for teachers useful.
Contact Us to DiscussUpcoming schools courses
The One-Day Teacher Training Course runs at venues across the UK, with courses open to the public announced throughout the year. Places are limited, so we'd encourage early booking, particularly for dates within reach of your school or trust.
Every school attending must have its own copy of Sally Goddard Blythe's Neuromotor Readiness for Learning and bring it to the course, as the book is used directly throughout the day. One copy per school is sufficient, so please arrange this in advance of your course date.
CPD Accredited
The INPP One-Day Teachers' Course is accredited by The CPD Standards Office, reflecting our commitment to training that meets recognised professional development standards for teachers, SENCOs, and educational practitioners.
INPP Training UK Ltd · CPD Provider Number: 51084 · The CPD Standards Office · Accredited 2026–2030
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