Aaron Betesta

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My name is Aaron and I am the owner of Laughtercise and our Chief Thunderbolt of Fun.

Flash.

BOOOOOOM, BOOOM, BOOOOOOM.

Did you hear that…?

It was three thunderbolts ⚡⚡⚡

That’s what you will get if you have me at your conference.

I will give your team the space to have joy, smiles and laughter. 

I will do this by playing a unique blend of Laughtercise activities that have been loved by education teams all over the world.

A thunderbolt of energy for your team ⚡

A thunderbolt of rejuvenation ⚡

A thunderbolt that will leave your team feeling re-connected and de-stressed ⚡

But the impact doesn’t stop there.

It goes on way after the conference. 

There will also be a legacy impact of your team being equipped with activities to engage young minds with.

I’m here for you if your team are feeling a bit under the weather. Energy is low. The clouds are out. It’s raining a bit. 

All you need is three thunderbolts ⚡⚡⚡

They will change everything.

So…shall we get cracking and remove some of those clouds? 

Specialist areas include:

· Energising education teams

· De-stressing education teams

· Re-connecting education teams

· Delighting education teams

Recent Feedback 

“Our team absolutely loved their Laughtercise session. There was an immediate impact and the team had a great time together. The session was incredibly fun but very precise in the way it engaged the mind and body. What is brilliant is the team have been doing all the exercises with the children so we’ve seen lots of benefits. The amount of feel-good the session has given us is immeasurable”

Beth, Head of People Experience – Child’s Time Limited

“The session was the perfect stress reliever and helped a team of experienced and new staff to bond. It was a fantastic combination of team building and mental/physical challenges that got belly laughter out of us all in such an organic way. Everyone left with a big smile on their face and felt energised and refreshed. The session far surpassed our expectations, I can’t recommend it enough”

Nicky, Director of Student Influence at Loughbourgh University

Socials 

@Laughtercise1 

Shaheen Myers has over 22 years’ experience in inner-city schools and established a background in leading and supporting schools in challenging circumstances.

Her exposure within the wider aspects of education has been both broad and diverse. She held headship and executive leadership roles in a large, culturally diverse Multi Academy Trust. Has trained as an Ofsted Inspector and is an experienced board member for 3 multi academy trusts. She was an experienced facilitator on the NPQ programmes and worked as a director for professional development for a large MAT. Shaheen has also mentored and coached new head teachers.

Shaheen has a wealth of experience across the sector and most recently in her role as Deputy Director for Education in a large local authority. This strategic role included all educational establishments, working with MATs and CEOs across a city on shared vision for education and outcomes. She worked closely with Department for Education, Ofsted, Elected Members, and other local authorities.

Shaheen is currently the founder of Balance:ed a company formed to support the wellbeing of senior leaders, school staff and governance across the education sector to try and stem the recruitment and retention crisis currently facing the profession.

Shaheen is an experienced public speaker and has led key notes at a wide range of educational events in her role as Deputy Director for a large local authority and now Founder of Balance:ed.

Her style is defined as engaging, inspiring, uplifting and thought provoking.

Specialist areas include:

Whole staff training 

Senior leader supervision and support

Strategy development

Keynote speaker to large audiences

Consultancy 

 X - @shaheen_myers 

Bruce Robertson is the author of Power Up Your Pedagogy: The Illustrated Handbook of Teaching and The Teaching Delusion trilogy, published by John Catt Educational. Of Power Up Your Pedagogy, Professor Rob Coe of Evidence Based Education says: ‘To all teachers I would say: study this book, learn from it and act on it’. 

Bruce has been working in education for over 20 years, having trained as a chemistry teacher at The University of Edinburgh in 2002. As headteacher, Bruce’s leadership of Berwickshire High School has been instrumental in turning around a school rated ‘weak’ and ‘unsatisfactory’ in an HMIE inspection, to one that is now widely recognised as sector-leading in its approaches to teaching & learning improvement, ethos, and staff professional development.

As a consultant and trainer, Bruce is widely praised for his passion, clarity, and the practicality of his messages.

Specialist areas include

· Pedagogy

· Professional learning, including pedagogical coaching

· Curriculum

· Assessment

· School leadership

· Improvement planning and evaluation

Recent Feedback 

"Mind Expanding!" How I would describe a professional learning session with Bruce Robertson.
Having read The Teaching Delusion trilogy, I booked onto a professional learning session led by Bruce, which was excellent. Bruce is an inspirational and thoroughly engaging speaker who talks with a real passion about learning, teaching and assessment. Following this event, we invited Bruce to work with all of our headteachers and senior leaders to support the launch of our local authority focus on high quality learning, teaching and assessment. Bruce speaks passionately about learning and teaching, draws on theory, research and experience, to give very practical advice that school leaders can take away and use in schools immediately. Giving concrete examples, Bruce demonstrates how we can build a culture of continuous improvement in our schools with a focus on pedagogical improvement. Just brilliant! The trilogy of books by Bruce are also full of practical examples on how we can improve our practice and develop a culture of professional learning within our schools. 

Kay MacDonald, Quality Improvement Officer, Aberdeenshire

Bruce was the keynote speaker at the Association of School and College Leaders Northern Ireland (ASCLNI) Conference in November 2022 where he addressed 80 school leaders on the theme of Connected with Teaching and Learning.

In his first presentation ‘Power Up your Pedagogy’, Bruce aimed to develop delegates understanding of thekey messages from cognitive science and educational research about the principles that underpin high-quality pedagogy. Through a series of Learning Lessons, Bruce challenged the audience to think about how learning happens and shared excellent, evidenced based tips which any teacher intent on improving his or her practice would be wise to implement.

In his second presentation delegates were challenged to reflect on how a teaching-centred leadership model might be used to drive teaching and learning transformations across their schools by creating a culture that no matter how good teaching is already, we need to keep making it better and better.

Bruce draws not just on his own professional experiences but also on the evidence gathered by leading educationalists including Daniel Willingham, Dylan Wiliam and Doug Lemov, and presents in an easy to listen to and engaging way. One school leader in attendance said Bruce Robertson's presentations were excellent: insightful and practical. I highly recommend Bruce as a presenter/trainer.

  Robert Wilson, ASCL Northern Ireland Regional Officer

Publications

· Power Up Your Pedagogy: The Illustrated Handbook of Teaching

· The Teaching Delusion

· The Teaching Delusion 2: Teaching Strikes Back

· The Teaching Delusion 3: Power Up Your Pedagogy

Values

Singh (or Amarbeer as he’s sometimes known) is an experienced teacher and leader who believes that great teaching is the most important lever schools have in supporting pupils. His fundamental belief is that every child is entitled to a quality education, and great teaching is at the heart of that. Singh’s work is driven by the principle that it’s not about doing “more”, it’s about tweaking the fantastic work teachers and schools already do, to make it even more impactful. How do we achieve this?

Well, if the best way to improve student outcomes is to develop great teachers, and the best way to develop great teachers is great teacher education, then it stands to reason that great teacher education is pivotal in supporting students. To put this into action, Singh works collaboratively with teachers, leaders, and schools across the country to help develop practice through training sessions and coaching underpinned by humility, accountability, and critical reflection.

Experience

Singh has had various roles in secondary maths and the wider education sector. He has worked as a lead practitioner where he led on the design and delivery of departmental professional development as well as demonstrating consistently high-quality teaching in his own classrooms. In his current role as a senior trust lead for maths Singh has taken that experience and used it to support colleagues across the trust, helping them through the development of high-quality curriculums and coaching to improve pedagogy. Since 2021 Singh has been working as a teacher educator for Ambition Institute which has included working as an instructional coach, a tutor for Master’s students, and as a facilitator on the ECT programme, the reformed NPQs, and at various regional and national conferences. 

Commitment to Professional Development

Singh’s approach is built on a commitment to his own development, seeking out any opportunity to improve he can get his hands on through further study, or reading and writing about educational research in the classroom. This has led to Singh completing a Master’s in Expert Teaching and writing the educational book Dunlosky’s Strengthening the Student Toolbox ‘In Action’. As well as this, Singh works as an Evidence Lead in Education for Greenshaw Research School and writes for the Education Endowment Foundation and the Chartered College of Teaching. 

Giving Back

Community has been at the heart of Singh’s work since he was a teenager and in 2017 he founded his own charity, Inspired Learning, to support disadvantaged students in his local community. Singh is the CEO of this charity and volunteers his time to work directly with students as well as developing partnerships with local schools, community organisations, and businesses to help the charity achieve their vision: a level playing field for all students.

Specialist Areas include

· Teaching and Learning

· Formative assessment/assessment for learning

· Effective classroom instruction

· Instructional coaching

· Interleaving

· Consolidating learning (including retrieval practice)

· Educational myths (and how to avoid them)

Publications

• Dunlosky’s Strengthening the Student Toolbox ‘In Action’. 
•  Measuring what matters: Redefining data’s role in schools : My College (chartered.college) 
• Three top tips for classroom management. Chartered College of Teaching
• Mic check – can someone please sort the feedback? (Parts 1 & 2)
• Making Worked Examples Work (Parts 1 & 2)
• The common pitfalls of CPD – and how to avoid them

Recent Feedback

“If you get to see Singh deliver, I’d really recommend it. From a Professional Development design aspect, this is a masterclass: how to establish shared language, non-examples and examples, and drawing out implications for the theory”– Kat Howard, Executive School Improvement Lead at Windsor Academy Trust, and co-author of ‘Symbiosis: The Curriculum and the Classroom’ 

“Amarbeer is one of the very best thinkers and presenters that I have ever come across in education. He has the rare quality of being able to combine real deep rich knowledge with a presenting style that is warm, endearing and charismatic. The education landscape will be better placed the more that teachers and senior leaders hear him present. In short, he is one of my ‘go-to’ people for all things teaching and learning.” - Bradley Busch, Psychologist at InnerDrive and co-author of ‘The Science of Learning: 99 Studies That Every Teacher Needs to Know’ 

“I’ve very much enjoyed watching Amarbeer present. He explains challenging concepts with clarity and helps you understand ideas in new ways. He also helps you see the practical impact of these ideas, making it relevant to your work. Amarbeer is also a generous colleague and great to work with!” – Sarah Cottinghatt, Head of Learning Design at IRIS Connect  

“Singh's writing is insightful, synthesising the research for classroom teachers and leaders. Seeing him present provides similarly illuminating learning opportunities. Singh strikes a balance between the big picture and important details, distilling, not simplifying, the research ready for teachers and leaders to consider its application in school. His ability to bridge theory and practice makes his work invaluable for educators seeking to enhance their understanding and implementation of educational research.” - Nikki Sullivan, Deputy Headteacher at Beckfoot School; Trust CPD Programme Lead for Beckfoot Trust; author of 'Unlocking Oracy' (In Print)  
 

“Amarbeer delivered a research informed session, with practical classroom ready techniques with warmth, humour and expertise. Staff left inspired and eager to action what they had learned.” – Yuvraj Singh, Assistant Head and Director of Teaching & Learning at Latymer Upper School 

“Singh is great at what he does. He practiced what he preached by constantly quizzing us and encouraging us to retrieve information you demonstrated interleaving perfectly.” – Lincolnshire Gateway Academy Trust conference attendee 

“I've been lucky to hear from Singh on a number of different occasions. I've seen his talks at notable T&L conferences such as ResearchEd and at Eton College. I've also had him as a guest on my educational podcast, TandTeaching, and have read his book.

What Singh does incredibly well is speak to the educators in the room with insight and humility. He knows what can work in my context with my students because, not only has he been there as an educator, but because he is incredibly well informed. I have always left his talks with a clear idea of what I can do and why I want to do it. He inspires, educates and informs me every time.

On top of this Singh is a brilliant person, his humour, good nature and humbleness are fantastically genuine. He is a pleasure to work with and a pleasure to know. " - Arthur Moore, Professional Online Maths Tutor; former Head of Year and Head of Department; host of the Educational Podcasts ‘TandTeaching’ and ‘Tutoring Tips’. 

“Singh’s session was really great. Usually I find it hard to stay focused but it wasn't problem in this session. Thank you.” – Initial Teacher Trainee 

X -   @SinghAmarbeerG

Sufian stands as a beacon of innovation and dedication in the realms of education and community service, embodying the essence of transformative leadership.

As the Director of Teaching School at Chiltern Learning Trust, Sufian plays a pivotal role in steering the educational philosophy towards excellence, ensuring that each learner within the trust's schools receives unparalleled opportunities for growth and development. His commitment to high standards in teaching and learning is not just a professional mandate but a personal mission to uplift every child to reach their utmost potential, no matter their circumstance.

Innovatively challenging traditional professional development models, Sufian has introduced a concept he calls "social CPD." This forward-thinking approach to professional development, makes it more inclusive and engaging through informal gatherings like "Coffee and Croissant" mornings or "Women in Education" meet-ups that welcome children.

These sessions are not only informative but also foster a sense of community among educators, making learning enjoyable and accessible. His ability to blend social elements with professional learning underscores his belief in the power of communal growth and shared knowledge.

Beyond his educational endeavours, Sufian's heart for community service shines brightly. His is an advisor and board member of several different charities, including Working Options in Education, The Culture Trust, The Level Trust, Luton Town Football Club, and The Luton Food Bank.

Growing up in Luton, he understands first-hand the challenges of deprivation and social deviance, fuelling his drive to empower young people and inspire them to dream beyond their circumstances. Sufian is not just an educator he is a visionary, shaping the future one learner, one educator, and one community at a time.

For more information, or to book Sufian click the below to arrange a free consultation where we will discuss the unique needs and goals for your school.

@unleashing_me 

www.chilternlearningtrust.org

William Wadsworth is a high-profile memory psychologist who empowers teachers to help their students study smarter, not harder, so they can ace their exams with less work and less stress. 

His obsession with exam success started early, with 10 A* grades at GCSE, 6 A grades at A-Level and a First-Class degree from Cambridge University.

Since launching Exam Study Expert back in 2019, William has been on a mission to help the next generation of students unlock their best academic performance, using the latest science of learning in their independent study and exam revision. 

Alongside his speaking work, William is an active independent researcher, best known for the flagship “Revision Census” tracking survey, which he runs in partnership with leading memory science academics. The Census has surveyed some 40,000 students across the UK on their study habits over 5 years, making it the largest research project of its kind ever undertaken. 

You can often find William’s study skills expertise and research findings featured in media and conferences, from being five-times guest expert on exam preparation for The Times to being a regular speaker at some of the UK’s leading education industry conferences (BERA, ResearchEd, ISA).

William is the author of Outsmart Your Exams and Outsmart Your Studies, both No. 1 Amazon category bestsellers in multiple countries, including the UK. He also hosts the award-nominated Exam Study Expert podcast and blog (https://examstudyexpert.com), produced for students, and trusted by over 1,000,000 readers and listeners every single year.

William is an in-demand school speaker and consultant, and has worked with over 100 leading schools on their approach to study skills and exam revision.

Teachers leave his high-impact CPD workshops with total clarity on how to talk to their students about effective revision so that they actually use best practice, regardless of their starting point. He is also available to speak to parents, a popular offering that supports everyone in the home environment pulling in the same direction when it comes to effective independent study.

Specialist areas include

• How to teach students to revise effectively
• Overcoming barriers to adopting effective study habits
• Whole-school approach to revision
• Using cognitive psychology to build masterful learners: finding drive, defeating distractions, overcoming procrastination and staying consistent
• Cognitive Load Theory and other mark-maximizing exam hall tips from cognitive psychology and the science of high performance under pressure

Key Stages 

• KS3
• KS4,
• KS5

Publications

• Research paper: Revision Census “Improving Revision Efficacy: Implications from three surveys assessing revision practices in GCSE and A level students” – presented at the British Education Research Association (BERA) annual conference 2023 (based on a 50,000 student survey) https://examstudyexpert.com/workwithme/staff-science-of-learning-cpd/ 
• Book: Outsmart Your Exams: 31 Test-Taking Strategies & Exam Technique Secrets for Top Grades https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07DM8K58B 
• Book: Outsmart Your Studies: How To Learn Effectively With Faster Revision Techniques For Exam Success https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09N1WN3KM 
• Podcast: Exam Study Expert podcast (1,000,000 downloads to date) - https://examstudyexpert.com/podcast/ 

Recent Feedback

“We have worked with William closely over the last 3 years for our GCSE and A-Level students, as well as for teaching staff CPD. His whole-year talks have been very well received by KS4 and Sixth Form students, and having an external expert visit the school to give key messages has had a real impact. He has also run small-group interventions for struggling learners.

His support has really helped students, and the learning walks and subject reviews completed by SLT indicate that lots of students pick up on his strategies and apply them to their studies in a range of subjects.

William has also presented to our whole staff on a PD Day, providing an excellent summary of the research around cognitive science and effective learning, as well as practical ideas to help students approach revision more effectively. This helped us set up a group of staff to explore and experiment with strategies through the year as part of their CPD targets.

The Revision Census student voice survey that William organises each year has also been very useful, shining a light on students’ study habits and pinpointing areas we need to focus on.”

Dale Banham, Deputy Headteacher (Curriculum, CPD & Teaching and Learning), Northgate High School and Sixth Form Centre, Ipswich

“William captured the interest of all staff. He explained, in simple terms how the brain works with regards to memory and then gave some exceptional examples to provide evidence for his points. He gave staff a number of practical ideas to take away and I am in no doubt the staff will share his thoughts with their students. He was an excellent presenter and I would highly recommend him!”

Alex Wallace, Deputy Headteacher, RGS High Wycombe

Andy specialises in positive psychology and the science of human flourishing. The reward for grinding out his PhD is that he gets to call himself a Dr of Happiness. If you put the cheesy title to one side, the good doctor believes there has never been a more important time to focus on mental health and wellbeing. 

Andy has been described as a ‘wellbeing revolutionary’. His mission is to change the narrative and re-focus psychology away from what’s wrong with people to what’s right. His messages act as a gentle nudge towards people taking charge of their own mental health. 

People love Andy’s simplicity and humour. His keynotes have been delivered to rave reviews all over the world. Andy’s training is designed for modern times; it’s specially formulated to develop resilience, personal responsibility and a readiness to embrace change. His corporate clients include Microsoft, Jaguar Landrover, IKEA and HSBC, but he’s particularly passionate about delivering in education. 

Andy’s training style is interactive, entertaining, inspiring and challenging. He also gives you lots of superbly simply strategies that you can do straight away.

Andy is also a best-selling author. He started out writing for children, with his Spy Dog series selling a million copies worldwide. He now writes about wellbeing and leadership, with many of his books appearing in the best seller lists.

Specialist areas include

Andy's specialist areas are leadership, wellbeing, positive psychology and emotional intelligence. He works with staff, pupils and parents to raise the wellbeing bar. He also works with head teachers and school governors.

The aim is always to raise the aspirations of students and staff, and to help turn common sense into common practice. There’s a lot of talk about ‘best self’ and ‘living your best life’ – and Andy helps with that!

Andy can run one off training sessions or a series of workshops that change the culture. Primary schools that go through a programme can achieve Outstandingly Happy Schools status. Secondaries can achieve Investors in Wellbeing. These programmes are about embedding positivity, wellbeing and resilience into the school/college culture.

Key Stages 

All Key Stages

Publications

• The Art of Being Brilliant
• Shine; Rediscovering Your Energy, Happiness and Purpose
• The Happiness Revolution
• How to be a Well Being
• The Little Book of Emotional Intelligence
• Leadership: The Multiplier Effect
• Zest: How to Squeeze the Max out of Life
• The Art of Being a Brilliant Teenager
• Diary of a BRILLIANT Kid (and more)

Recent Feedback

“Our September inset for a group of schools was hosted by Andy. To say I was inspired was an understatement. Andy’s ethos is still fresh in my mind. His message of determination, resilience and making the most of every moment helped me in every way possible. It’s turns out that Inset was as valuable for me as a mum, as it was for me as a teacher/SENCO. Andy’s message and philosophy travels with me every day - thank you is not enough!” - Teacher
 

“We had a great session with Andy tonight and following the session I received an email from one of my 'toughest nuts to crack'. We don't have many but the author of the email below was one of the reasons why I invited Andy in. I wondered if you could pass it on to Andy along with my heartfelt thanks for working his magic? Smiles all around tonight and an inbox bursting with many other reflective messages.” - Head Teacher 

“I had my independent SIA (An OFSTED inspector) visit on Wednesday this week. He conducted a Learning Walk as he had done with me last around 18 months ago. He was amazed by the changing culture. He noted that children at the school had always behaved well but now there was a vibrancy and liveliness in classrooms and the children were not just passively behaving but actively displaying the school values. He noted the consistency of approach in classrooms and the children’s ability to talk proudly about their problem solving and willingness to always try hard. It was great! Thanks Andy – our work with you has massively enhanced our ability to grow a new culture at school.” - Head Teacher

“In 20 years of teaching, dare I say it, this has had the biggest impact on children… Lots of initiatives have come in through the government, through funding that we get, but actually, looking at the whole child and how a child feels about themselves actually really does make a difference. The children…have now got this ‘can do’ attitude that nothing’s going to hold them back and so far nothing is…” - Head Teacher

I have just arrived home and I am absolutely buzzing following that amazing training session. So much so, that I felt I had to say thank you for arranging it for us! To be honest I never thought I'd find myself saying quite such a heartfelt thanks for a school twilight, but hand on heart, it was brilliant!

This training was great on many levels, for me personally, but even better for the children and adults around me because I really think I can put a lot of Dr Cope's recommendations into practice, straight away.  Sorry if I sound a little OTT but honestly, it was great! Thank you  - Teacher