Ella de la Motte - Early Childhood Consultant
Ella de la Motte presents - Discover The Curiosity Approach with Special guest, Steph ✨
Friday 20 March 2026 at 10:30 am - 2:30 pm AEDT
Discover The Curiosity Approach with Steph
Friday 20th March 2026 at The Stamford Plaza Sydney Airport and Conference centre
241 O'Riordan St, Mascot NSW 2020
Step into a world of wonder and inspiration as Steph guides you through The Curiosity Approach — a pedagogy that celebrates awe, authentic experiences, and meaningful environments for children.
10.30am - 2.30pm
Your session includes:
Each ticket includes:
A 2.5 hour presentation with Steph, beginning with an introduction by Ella de la Motte – Early Childhood Consultant
Chef-prepared morning upon arrival and full buffet lunch
A beautifully curated Learning Companion Journal (a keepsake designed to inspire and support your reflections)
A pen & notebook for your thoughts.
Q&A opportunity
This more than professional development — it’s a chance to pause, reflect, and reimagine your practice in an inspiring setting.
Book your place here: https://square.link/u/eOVi93pg
Morning session: Ella de la Motte presents - Discover The Curiosity Approach with Special guest, Steph Bennett ✨
Saturday 21 March 2026 at 9:30 am - 12:30 pm AEDT
81 Mulgoa Rd, Penrith NSW 2750
Discover The Curiosity Approach with Steph
Saturday 21st March 2026 | Pullman Penrith - Western Sydney Conference Centre – Woodriff Function room
81 Mulgoa Road, Penrith NSW 2750
Step into a world of wonder and inspiration as Steph guides you through The Curiosity Approach — a pedagogy that celebrates awe, authentic experiences, and meaningful environments for children.
Morning: 9.30am - 12.30pm
Your session includes:
Each ticket includes:
A two-hour presentation with Steph, beginning with an introduction by Ella de la Motte – Early Childhood Consultant
Chef-prepared morning tea
A beautifully curated Learning Companion Journal (a keepsake designed to inspire and support your reflections)
A pen and notebook for your thoughts and notes.
Q&A opportunity
This more than professional development — it’s a chance to pause, reflect, and reimagine your practice in an inspiring setting.
Book your place here: https://square.link/u/EHLG8p4v
Afternoon session: Ella de la Motte presents - Discover The Curiosity Approach with Special guest, Steph Bennett ✨ (Copy)
Saturday 21 March 2026 at 1.30pm - 4.30pm AEDT
81 Mulgoa Rd, Penrith NSW 2750
Discover The Curiosity Approach with Steph
Saturday 21st March 2026 | Pullman Penrith - Western Sydney Conference Centre – Woodriff Function room
81 Mulgoa Road, Penrith NSW 2750
Step into a world of wonder and inspiration as Steph guides you through The Curiosity Approach — a pedagogy that celebrates awe, authentic experiences, and meaningful environments for children.
Afternoon: 1.30pm - 4.30pm
Your session includes:
Each ticket includes:
A two-hour presentation with Steph, beginning with an introduction by Ella de la Motte – Early Childhood Consultant
Chef-prepared afternoon tea
A beautifully curated Learning Companion Journal (a keepsake designed to inspire and support your reflections)
A pen and notebook for your thoughts and notes.
Q&A opportunity
This more than professional development — it’s a chance to pause, reflect, and reimagine your practice in an inspiring setting.
Book your place here: https://square.link/u/tYJDrzGB
🌿 Educational Leaders 4-Week Series — Setting 2026 Up for Success 🌿
Due to the success of series 1, I am taking this into 2026 for a 2nd series. I would love for you to join me!
Educational Leaders, do you need support on your journey to preparing for 2026 to be the best year yet?
Educational Leaders 4-Week Series — Setting 2026 Up for Success
Join me across four focused, one-hour Zoom sessions designed to help you reset, realign, and reignite your leadership practice before the new year begins.
Session Dates:
Monday 9th February, Monday 16th February, Monday 23rd February and Monday 2nd March 2026.
10:15am – 11:15am - NSW Daylight Savings time
Each week, we’ll explore a different focus:
Week 1 — Pairing Back: Understanding what the planning cycle is really asking of us
Week 2 — Leading Change: Practical and relational approaches to guiding your team
Week 3 — Tailoring Support: Meeting educators where they’re at
Week 4 — Protecting the Leader: Strategies to nurture your own wellbeing.
This four-part series is a chance to pause, reflect, and prepare for a purposeful, balanced, and inspired year ahead.
Spaces are limited — book your place and start shaping your 2026 leadership journey with clarity and confidence.
Book your space here today: [https://square.link/u/Q5BykqHD](https://square.link/u/Q5BykqHD)
Critical reflection and Ongoing professional learning for Educational Leaders - Live Webinar
Educational Leaders, this one’s for you!
On Tuesday 3rd February, I’m hosting a live webinar on Critical Reflection, created specifically for Educational Leaders and those supporting reflective practice across teams.
From 10.00am to 11.15am, we’ll slow it right down and unpack the true components of critical reflection, what it really means, what it’s not, and why it goes far beyond robust debate or the most confident voices in the room.
We’ll explore practical ways to ensure all voices are included in reflective spaces, not just the loudest ones, and how to lead reflection that is ethical, meaningful, and genuinely connected to everyday practice rather than compliance.
To make this session as responsive as possible, questions can be submitted up to one week prior, ensuring they’re thoughtfully addressed during the webinar.
We’ll also finish with a 15-minute live Q&A for deeper discussion and shared thinking.
This session is reflective, practical, and grounded in real early childhood contexts.
A World of Wonder: Creating Engaging Environments for Babies
Are you an educator working with children from birth to two years? If so, this session is just for you!
Join me at my HQ in Adamstown on Wednesday 14th January 2026 5.30pm - 7.30pm for an inspiring and practical session on creating rich, engaging environments for babies (oh and a yummy supper).
What You’ll Gain:
🔹 A deeper understanding of how to support babies’ learning and development in an early education setting.
🔹 Ideas for designing environments that spark curiosity, encourage movement, and invite sensory exploration.
🔹 Practical strategies for using the Early Years Planning Cycle to create flexible, responsive, and meaningful experiences.
Through reflective discussions and real-world examples, you’ll walk away with fresh ideas and the confidence to create nurturing spaces where babies can thrive.
Book your place here: https://square.link/u/ze5atxfy
Let's learn about Tuckman's stages of development to see real progress in our team!
Team Development for Leaders: Moving Your Team Forward
Adamstown HQ — Wednesday 10th December
9:30am – 11:30am
$69.50 per person | Maximum 8 participants
Leading a team means understanding not just where your people are—but how to move them to where they could be. In this energising small-group session, we’ll unpack Tuckman’s Stages of Team Development (Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing) and apply them directly to real early childhood team dynamics.
You’ll explore how to diagnose your team’s stage, recognise the signs that keep teams stuck, and use practical leadership strategies to confidently progress your team to the next phase of growth. Expect real conversations, reflective tools, and actionable steps you can use the very next day.
(And yes… delicious morning tea is included.)
You’ll walk away able to:
Identify your team’s current Tuckman stage using simple, tell-tale behaviours and patterns.
Apply targeted leadership strategies that shift your team forward—from conflict to cohesion, and from chaos to clarity.
Lead with intention by using strengths, communication styles, and reflective habits that support team progression.
Book your place here: https://square.link/u/6WQp23pl
Educational Leaders Series
🌿 Educational Leaders 4-Week Series — Setting 2026 Up for Success 🌿
Let’s make 2026 a great year for Educational Leaders.
Join me across four focused, one-hour Zoom sessions designed to help you reset, realign, and reignite your leadership practice before the new year begins.
Session Dates:
Monday 10th, 17th & 24th November, and 1st December 2025
10:15am – 11:15am - NSW Daylight Savings time
Each week, we’ll explore a different focus:
Week 1 — Pairing Back: Understanding what the planning cycle is really asking of us
Week 2 — Leading Change: Practical and relational approaches to guiding your team
Week 3 — Tailoring Support: Meeting educators where they’re at
Week 4 — Protecting the Leader: Strategies to nurture your own wellbeing
This four-part series is a chance to pause, reflect, and prepare for a purposeful, balanced, and inspired year ahead.
Spaces are limited — book your place and start shaping your 2026 leadership journey with clarity and confidence.
Embracing Slow Pedagogy
Sydney educators — this one’s for you! 🌿
Join us on Thursday 6th November 2025, 6.00–8.00pm at Rise Early Learning Centre, Camperdown for an inspiring evening dedicated to slow pedagogy in early childhood education.
Together, we’ll explore how slowing down supports children’s natural rhythms, fosters deeper engagement, and creates calmer, more intentional learning environments. You’ll walk away with practical ideas, reflective insights, and fresh inspiration to bring a slower, more meaningful pace into your daily practice.
In this professional development session, participants will be guided through an in-depth exploration of slow pedagogyand its transformative impact on early childhood education. Together, we will consider how slowing down fosters deeper thinking, authentic connections, and meaningful learning experiences for both children and educators.
We will explore strategies that respect children’s natural pace, support sustained engagement, and nurture genuine curiosity. Educators will be encouraged to reflect on how daily rhythms, routines, and interactions can be adjusted to create calm, intentional, and deeply engaging environments that honour the child’s right to time, space, and presence.
By the end of this session, participants will:
Understand the principles of slow pedagogy and its significance in early childhood education.
Recognise the impact of pace on children’s learning and identify ways to create environments that respect natural rhythms.
Develop strategies to foster sustained engagement and deep thinking through unhurried, intentional experiences.
Explore practical ways to embed slow pedagogy into daily routines, transitions, and play-based learning.
Reflect on their own teaching practices and mindsets, identifying shifts that can support a more thoughtful, child-centred approach.
Collaborate with colleagues to share insights and develop actionable steps for bringing slow pedagogy into their unique settings.