“Jo’s work with individuals, groups of children and staff, has impacted hugely on the enrichment of our school life. Her expertise, creativity and professionalism, have been at the heart of children blossoming before our eyes into more confident, capable and happy learners. Children always want to play with Jo and want to share their newfound skills and talents with their teachers, or the whole school during sharing assembly. Jo’s infectious enthusiasm and obvious wealth of experience in many areas, is an inspiration to us all.”
Irene Bennett, Head Teacher EBD School
“Jo’s work has helped us to unlock potential and rebuild self esteem where other strategies had failed to reach the inner child. Without confidence and focus children struggle to access the everyday world of a classroom. Not sure I understand how it works… just that it does!”
Sharon Sanderson, Head teacher
“I have known Jo for several years, having met her when she worked with two of the pupils I tutored for Hertfordshire Special Needs Education Department (both were permanently excluded from schools).
She is a caring, motivational individual who is passionate about her work and children respond to her enthusiasm. The exercises she has devised develop confidence and raise the self-esteem of children whilst they enjoy a non-threatening, cooperative activity where they can see their own success. Whilst the exercises require concentration and physical control, they focus the child and have a calming effect and the work impacts on their breathing, movement and thoughts.
I have seen Jo work with youngsters and adolescents, and they have all benefited from her therapy; growing in self-esteem whilst loving taking part in colourful, lively and unusual activities’.”
Elizabeth Jones, Hertfordshire Special Needs Tutor
“… pupils have improved short term memory recall… they are calmer and more centered and are more able to manage their own behaviour in stressful situations…
…The children are able to focus on tasks during lessons for longer periods of time and can make connections between their learning and real life experiences. Pupils are more willing to share their own ideas and opinions, and give their reasoning for these, are more independent in problem solving and able to consider the outcome/effects of specific actions.”
Elena Hunt, EBD Teacher
“Our children have been enjoying and benefiting from movement therapy for four years. We could not be happier with its positive effects on behaviour, motivation, self-esteem, speaking, listening and motor skills. It is one of the highlights of their school week.”
Deputy Head, EBD School
“Jo Betts. Movement Therapist Extraordinaire!
Working alongside Jo Betts is a revelation. She is able to work with a child who had come into school miserable, surly and unco-operative, and turn him/her into a confident, happy person in the space of a weekly half hour session. The children’s faces light up as they remember that it is ‘Jo’ day and they count down the minutes until it is their time with her.
When Jo gave an introductory workshop at the school, she turned an unconvinced, cynical group of adults into a happy, relaxed set of individuals.
As one staff member remarked afterwards, ‘I wish all our staff meetings were as much fun as this one! Thank you Jo!”
Sarah Duggan, Primary Support Base.”
Bowmansgreen Primary School
“Outstanding”
Ofsted Report
“Jo enables all children to become more centered, focused and resourceful. I have watched in admiration as even the most challenged children have quickly experienced a real sense of achievement and begun to believe in themselves again. This inner self-belief is the key for successful learning and positive social interactions.”
Peggy Blunden, Senior Specialist of Educational Psychology for HCC
“Jo Betts has developed singular vision as to the inner needs of children. She has evolved methods, as a movement therapist and a musician, which allow the unfolding of a child’s individuality, helping to heal the emotional scars which most of us carry.”
Stuart Korth, DO DPO FICO
Co-founder and Director of Osteopathy of the renowned Foundation for Paediatric Osteopathy.
“As an experienced Play Therapist and Trainer I was quite amazed at the depth which I experienced while working alongside Jo during a group we held together. I came away feeling quite grounded, more connected within myself and quite excited about how much the children were experiencing of themselves and of each other. How they felt nurtured to extend themselves and their abilities. The work they did within movement was very “heart felt and ‘moving” to say the least.”
Karla Burley, Director of Play Therapy
“Jo has a marvellous presence, a melodious voice and exudes a clear sense of necessary boundaries, while she embraces the child in a world where she has made it safe. When Jo is teaching, she is reaching intuitively into the child’s strengths and vulnerabilities, gently, firmly, inviting the child into a world of infinite possibilities, where she will guide carefully and competently. Jo draws the child’s own energy into the irresistible world of play, where there is beauty, colour, touch, movement, texture, Nature – the child is now in charge of his/her actions while tensions are eased. Jo opens up the child’s world with a sense of order, healing, patterns, play. I have seen that she enriches each child she teaches and helps them immeasurably. From the first time I saw her teach I was captivated; five years later I still am; she is engaging, warm, encouraging and she would be an asset to every school. Her work is impressive.”
Dr. Ron de Brito, Science teacher
“Its fun and I feel good working with Jo.”
Ed, aged 14 on the Autistic Spectrum
“Freedom fun no DS no WiFi I feel like a new born baby.”
Omar, aged 10, EBD School pupil
“I feel fine happy excitement never angry Jo loves playing with us Jo is a very very very very very very very happy.”
Sam, aged 8, EBD School pupil
“ I like playing with you Jo is a really fun person I feel happy. I look forward to seeing Jo seeing Jo cheers us up.”
Alex, aged 9, EBD School pupil
“Jo was an extraordinary teacher to have as a young adult. Her ability to push boundaries, explore the unknown and the unconventional was an inspiration to me.”
Sarine Sofair, aged 18
“Jo has a magic that is hard to put into words but insight, empathic understanding of the individual child and an aura of warmth, spring to mind, all contribute to her ability to bring about increased confidence and progress in a child’s development. My son’s fine and gross motor skills have improved enormously through working with Jo and as he says himself “Its fun and feels good”
Mother of a child on the Autistic Spectrum
“My daughter’s behaviour was very challenging when we first met with Jo and I was running out of ideas on how to cope with her furious anger. Nothing we did seemed to have an impact and it is fair to say that both my husband and I had become pretty desperate by the time we found out about movement therapy. It seems amazing, but I can honestly say that after the first meeting with Jo I could see a change in my daughter’s attitude. She was altogether calmer and less volatile in her responses. Best of all, she adored the sessions with Jo.
Over a period of eight months Jo gradually worked her magic and my daughter emerged a much happier, balanced little girl who is better able to control herself”.
Parent struggling with adoption
Response from a workshop for CAMHS for educational professionals
- An amazing woman!
- Fabulous session
- Inspirational
- Fantastic
- Excellent. I would love to do this with groups of children
- An excellent practical taster of the course
- An important balance
- Feel I need to start all over again! Enormously challenging & helpful
- Very fascinating and worthwhile
- Very engaging. It came from a different perspective, which was refreshing
- Inspiring, practical and extremely useful for self and practice with children/families
- Very enjoyable and relaxing
“Jo is a master of interactive movement, using many ‘disciplines’. She engenders group awareness and involvement using the good will and sincerity of mutual trust with the pupils. What she says is caring, imaginative and uses language immediately accessible to pupils. The lessons are very interactive for the pupils and vibrant. She has deep respect from the pupils who trust her completely. Students come early for the sessions out of keenness for what Jo creates with them.”
Arthur Osmond, Movement Teacher, Steiner school