Tooled Up Education
"We thrive on providing you with resources that can help cultivate children’s resilience"
"We turn evidence-based research into impactful, real-life tools that help children thrive"
"We help you equip children psychologically for early adulthood and beyond"
"We support the continuing professional development of educators through access to the highest quality research evidence"
“If a community values its children, it must cherish their parents” - John Bowlby, 1951
"We constantly create and adapt our tools to meet the needs of families in an ever-changing world"
Previous slide
Next slide

Topical Resources

Tooled Up Events

The home of evidence-based resources on all aspects of parenting, education and family life

Organisation that are part of our Tooled Up Education community can provide their parents and teachers with access to Dr Weston’s exclusive resources, covering areas such as aspiration, resilience, mental health and behaviour.

As a member of the Tooled Up community you will have access to a whole host of evidence-based resources, which will enable you to support your children or students in a way that makes their lives and educational journeys both easier and more enjoyable. 

Check if you belong to a Tooled Up Organisation

Dr Weston's Wednesday Wisdom

In an ever increasingly busy and demanding world, Wednesday Wisdom provides a reflective 2 minute read every week that readers constantly tell us they look forward to. Full of topical and relatable experiences that help provide reflection, motivation and support in achieving a balanced family life.

Over the years, thousands of people have benefitted from, and continue to enjoy, the parenting and educational talks from Dr Kathy Weston at Tooled Up Education and have subscribed to Wednesday Wisdom. Join now for free to get your own weekly digest of motivating, interesting, and thoughtful parenting advice from Dr Weston herself.

“I just wanted to say how grateful I am to read your Wednesday Wisdom email. Perfect size for the time I have to engage and reflect and think about the topics you touch on. It helps me to evaluate my parenting and take a step back to look at scenarios that play out.”

Parent – October 2020

Family games

If, like me, you have ever witnessed your children engaged in ‘rough and tumble’ play with siblings, cousins, friends or relatives, it can feel alarming. In our house, after about five minutes, it used to lead to tears and accusations that ‘he hit me too hard’; one parent would then intercede with sage advice on when to stop! ‘Roughhousing’ sounds and looks chaotic and can engender feelings of alarm in onlookers.

Read more...

Parenting Question of the Month

Hello, as a family, we are thinking of getting our child, aged 11, a smartphone. What are some of the things we need to consider before we do?

First of all, well done considering this important decision ‘as a family’. Buying a first phone for a child can be a financial commitment but, truth be told, it’s also a decision that can impact on all aspects of their lives: mental health, wellbeing, resilience, friendships and even their learning. It is important to think of it as a significant decision which deserves research and reflection. A smartphone isn’t just a phone. Essentially, it is a hand-held computer that, once connected to the internet, can give access to a digital frontier occupied by five billion people.

Researcher of the Month

Gemma Goldenberg, PhD researcher at the University of East London. 

Research Interests

Gemma’s research focuses on the impact of indoor and outdoor learning environments and how they affect young children’s stress, attention and self regulation.

Learn more about her research here.

There is now a significant body of research which indicates that nature is linked to physical, cognitive and emotional benefits for children. Our Researcher of the Month, PhD student Gemma Goldenberg, hypothesises that if exposure to nature can improve cognition, physical health, social behaviour and wellbeing, then spending more of the school day learning outside in natural settings could have a significant positive impact on pupils’ attainment and mental health. Her exciting study is designed to help schools develop effective learning environments and interventions, and a research informed approach to outdoor learning.

In order to assess the impact of outdoor learning, Gemma visited six reception classes in Newham, London, working with 75 children. Each class took part in eight indoor and eight outdoor sessions. During these sessions, Gemma analysed each child’s physiological stress, social behaviour, attention and learning performance.

She discovered that children’s heart rates were lower in the outdoor settings and that outdoor sessions were quieter than indoor sessions. Indoors, there was a statistically significant relationship between noise during carpet time and physiological stress levels – as noise levels increased, so did children’s heart rates. This was not replicated outdoors. Being outdoors, she suggests, ‘provides some sort of buffering effect against stress/noise’.

Implications

Gemma has numerous suggestions for educators about outdoor learning. To find out more about the implications of her research, read our full Researcher of the Month article. Tooled Up subscribers can also tune in to our recent podcast interview with Gemma and read the accompanying notes.

Tooled Up News

Testimonials

"I thought the talk last night was absolutely fantastic. It really helped us to have a vision and how we can support [Child] to develop his resilience."
    Parent

Yarm School

"So informative - lots of food for thought as a teacher and a parent of two girls. Thank you."
    Parent

Merchant Taylor's School

"So informative, thought-provoking, practical, awesome!"
    Parent

South Hill School

"Thank you so much for such a wonderful Q&A, it was so informative and rich with information. I am certain our parent community will use all these resources!"
    School Welfare Counsellor

St. Catherine's British School

"Expert and engaging, Kathy gives rich, evidence-based guidance. You will come away inspired and empowered"

Dr Johnny Noakes

Eton College

"It is no exaggeration to say that Dr Weston’s input into our pastoral programme has been transformational. Her presentation to more than two hundred staff was the most inspirational – and practical – training we have received on how to support adolescents through the changes of the teenage years."

Headmistress

Francis Holland School

"Kathy’s talk was engaging, interesting and highly informative throughout. She balanced factual information with personal advice and practical tips to ensure that the talk was relevant and accessible from the outset."

Head Teacher

Sarum Hall School

"Just to say you are amazing at what you do.. really really informative and helpful to parents and can’t recommend tooled up highly enough!"

Teacher

Davenies School

"I just wanted to say that it was great to meet you yesterday. Thank you so much for giving such an impressive and insightful talk. We have had lots of positive comments today about it. You struck just the right tone, and I know that the advice will have been invaluable to so many of our parents. It’s such a vital and important message and we are very grateful to you for sharing your knowledge and insights."

Teacher

Highgate School

"Thought provoking, deeply engaging and totally relevant to every aspect of my work. Thanks so much for your passion and drive."

Teacher

Stopsley Community Primary School

Previous slide
Next slide

Have a Question?

If you are interested in learning more about Tooled Up Education, have a technical question, press enquiry or any other query, please follow the link below or get in touch with Dr Weston’s team on email: office@tooledupeducation.com