Reflection Time with Kate
For creative practitioners working in the early years
If you're feeling isolated, exhausted, or wondering if your work even matters - you're not alone. Creative practice in early years can be lonely. You're constantly justifying what you do. You're burnt out from trying to secure funding, navigate partnerships, or figure out how to actually make this work sustainable.
And sometimes you just need to talk to someone who gets it.
What is reflective practice?
It's thinking deeply about what you're doing and why. Not surface-level chat - proper questioning about your practice, those memorable moments, what worked, what didn't, and what you might do differently.
At Cocoon, Megan and I spend up to an hour after each session unpicking every detail - how the child responded, what we noticed, where the magic happened, what we'll try next time. This reflection feeds into our plan-do-review cycles and keeps our practice sharp.
But here's the thing: most practitioners don't have this. You're on your own, trying to reflect in snatched moments between sessions, without anyone to ask the questions that help you see what's really happening.
What happens in our sessions?
I've been doing creative work with young children for over 20 years. I understand the joy of creating magical moments with children AND the soul-destroying confusion of Arts Council England applications (currently in that hell myself). I know what it's like to set up a CIC, secure funding, work in partnership with settings that don't always get what you do.
Sometimes you need reflective questions. Through careful questioning, practitioners often discover what's really happening in their practice and find their own solutions. I don't tell you what to do - I help you see it yourself.
Sometimes you need practical support. I also share sector knowledge and signpost you to funding streams, support services, and entitlements you might not know exist. Sometimes just knowing what's available changes everything.
Supporting Cocoon
Every reflection session you book supports Cocoon - a music and movement playspace for individual families. Kate and Megan create unhurried time and space for families to play and connect with their two-year-old, following the child's lead and interests. A break from day-to-day stress where you might even get a lie down.
Session Options
Reflection Session
45 minutes | Google Meet
£85
- Bring whatever's on your mind
- Focused conversation
- Specific question or challenge
- Summary with follow-up actions
Deep Dive Session
90 minutes | Google Meet
£120
- Extended time for complexity
- Explore and reflect deeply
- Ongoing practice support
- Detailed summary with actions
Video Reflection
90 minutes | Google Meet + video
£150
- Send short video clip (30s-2min)
- Celebrate child's engagement
- Reflect on your practice
- Written summary for Plan-Do-Review
IN-PERSON EXPERIENCE
Practitioner Visit to Cocoon
Full day | North Shields
£350
Morning (3 hours):
Observe session and setup
Join reflective practice
Afternoon (1 hour):
One-to-one reflection
CPD certificate (5-6 hours)
Perfect for DYCP grant holders
Enquire About VisitingAbout Kate
I'm Kate, and I've spent over 20 years working creatively with young children and the practitioners who support them. Currently developing revolutionary practice with 2-year-olds through Cocoon, funded by Youth Music's Energiser Fund.
I understand the unique challenges of creative practice in early years - the constant justification, the isolation, the exhaustion of advocating for what you know works. I've been there.
My approach is unhurried, supportive, and grounded in real experience. I won't give you quick fixes or theory from textbooks. Instead, I offer genuine understanding and space to explore what's really going on in your practice.
In Practice
This moment captures the heart of my work - true attunement with a child exploring music. The quiet concentration, the gentle guidance, the shared discovery.
This is what I understand deeply - how to hold space, when to wait, when to respond. The exhaustion of maintaining this level of presence. The joy when connection happens. This is the understanding I bring to our reflective conversations.
What Practitioners Say About Reflective Time with Kate
"Hi Kate - I just wanted to say I had the BEST sessions ever!!! Everything you said clicked into place. Thank you, thank you, thank you xx."
- Reflection Session
October 2025
"Kate - you were amazing and just what I needed. Honestly, so inspiring! I did make some notes and am all set to put them into practice on Tuesday at my sessions."
- Reflection Session
September 2025
"It can be an isolating role. I think achieving clarity comes from actually verbalising my critical thought process and the potential barriers at any one time!"
- Reflection Session
September 2025