Reclaiming the Wonder of Learning
An in-depth encounter with Alessandra Braglia, Reggio Emilia pedagogista
and with Catherine Reding, Kirkoswald Primary School, and Professor Peter Moss, UCL
Hosted by the National Education Union
"Ideas fly, bounce around, accumulate, rise up, fall apart slowly, or spread, until finally one of them takes a decisive hold; it flies higher and conquers the entire group of children.” Loris Malaguzzi: from 'Daily Life at School: Seeing the Extraordinary in the Ordinary.' Making Learning Visible page 72
Be inspired by what is desirable and possible in early childhood education.
This day will be an unparallelled opportunity to engage directly with a representative of Reggio who has such long-term and deep experience, and is ready to dialogue and debate in English.
We will also explore conditions and experiences for transforming early childhood education in the UK, with Catherine Reding and Professor Peter Moss.
Reggio Emilia regards itself as 'a city of education.' Since 1945 this experience has grown with parents, community, educators striving to grow and understand and prioritise, working closely together all the way.
In a period in the UK when educators and parents are finding a common voice to express what education should be like for their children, in a time when ‘policy’ is still at odds with these visions, it is a time to learn and act.
We will consider how the Reggiane experience can inform the efforts of UK educators and parents in creating intelligent education together.
Caterina , 5: "It's easier to share ideas with your friends, and you get new ideas. If someone doesn't understand something, the other person helps. It's better when the ideas are all different: a group is for learning other things, not the things you already know." (Making Learning Visible, p.328)
Dates, Details & Booking
| Date | Saturday 14th February 2026 |
| Price | £80 |
| Speaker | Alessandra Braglia, Catherine Reding, Prof Peter Moss |
| Times | 10am- 4pm |
| Location/Map | Hamilton House, London |
| Download info | SI Autumn 2025-Spring 2026 Events.pdf |
Speakers
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Alessandra Braglia
Pedagogical Co-ordinator, Reggio EmiliaAlessandra Braglia is a pedagogical coordinator of one infant-toddler center and three preschools of the Preschools and Infant-toddler Centers—Istituzione of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, Italy.
From 2018 to 2019, she worked as special education rights coordinator for Accento, a social cooperative for the educational services in primary and middle schools. In addition, she coordinates and participates as a speaker in professional development initiatives promoted by Reggio Children on the Reggio Emilia educational experience. Alessandra graduated with a degree in design and management of cultural activities in 2009 and pedagogy in 2017 at the University of Modena and Reggio.
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Catherine Reding
Early Years' & Primary Teacher, Kirkoswald, CumbriaI am a trained primary/early years teacher with a background in music and a love of being in nature. Over the last ten years I have worked in primary and nursery settings in the north of England variously as a teacher, music specialist and education consultant.
I have led on many Sightlines Initiative action-research projects, and am currently a teacher at Kirkoswald Primary School, Cumbria.
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Professor Peter Moss
Emeritus Professor, Thomas Coram Research Unit, UCL Institute of EducationPeter has researched and written on many subjects including early childhood education and care, and the relationship between early childhood and compulsory education; the relationship between employment, care and gender; and democracy in education. Much of his work has been cross-national, and he has led a European Commission network on childcare and an international network on parental leave. From 2005 to 2016 he co-edited (with Gunilla Dahlberg) the book series ‘Contesting Early Childhood’, whose aim is to question “the current dominant discourses surrounding early childhood, and offer instead alternative narratives of an area that is now made up of a multitude of perspectives”.
