The CFFTP5 Learning to Question workshop, one of the five core elements of the Certified Functional Fluency Teacher Programme, introduces educators to a Functional Fluency-informed approach to critical literacy, emotional awareness, and reflective inquiry. Developed by Steve Willshaw and Chdel Cooke, this practical and psychologically informed course equips professionals with tools to help young people critically evaluate information while remaining emotionally grounded.
Using a structured six-step “Accounting Framework,” participants learn how to guide students through the process of assessing both their internal emotional reactions and the external reality of the information they encounter. The framework can be applied across media literacy, classroom discussion, subject-specific learning, and wider pastoral practice. The workshop combines practical teaching strategies with deeper psychological understanding to support both intellectual development and emotional regulation.
Emotional Grounding Before Critical Thinking.
Many critical thinking programmes focus solely on evidence analysis and rational debate. Learning to Question takes a different approach by recognising that learners often cannot engage critically until they first feel emotionally regulated and psychologically safe.
Before evaluating information, participants are taught how to:
This creates a more sustainable and compassionate pathway into critical literacy.
At the centre of the workshop is a six-step Functional Fluency-informed Accounting Framework that helps educators and students assess both:
Participants explore how the framework can be applied to:
The workshop is designed with real classroom pressures in mind. Rather than introducing another disconnected initiative, the framework provides educators with a “radically simple” structure that can be embedded across subjects and settings without creating additional workload.
Steve Willshaw
With more than 30 years of experience as an English teacher, Head of Department, educational consultant, and Functional Fluency professional, Steve brings deep expertise in literacy, critical analysis, and practical curriculum design.
His work focuses on translating complex psychological concepts into accessible classroom strategies that educators can realistically implement within existing systems.
Chdel Cooke
As a counsellor, UKCP trainee in advanced clinical psychotherapy practice, Transactional Analysis practitioner, certified TIFF Provider, and Get on the Mat Facilitator, Chdel brings a strong therapeutic and neuro-affirming perspective to the course.
Her work ensures that the emotional grounding elements of the framework are psychologically safe, inclusive, and accessible for diverse neurotypes and learning profiles.
Together, Steve and Chdel combine pedagogical clarity with therapeutic insight, creating a workshop that supports both critical thinking and emotional resilience. The result is a practical framework that addresses not only how young people think, but also how they feel while processing increasingly complex and emotionally charged information.
The workshop directly applies Functional Fluency concepts by transforming the principle of “Accounting” into a practical educational framework.
Participants explore how Functional Fluency behaviours such as
can help learners move from emotional reactivity toward reflective, evidence-informed thinking.
This enables educators to support young people in navigating misinformation, online influence, peer dynamics, and social anxiety with greater confidence and emotional safety.
Professionals working with young people are increasingly facing:
Delivery Format: Online workshop via Zoom
Duration: 2 hours
Group Size: Minimum 10 / Maximum 20 participants
Date: 11 September 2026
Time: 09:00 - 11:00 UTC
Workshop Fee: EUR 195
For enquiries, contact: Steve Willshaw at steve@swillshawconsulting.co.uk