Meet the Team

Hi! I am Jo a Woodventurer tutor. I am a qualified teacher and Special Educational Needs and Disability Coordinator (SENDCo) with over 10 years’ experience working in Primary Education.

I have a wealth of experience supporting children with a range of complex needs, including Autism, ADHD and Social, Emotional and Mental Health Difficulties. I trained in the Principles of Theraplay, a nurture-based approach to building trusting relationships. I believe passionately in this approach to developing a safe, trusting environment that enables children to grow in confidence and develop a love of learning.

Personally, I love the freedom of the great outdoors, especially skiing! I love to escape in my
campervan to enjoy wild camping, open water swimming, kayaking and mountain trekking with my
husband and beautiful Springer Spaniel, Mina. My family, including our six grandchildren, love the opportunity to light the fire pit, toast marshmallows and marvel at the stars, especially on a crisp winter’s night!

Hi, I’m Sally and I am a Woodland Programme Co-ordinator here at Woodventurers.

I have been working in Special Needs Education for well over twenty years. I have taught teenagers and adults Entry Level and Key Skills programmes in a number of FE colleges and worked with learners of all ages in lots of different types of community outreach settings including homeless charities, hostels, schools and employment centres for adults with learning disabilities. More recently, I worked for Cambridgeshire Local Authority for over thirteen years as a Special Educational Needs Caseworker and Manager.

Having worked in the Special Needs education system for so long, I have gained a huge amount of experience and knowledge about what works and what doesn’t and about the difficulties facing our young people and their families.

When I’m not at work, I love travelling and exploring, live music and writing, yoga and boxing and I am also a part time PhD student.

Hi, I’m Emma and I am a Woodland tutor and Programme Co-ordinator here at Woodventurers. I have a background in project management in community horticulture and outdoor education.

In recent years I’ve worked within a school as a HLTA and supported children with SEN needs. It was here I had the opportunity to train as a Level 3 Forest school instructor and ran forest school sessions for reception class up to year 6. I am also a qualified children’s yoga teacher and have a diploma in Social and Therapeutic horticulture.

As a woodland tutor I am able to combine my love for nature with my practice as an outdoor educator , seeing first hand the impact that being in nature can have on a child’s emotional literacy, self regulation and wellbeing.

I love being outdoors, either going for long walks with my family or at my allotment growing as much fruit and veg as I can.

Hi, I am Sonia and love being part of the Woodventurers team.

On a professional level, I am currently in the process of completing my ‘level 3 forest school
practitioner qualification’, which has been a natural destination for me throughout the last 25 years of my working life. Supporting my focus in working with children and young adults with a diagnosis of autism has become my passion. With the aim to meet the very individual needs of those I work with, in the hope of making a positive difference to all aspects of their lives and those they share them with.

Through the years it has been a privilege to have been drawn deeper into many areas of education
meeting these very individual needs, across a wide range of educational processes and programmes, from home Educational Specialist programmes to supporting SEN students in Primary schools along with a host of other areas that present themselves when working1:1 and in Specialist Autistic School.

As a natural progression, just over 4 years ago I explored the ethos of forest school, subsequently qualifying as a level 2 forest school assistant. Which allowed me to become immersed in its ethos and a broad cross section of approaches and therapies. Being part of the very beginning of the forest school within a specialist provision, was an amazing learning experience and personal achievement.

Opening my eyes and heart to the importance and power of just ‘being‘ in the natural world, and the profound affect this plays on and within all of us all, especially SEND individuals.
So although always my passions, autism and SEND within a natural environment is where I love to be and experience the greatest results, seeing and experiencing the importance and value of the
natural world in support of the many challenges our individuals face along the way in education and life in general.

I hope to you in the woods soon

Hi I’m Rachel and I’m a Woodland Tutor. I am passionate about the natural world and believe it is incredibly important for our wellbeing to spend time in nature and even better to learn at the same time.

As a Level 3 Forest School leader working with children with additional needs, I know how powerful this approach is for those who find it too challenging to access learning in the classroom.

I view teaching and learning as a creative process where learning follows children’s interests, content evolves as interests change and delivery should be adapted to enable children to learn successfully. As a woodland tutor, I love the challenge of finding what works for each individual to meet their needs and support them on their learning journey. When not working in the woods, you’ll often find me out on a cycle ride harvesting from the hedgerows, wild swimming, camping and cooking on the fire.

Hi, I’m Liam and I’m a Woodland Tutor.

I am a qualified teacher and sports coach with over 5 years’ experience working in SEMH schools and alternative provision settings. Throughout my career, I have supported young people with a range of needs, helping them to re-engage with learning through positive relationships, structure and creativity.

I have a real passion for being active and spending time outdoors particularly running sport. I believe that outdoor learning creates opportunities for young people to build confidence, resilience and enjoyment in a way that traditional classrooms don’t always allow. I also enjoy being creative in nature, using natural and recycled materials to make and build. Whether it’s crafting, problem-solving or exploring the environment, I love helping young people develop practical skills while having fun.

When I’m not working, you’ll usually find me outside – whether that’s on a hike, paddling down a river, at the allotment, looking after the ducks, or camping and cooking outdoors with my young family, making the most of the outdoors.

Hi I’m Dorka and I’m a Woodland Tutor. I’m also a primary school teacher, Level 3 Forest School Leader and Advanced Wilderness Therapeutic practitioner. During my nine years working within school buildings I realised I wanted to support children in a way that more aligned with my strong belief in child-led learning and holistic development. When I discovered Forest School, it provided me with the framework I was looking for.

Hi I am Sarah, one of the Woodland Tutors. I teach and mentor students with special educational needs including neurodiversity, mental health conditions and other specific learning difficulties.

I believe in an individual approach to learning, using fun and curiosity to expand horizons, learn new skills and knowledge and encourage a sense of wellbeing, and the natural world offers a wealth of opportunities to achieve this.

I have always enjoyed the outdoors – whether it is in the woods, by the coast, in the park or in the garden, there is always something waiting to be discovered. In my spare time I enjoy making things, exploring, practising new skills such as foraging and watching the sun rise with a flask of tea.

Hi I’m Abby and I’m a Woodland Assistant.

My experience as an illustrator, teaching creative workshops in schools and to the public for seven years, combined with my love of the outdoors led me to becoming an Assistant Woodland Tutor with Woodventurers. Being dyslexic myself, and having personal experience with my neurodiverse family, I have always been very interested in SEND learning techniques and how individual each person’s needs and interests can be. I strongly believe in helping everyone to have access to education in a way that works for them. I have an undergraduate degree in Natural Sciences (with Chemistry and Psychology) and a Masters degree in Children’s Book Illustration, and I hope to work towards forest school qualifications. When I am not working, I love to travel in my self-converted campervan with my partner and cat, go for walks in woodlands with my bird-watching binoculars, or go wild swimming in rivers.

Hi, I am Philippa and I am a Woodland Assistant.

I graduated from university with a degree in Zoology in 2025 and I have been sharing this by 1:1 tutoring a young person with SEND in Zoology. I am currently completing my Level 3 Forest School training and volunteering with a local Forest School provision to build knowledge and skills. Although I am new to Outdoor Learning and Forest School, I feel passionate about using the outdoor space as a learning environment for SEND/SEMH children and young people, and I am excited to learn from others.

I have always felt at peace in nature and spent much of my school holidays exploring the French countryside in our camper van. When it’s too cold (or too hot!) to be outside I enjoy puzzling and upcycling old clothes into various craft projects, often while rewatching Jurassic Park.

Hi I’m Sarah and I am a Woodland Assistant.  I have worked in schools for the last 15 years as a Teaching Assistant supporting children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to learn, explore and thrive.  In my most recent school I was introduced to Forest School and found a passion for teaching outdoors.  I have recently completed my ITC Level 2 Forest School Assistant qualification.   I will help deliver practical, hands-on woodland sessions that build confidence, communication and independence through nature-based activities, safe tool use and teamwork.  I am looking forward to working with Woodventurers and helping every learner experience success in the woodland. 

When I’m not working in the woods you’ll find me walking my dog in the woods or on the beach.  I enjoy baking bread, reading and running.  I love to go bodyboarding, then watch a sunset whilst drinking tea.   

Hi, I’m Gill and I am a woodland tutor. I’ve been delivering outdoor programmes for children, young people and families in the charity sector for over seven years and deeply value what nature can bring to people’s lives and to their potential.

I’ve worked therapeutically in nature-based settings with children experiencing a wide variety of
challenges, including SEND, care receivers, experiencers of domestic violence and those with
mental health difficulties. As a qualified psychotherapist and ecopsychologist, I enjoy finding
ways to integrate wellbeing, learning and outdoor activity, using approaches such as
mindfulness, creative activity, bushcraft skills or wildlife observation.

I have a background in mental health provision, having taught on courses such as anxiety
management, anger management and confidence-building, as well as having facilitated
support groups and delivered one-to-one mentoring sessions. For a number of years, I ran
and provided learner support at a community gardening project which offered therapeutic
horticulture sessions as well as opportunities for involvement in local nature conservation.
Although I am often to be found pottering around my garden I am most at home in wild and
open spaces, especially woodlands or forests. My interests include folk tradition and story,
crafting, and music – with a particular love (and some small skill) for blues harmonica. I’m
also a mum of four and a proud grandmother to two small boys.

I have recently completed my PhD with the Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic
Studies at the University of Essex, where I was researching the ways in which we interact
meaningfully with nature and exploring how the dynamics of these connections can benefit
our psychological health.

Hi, my name is Matt and I’m a woodland tutor. I am a qualified forest school leader specialising in green woodworking and bushcraft.

Over the last several years I have worked on nature reserves, farms and education settings teaching outdoor skills to all ages. With a degree in wildlife conservation my work has focused on ways in which woodlands can benefit people and wildlife. For me outdoor learning is all about creating an environment that allows young people to thrive. When we are close to nature, we learn so much about the world, each other, and ourselves!

Hi I’m Stephani and I’m a woodland tutor. I am a qualified teacher and taught in an Area Special School for 10 years; I have 15 years’ experience of working with pupils with a range of SEND, at Formal and Semi-Formal levels.

In my school I had a responsibility for the Early Years and Key Stage 1 departments within the school and taught up to Key Stage 2. I enjoy supporting the development of engagement and communication, being qualified in BSL Level 2 and Attention Autism. I also set up and developed Forest School within the school setting and ran this from Early Years up to Key Stage 3.

When I’m at home I spend my time with my 2 young children and our sausage dog, Bonnie. We love to bake and play outside in the garden and lots of summer camping trips with the essential marshmallows but also seeing what else we can cook over an open fire.

Hi, I’m Nick and I am a woodland tutor. 

Hi I’m Hayley, I have been working in schools delivering forest school sessions for over 10 years. I have also have had my own forest school for a number of years.

I absolutely love child led learning and I am so lucky to be able to do this job. I have enjoyed introducing a different learning style in schools and also I have learned a lot from working with home education parents. I see the benefit of a more relaxed and practical approach to learning and I see children thrive through it.
I currently work as a HLTA with children with behavioural challenges and together we reignite a love of learning and endeavour to build trust in an environment where they are listened to, heard and respected.

I am level 3 Forest school trained, early years teacher status, DSL and have certifications in a wide range of SEND areas.

Along side my forest schools and bushcraft knowledge I am a super keen “wanna be” gardener and worked as a garden club leader at my local primary school for 5 years. What I lack in experience I make up for in enthusiasm!

When I am not at work I love paddle boarding with my girls, dog walking with my fiancée, creating and making nature craft boxes for our family business and trips to the beach

Hi I’m Sophy and I’m a Woodland Tutor.

I am Sophy, a mother of two, and my journey with forest school began in 2022 when I led outdoor sessions for Ukrainian refugees and preschool groups for 2 years.

 In 2024, I started working with children with special educational needs at Chesterton Community College, where the forest became a fundamental part of my work and way of being.

I love being outdoors, exploring nature, and creating through crafts. I believe that everything we need already exists within us, and just like in the forest, we must explore, be curious, and connect deeply to discover the treasures inside ourselves. 

I’m Lynn and I’m a woodland tutor.

I grew up in the United States in a tiny village in Yellowstone National Park. My family’s back garden was miles and miles of forest where bears and bison and other wildlife literally roamed. You might say I have been doing Forest School my whole life, but I began teaching formally twelve years ago. In the U.S. I have taught bushcraft and homesteading until I took over leadership of a busy residential outdoor education school.

I have lots of interests. Some of my current favourite things are octopuses (yes, that is the proper way to say it and if I work with you, I can even explain why), learning German, the Pythagorean Theorem, doing sums in my head, learning about unusual animals, bioluminescence, plants and how they grow, refraction (rainbows), colour in nature, swimming, telling stories about my many wild animal encounters, foraging, making fires, making things with wool, singing silly songs, discovering new ideas from learners.

I have explored nature with thousands of wonderful children and at least a hundred adults. I hold a Level 3 Forest School qualification

Hi, my name is Louise and I am one of the woodland tutors.

I am a passionate educator with thirty years of experience in primary teaching in a range of different schools. I bring a learner-centred approach to education—infused with creativity, compassion, and a deep commitment to best practice.

As a former Cub Leader, I love being outside. I particularly enjoy encouraging; curiosity, resilience, and teamwork in children; fostering a love of learning through games and outdoor exploration. My scouting skills led me to create and lead an annual ‘Outside Activity Week’ at school —a much-loved tradition featuring orienteering, shelter building, team games, fire lighting, and outdoor cooking. The week culminated in a night under canvas on the school field. This really showed me first hand, the impact that being in the outdoor environment can have on emotional literacy, self-regulation and self-esteem.

I am excited to join Woodventurers and contribute to a community that values growth, exploration, and the opportunity to ensure learners reach their full potentials.

Hi, I’m Joe and I’m a Woodland Tutor.

I’ve taught children with severe learning difficulties for over twelve years, and hold a Masters degree in Special Educational Needs & Inclusion.  My passions include learning outside the classroom, fostering communication, and storytelling.  Forest School has always informed my practice and I know from first hand experience the incredible impact learning in the natural environment has had for the extraordinary young people I’ve been lucky enough to teach.  Over the years, I’ve facilitated pond dipping, rock climbing, canoeing and den building with the children and young people I’ve worked with, as well as journeys deep into the woods to find a very friendly Gruffalo.  Outside of teaching, most of my time is spent exploring wild and wonderful places with my young family, but I still find time for the occasional cheeky paddleboarding session.

Hi, I’m Amy, one of the Woodland Tutors.

I have been a Primary school teacher for 15 years and most recently worked within a pastoral/ family support team in a Primary school. I have worked and supported many children with SEN and seen the progress that can be made with individualised approaches to their learning. I work therapeutically with children, using my knowledge and understanding of the individual child to shape my approach.

I have always enjoyed spending time outside and can see how much calmer children (and adults) are when they are in nature. I have used nature in my teaching and enjoy being creative with approaches to learning.

I have 2 children who share my love of the outdoors, camping and campfires! When I am not outside I enjoy pottery and reading.

Hi, I’m Christine and I’m a Woodland Tutor. I have been working with children of all ages and abilities outdoors for 15 plus years. Following my degree in Fine Art  I became a Trained Level 3 Forest School leader and have been working outdoors ever since.  Prior to working at Woodventurers, I set up Suffolk’s first fully outdoor pre school which was a challenge but an enjoyable one. I have worked with learners with a range of SEND/SEMH needs and  in my work as a Woodland Tutor, I like to find ways to help all learners succeed and feel good about themselves. This might be cooking on the fire, mastering the ninja line or  taking time over some nature art. To extend my skills even further, I am also training to be a Wilderness Therapy practitioner.

I have a huge passion for nature and playful creative learning and love to think of new and creative ways of how to make Forest School and Woodland Learning the most fun it can be. So much so that one of my jobs at the moment is helping other people set up engaging and imaginative spaces for their own Forest Schools.

I currently live in Suffolk with my two children and dog and in my spare time love walking, painting, willow weaving and paddle boarding.

My career began as a therapeutic arts facilitator working with special needs young adults, in a women’s centre and with young children, until I discovered Forest School.

I started working as a Forest School leader in Early Years and Primary schools when my children were small, 12 years ago. Working outdoors made so much sense! The experience of being in nature, the smells, sounds and space was therapeutic in itself. I chose train as an Early Years teacher and bring all my previous learning into a classroom when I realised that the most important ‘ingredients’ were missing… the ground and the sky. So, I left the classroom to get back outdoors and now I am a tutor for Woodventurers. Previously, I have worked on an organic farm supporting SEND adults supporting them in developing a wide range of skills through gardening, craft and selling organic vegetables on their market stall.

I am energetic and creative. I love trying out new ideas that in turn inspire more ideas. I practice yoga every day and I am enjoying the benefits to physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. You will find me in the garden or up a mountain, walking, climbing and camping. If not there, I’ll probably be by a fire reading and drawing.

Hi, I’m Andrew and I’m a Woodland Tutor. After 15 years of working in a variety of roles in Secondary Education, including SENCO, Pastoral Lead, and Inclusion Lead I made the switch to working in various AP and SEND/SEMH settings. Undertaking my Level 3 Forest School training gave me the opportunity to bring my experience in education and my life long love of the outdoors into one role.

I am passionate about the therapeutic benefits that Forest School and access to the outdoors can bring to young people, I love the freedom and creativity that the environment enables.

I am a very keen outdoor cook and love cooking up feasts on an open fire in the woods!

In my spare time you can find me spending time with my family on our small holding with our 3 dogs. I love running, cycling and swimming outdoors all year round. I am also a huge music fan and you might spot me DJing in Cambridge or London at the weekend.

Hi I’m Diana and I’m a Woodland Tutor.

More info coming soon!