Our podcast

Simon is a Co-director of Froebelian Futures, an international training and research programme which aims to develop and deepen Froebelian pedagogy and leadership in Scotland and beyond. He teaches on the Froebel and Social Justice MSc at The University of Edinburgh. Simon also works as a senior practitioner with young children at Cowgate Under 5's Centre in Edinburgh. He has a diverse leadership background in the arts, social justice and environmental sectors in Scotland and has served on a number of third sector boards. Simon is the founder of the Scottish social change charity, Take One Action.

Simon is a guest in Episodes 1, 2 and 3 of the podcast series.

Gaynor was appointed Professional Adviser to the Foundation Learning team in Welsh Government in 2020. She has helped to shape policy guidance across Wales through documentation, ‘A Curriculum for Funded Non Maintained Nursery Settings’ and most recently 'Assessment Arrangements for Funded Non Maintained Nursery Settings’.

Gaynor has long had an interest in young children and how they learn, with most of her teaching career spent in reception classes in socially deprived areas in Wales. She has a deep interest in children’s communication – particularly their creative expressions through mark making and drawing. She gained an MA in Early Literacy Difficulties in 2003 from the Institute of Education, London. Gaynor has completed the Froebel Trust Short Courses and is one of the founding members of the Wales Froebel Network (currently in its seedling stage).

Gaynor is a guest in Episode 6 of the podcast series.

Sally is Headteacher at Guildford Nursery School and Family Centre. She has a successful track record in the fields of school improvement and pedagogy which has been recognised at national level. Froebelian principles guide her work with children, parents and staff. She specialises in working with children from birth to seven. Sally is a co-director of The Froebel Partnership, a three-year Froebelian training and research programme.

Sally is a guest in Episodes 1, 2 and 3 of the podcast series.

Beverley Dickinson is a Froebel Trust Travelling Tutor and a founding member of the Wales Froebel Network. She has over 17 years’ experience as an Early Years educator and is passionate about early childhood experiences and development, with a particular emphasis on outdoor play, exploration and engaging with nature.

Beverley is the Nursery Manager at Tiddlers Wraparound in Wales, which has been recognised as a Lead Setting - offering support, guidance and good practice to other nurseries and early years settings.

Beverley is a guest in Episode 5 of the podcast series.

Lauren is Senior Early Years Officer at Larbert Village Nursery and Primary School in Falkirk, Scotland. She has completed the Froebel in Childhood Practice course and is part of the Falkirk Froebel Family - a network of settings and educators who are committed to a Froebelian approach to early childhood education.

Lauren is a guest in Episode 4 of the podcast series.

Stella is Lead Tutor for the Froebel Trust Short Courses. She is an early years consultant, trainer and author working with individual nursery settings, parents, nursery schools, local authorities, government departments and charities. She provides training and consultancy and is particularly interested in observation and its part in developing learning, especially through children’s schemas. Stella has worked both in the United Kingdom and internationally, in South Africa and Australia, where she worked with teachers to develop a Froebelian approach to teaching and learning. Stella is author of numerous books and articles including Observing Learning in Early Childhood (Sage), Understanding Schemas in Young Children (Bloomsbury) and How to use Group Supervision to Improve Early Years Practice (Routledge).

Stella is a guest in Episodes 1, 2 and 3 of the podcast series.

Janice Marriott is Head of Tuffkid Nursery which is part of Kisharon Charity Organisation. Kisharon offers education, opportunity and support for people with learning disabilities and their families throughout life’s journey.

Tuffkid is a Jewish nursery for mainstream children and those with disabilities and special educational needs, with an integrated approach to learning through play. Tuffkid has been recognised by Ofsted three consecutive times as ‘Outstanding’.

Janice has been working as Head of Tuffkid for 22 years and has a background in Education and Therapy. Having completed four Elements of the Froebel Trust Short Courses at Tuffkid, Janice has introduced Froebel to Kisharon School which has been participating in the yearlong Froebel Trust Online Course. Janice has promoted parent involvement with Froebel in the nursery with Dr Stella Louis supporting Parent Evening.

You can find out more about Janice in this Nursery World article (published in August 2022).

Janice is a guest in Episode 5 of the podcast series.

Lynn is Head of Cowgate Under 5's Centre in Edinburgh. She is a Lecturer in Early Childhood and Froebel at the University of Edinburgh. Lynn has almost 40 years' experience working in Early Years Education and is also an award-winning author. Lynn is a trained Froebelian, attaining her certificate at the Froebel Institute at the University of Roehampton. Lynn is the Programme Director of Froebelian Futures, an international training and research programme which aims to develop and deepen Froebelian pedagogy and leadership in Scotland and beyond.

Lynn is a guest in Episodes 1, 2 and 3 of the podcast series.

Chris is Director of Centre for Research in Early Childhood (CREC), based at the St Thomas Children's Centre in Birmingham. She holds professorships with the University of Wolverhampton and Birmingham City University. She is a Founder and President of the European Early Childhood Education Research Association and a Vice President of Early Education. Chris is also a co-director of The Froebel Partnership, a three-year Froebelian training and research programme. She has researched and written extensively on the policy and practice of early childhood education and development and the quality of early education services.

Chris is a guest in Episodes 1, 2 and 3 of the podcast series.

Paula Phillips is on the Senior Leadership team of Tops Day Nursery Group with Early Years settings throughout Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Somerset and Devon. Paula has been a Froebel Trust Travelling Tutor since 2017 and is currently very active teaching across England and Wales. She joined the Froebel Trust Council of Trustees in 2022.

Paula is a guest in Episode 4 of the podcast series.

Felicity Thomas is a Froebel trained Early Years teacher with over 47 years’ experience of teaching, leading and training others in this sector. She has worked in schools, Family Centres, Children’s Centres and within the community. She is the former Head of Earlham Nursery School in Norwich.

In 2020 she co-authored a Froebel Trust book Growing a Nursery School from Seed (free to download) - detailing her experience of leading a Froebelian nursery school and developing over an acre of natural learning environment for young children.

Felicity is a Froebel Trust Travelling Tutor bringing Short Courses to schools and settings all over the UK.

Felicity is a guest in Episode 5 of the podcast series.

Jane Whinnett is an associate tutor on the Froebel in Childhood Practice course at the University of Edinburgh and a Travelling Tutor for the Froebel Trust. She is author of the Froebel Trust pamphlet on Froebel’s Gifts and Block Play Today and co authored Sewing with Young Children. She has published chapters in 'Early Childhood Practice: Froebel Today' in 2012 and co-edited the award winning book 'Putting Storytelling at the Heart of Early Childhood Practice' in 2020. Most recently she has been co-editing an international handbook on Froebel. She is a member of the Froebel Trust Education and Research Committee and a member of the executive committee for the International Froebel Society. In 2019 Jane was awarded an MBE for services to Early Childhood Education.

Jane is a guest in Episode 4 of the podcast series.

Holli Williams is Head of Schools at Linden Tree Nursery Schools, a small chain of privately-owned settings in Southwest London. The team at Linden Tree has completed three of the Froebel Short Courses - this training began their transformation, adopting a Froebelian educational approach in all their settings.

Holli is a Trustee of the Froebel Trust and also became a Froebel Trust Travelling Tutor in 2022. Holli is now a proud parent as she and her wife welcomed their first child in July 2023.

Holli is a guest in Episode 5 of the podcast series.