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Helen Adams

Helen is the Headteacher of Truro Nursery School in Cornwall. She has worked in a range of schools as well as leading an additional resource base. She co-authored the Froebel Trust pamphlet "Creating Environments for Children to Play and Learn" (published in January 2025).

Liam Graham

Liam Graham is a Reception teacher with 7 years teaching experience, and currently the Early Years Lead at Monnow Primary School.

Liam is passionate about child-centred learning, outdoor learning, offering rich, engaging, and meaningful experiences for all our children - and recently completed the Froebel Trust Short Courses.

Recognising Liam's approach to Early Years education, the Welsh Government recently invited him to create a presentation on 'Enabling Learning at Monnow Primary School' - sharing his experience of implementing a Froebelian approach.

Emma Short

Emma is the Headteacher of Camborne Nursery School in Cornwall. She has extensive experience of working in early years both in the UK and abroad. She co-authored the Froebel Trust pamphlet "Creating Environments for Children to Play and Learn" (released in January 2025).

Helen Tovey

Helen is a former Principal Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies at the University of Roehampton. She is a Froebel trained nursery teacher and previous headteacher of an inner city nursery school.

She is the author of "Bringing the Froebel Approach to your Early Years Practice" (published by Routledge) and the Froebel Trust pamphlets "Froebel's Principles and Practice Today" and "Outdoor Play and Exploration."

Simon Bateson

Simon was a Co-director of Froebelian Futures, an international training and research programme (funded by the Froebel Trust 2021- 2024) which aimed 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 works as a senior practitioner with young children at Cowgate Under 5's Centre in Edinburgh.

In 2024, he co-led a Froebel Trust funded research project which considered anti-racist practice in early childhood education today and co-authored (with Dr Shaddai Tembo) a guide for educators: Playing with Power (free to download).

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.

Kayla Halls

Kayla Halls is a Research Fellow at Middlesex University.

Kayla worked alongside Dr Mona Sakr on a Froebel Trust funded research project: Exploring Froebelian Principles in Early Years Leadership (November 2024).

She recently completed her MA in Early Childhood at University of Roehampton.

Sam Jones

Sam Jones is Headteacher at Tremorfa Nursery School in Wales.

Sam has recently taken part in the Froebel Trust Short Courses and leads a maintained nursery school in Cardiff. The nursery school is family-centred, "... a resource for the whole community..." offering courses for parents, baby groups and a community café on site.

Dr Agnes Agyepong

Agnes Agyepong is a mother of three and the Founder and CEO of Global Black Maternal Health, a leading advocate for empowering Black communities to reclaim their health narratives. Agnes spearheaded the pioneering Black Child SEND report and conference, highlighting the experiences of Black children and their families with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

As a maternal health advocate and former Head of Engagement at a national charity, Agnes is dedicated to promoting representative research in maternal health, education and healthcare.

Janice Marriott

Janice Marriott is Head of Tuffkid Nursery which is part of Kisharon Langdon. Kisharon Langdon 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)

Eve Mawby Whistler

Eve Mawby Whistler worked in a maintained nursery school in Peckham, London for over 6 years and is currently a nursery teacher in a primary school in Cambridgeshire. She gained her MA in Early Childhood Studies at University of Roehampton and it was there that she became inspired by a Froebelian approach to early education. She is now a Froebel Trust Travelling Tutor, sharing her Froebelian knowledge and supporting educators in schools and settings across the UK.

Eve co-authored the Froebel Trust pamphlet 'Supporting children with additional needs'. Published in September 2024. Free to download.

Professor Liz Roberts

Liz Roberts is a consultant, editor and writer. She started working at Nursery World in 1996 leading its editorial operations for many years. Liz stepped down as editor-in-chief in 2023.

She frequently chairs early years events, as well as commenting on the early years sector for national TV, radio and newspapers. During her career Liz has been a member of several early years sector working groups and think-tanks. She is also a trustee of CREC, the Centre for Research in Early Childhood.

Tina Bruce CBE

Tina Bruce is considered a world-leading Froebelian educator. She has written or edited over 30 books about early childhood education and is perhaps best known for the 'ten principles of early childhood education' first published in 1987 in her book Early Childhood Education.

Many know Tina for her writing and extensive work about young children’s play – introducing the idea of 'free flow play' and championing the need for children to be given time and opportunity to play in schools and early years settings.

In the 1990s and into the 2000s she worked with successive Ministers for Children - as Coordinator of the Early Years Advisory Group. During her career, Tina has worked with a freelance portfolio with CPD and consultancy across a variety of early childhood context.

She co-founded the Centre for Early Childhood Studies (which later became the Early Childhood Research Centre at Roehampton University) - and as an educator she is guided by Froebelian principles, being known for her ability to interweave theory and practice in creative and challenging ways.

In 2008, she was made a CBE for Services to early years education and in 2014 was given the Nursery World Lifetime Achievement Award.

Tina, with a group of Froebelian colleagues, helped to re-establish the Froebel Certificate courses in Scotland and at the University of Roehampton. She led the group who subsequently developed these into a format for the Froebel Trust Short Courses. These introduced Froebel’s main ideas and educational approach. They are designed for everyone who works with babies and young children in early years settings and schools today. In the past year alone, the Froebel Trust offered over 1,500 training places for educators in the UK, allowing them to take part in the Short Courses designed by Tina.