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Dr Caroline Guard

Dr Caroline Guard is a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at Kingston University, London and has recently published guidance for leaders of early years settings about their provision for and approach to caring for babies - Thinking About Babies (free to download).

Caroline has worked in early childhood education for over 25 years and has recently completed her Froebel Trust funded PhD which explored the voices of babies in formal early childhood settings. Caroline’s research highlighted the culture of conflict that can often arise in early childhood settings where babies’ and educator attentions can misalign due to broader cultural and institutional demands. Caroline devised the concept ‘Adagio Interactions’ which emerges from Froebel’s ideas around forming close connections between children and adults in early childhood and slowing down practice with children.

When she is not teaching or writing, Caroline works part-time with babies in an early years setting in Surrey.

Julia Manning-Morton

Julia Manning-Morton is an author, trainer and lecturer in early childhood. Her career spans 40 years and diverse roles as a nursery nurse, manager, adviser and lecturer in Early Childhood Studies. Julia is now an independent consultant, an associate trainer for Early Education, a Froebel Travelling Tutor and a member of the Pikler (UK) Association.

Julia’s research, writing and teaching is focused on practice and provision that meets the needs of children from birth to three years old - and her latest book "From Birth to Three: An Early Years Educator’s Handbook" was published by Routledge in March 2024.

Chloe McLaughlin

Chloe McLaughlin is a Senior Early Years Educator at Poppies Pre-School in Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. She has many years of experience and has developed and embedded a Froebelian approach in the baby room at Poppies. She has a particular interest in young children’s developing schemas.

Chloe has a love of nature and outdoor play and is committed to giving the very youngest children in the early years setting time and space to develop freely in an unhurried environment.

Kerri Stephen

Kerri Stephen is a Lead Early Years Educator at Poppies Pre-School in Laurencekirk, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. She has worked with both the preschool and the setting's youngest children and is embracing working with a Froebelian approach which is guided by Froebelian principles.

More recently Kerri worked alongside colleagues on an action research project, funded by the Froebel Trust, entitled “A Sense of Belonging”. The project recognised the importance of building those initial settling-in relationships with babies and families as the foundations for inclusion.

Annamaria Bevan

Annamaria Bevan is Head of Centre at the Ely and Careau Integrated Children's Centre in Cardiff. The centre is embedding a Froebelian approach and offers nursery education through the medium of both Welsh and English. The centre works with a range of partners to offer services to local children and families - including flexible childcare, day care, after school clubs, groups for parents/carers and holiday clubs.

Annamaria is also co-manager of early years advisory teachers for Cardiff non-maintained nursery settings.

Jessica Holme

Jessica is a primary school teacher and a certified Froebelian practitioner (University of Roehampton). She created a Froebelian nursery at Newland Spring - a mainstream primary school in Essex. She has received national Teacher of the Year awards. The nursery she helped to design was featured in Nursery World magazine, nominated for a national Early Years award and given a silver award for sustainability.

For over 13 years, Jessica has been immersed in the world of education, serving as a fully qualified teacher, writer and lecturer. Jessica's journey has taken her through the halls of primary schools and universities, sharing her passion for creativity and sustainability. She has explored and lectured on diverse subjects such as the role of the arts in education, emphasising dance and music, the importance of education for sustainable development and storytelling in early years.

Paula Lester

Paula Lester (previous surname Phillips) has been a senior leader in Early Years for more than 20 years - including being a Group Manager and a Director of Quality for two large nursery groups in the South of England.

Paula has a Masters in Early Years Education through the University of Roehampton.

She became a Froebel Trust Travelling Tutor in 2017 and delivers the Froebel Short Courses in schools and settings across England and Wales. She is also a Froebel Trust trustee.

Craig Taylor

Craig is a Registered Childminder who works alongside his wife at Taylor Tots In Newport. Their childminding business is based in a dedicated space in their home in South Wales.

"Simple values are at the core of our setting - safety and nurture."

Craig is a keen cook and loves spending time with his family and their dog called Floki.

Pete Moorhouse

Pete Moorhouse is an Early Years Creative Consultant and works regularly as an artist educator in settings. Froebelian principles very much inform his work with children. Pete is a Froebel Trust Travelling Tutor and an associate trainer for Early Education and delivers CPD training and conference presentations throughout the UK and overseas.

Pete is the author of several books and journal articles including ‘Learning through Woodwork: Introducing Creative Woodwork in the Early Years’ (Routledge 2018), and ‘Outdoor Environments’ and 'Learning Outdoors' (Community Playthings 2019). Pete is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Bristol, researching children's progression in their creative and critical thinking. He is a Churchill Fellow through which he researched woodwork in early childhood education around the world and in 2019 Pete was awarded the national award from the Creative Learning Guild for his work promoting creativity in education.

You can download for free Pete's Froebel Trust pamphlet The Wonder of Woodwork (2021).

Dr Shaddai Tembo

Dr Shaddai Tembo is lecturer in Early Childhood Studies at Bath Spa University, an associate lecturer at the Open University and an independent speaker, trainer, and consultant through Critical Early Years.

Shaddai's current research (funded by the Froebel Trust) is looking at diversity and inequality in early childhood education. He's a trustee for the Fatherhood Institute and part of the steering group for the Men In The Early Years (MITEY) campaign.

Matt Langton

Matt has worked in the Early Years sector for 10 years and is currently working with Outdoor Owls - a full time Forest School nursery. Matt was named Nursery Practitioner of the Year at 2023 Nursery World Awards.

"Throughout my years of practice I have noticed that the Personal, Social and Emotional Development of children is something that is extremely interesting to me, and also the starting point for all areas development of a child right up until they are adults."

Matt has recently completed a Level 6 qualification at Kingston University in Early Years Teaching and Learning.

Louie Werth

Louie Werth is currently completing a (Froebel Trust funded) PhD at the University of Cambridge (Clare Hall College) exploring how male teachers conceive of and express care in the classroom.

A significant part of this work is exploring how Froebel’s ideas around gender, care, and the role of the teacher have influenced ideas and expectations of male teachers. Louie has also contributed to 'The Routledge International Handbook of Froebel and Early Childhood Practice' (2019) and more recently the 'The Bloomsbury Handbook to Friedrich Froebel' (2023).