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Dr Peter Elfer

Peter Elfer is Honorary Research Fellow in the School of Education at the University of Roehampton. He is also a member of the Froebel Trust Research Sub-Committee and was a Froebel Trust trustee for eight years.

He has spent nearly all his career in early years settings, observing how educators work with babies and young children and listening to what they have to say about their work. With funding from the Froebel Trust, he has developed the role of 'Work Discussion' groups, as professional reflection forums, where educators can think deeply together about their pedagogy. Peter's publications include:

- 'Key Persons in the Early Years: Building relationships for quality provision in early years settings and primary schools' (Routledge) by Peter Elfer, Elinor Goldschmied, Dorothy Y. Selleck

- 'Talking with Feeling in the Early Years: ‘Work Discussion’ as a Model of Supporting Professional Reflection and Wellbeing' (Routledge) edited by Peter Elfer

- 'Nursery attachments and the Key Person role' (Froebel Trust Research Highlight) by Peter Elfer

Holli Williams

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.

Dr Jools Page

Dr Jools Page is based at the School of Education at University of Brighton. Her research on attachment-based relationships between adults and children under three years in group day care provision has brought her national and international recognition.

Throughout her career Jools has worked closely with young children and their families and she is committed to research and practice that places the rights of infants, toddlers and young children at the centre; it is this view of children which inspired her academic research into the complex notion of attachment, intimacy, care and love in the earliest years of life. Most notably it is her characterisation of ‘Professional Love’ which has captured the interest of contemporary scholars and practitioners alike and which led to her being awarded: The Association of Infant Mental Health UK Louise Emmanuel Award 2021.

Dr Robyn Dolby

Dr Robyn Dolby is a psychologist In Australia who has worked in the field of infant mental health for 40 years. Robyn is co-founder of the practice Secure Beginnings, that provides relationship-based learning, and reflexive mentoring for early childhood educators, teachers and clinicians.

Robyn and her colleagues are concerned with the emotional work of educators and practices that build a secure base culture in a group environment. They introduce educators to the way being still gives them room to see themselves and the children and be curious about what is happening in the moment.

Dr Stella Louis

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).

Gaynor Brimble

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).

Beverley Dickinson

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.

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).

Felicity Thomas

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.

Holli Williams

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.

Lauren Gray

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.

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.

Jane Whinnett MBE

Jane Whinnett MBE is an associate tutor on the Froebel in Childhood Practice course at the University of Edinburgh and a Froebel Trust Travelling Tutor.

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' (2012) and co-edited the award winning book 'Putting Storytelling at the Heart of Early Childhood Practice' (2020) and 'The Bloomsbury Handbook to Friedrich Froebel' (2023).

Jane trained as a primary school teacher, later specialising in early years and went on to become Headteacher at two local authority nursery schools in Edinburgh. In 2019 Jane was awarded an MBE for services to Early Childhood Education.