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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).

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.