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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.

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.

Sally Cave

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.

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).

Dr Lynn McNair OBE

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.

Professor Chris Pascal OBE

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.

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.

Sally Cave

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.

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).

Dr Lynn McNair OBE

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.

Professor Chris Pascal OBE

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.

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.

Sally Cave

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.

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).

Dr Lynn McNair OBE

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.

Professor Chris Pascal OBE

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.