Meet Toni, Company founder, Forest School and Outdoor Learning Trainer.

Hi I’m Toni and I head up the team here at Cambridge Forest Schools. I have been  running Forest School sessions in Cambridgeshire since 2012, when I qualified as a Level 3 Forest School Leader. I also hold a Level 4 Forest School and Outdoor Learning trainers qualification and run  training courses. I do my utmost to spread the word of the benefits of Forest School and Outdoor Learning. Consequently, I have hosted workshops at various local events. For example Cambridgeshire Forest School conference, University of Cambridge Festival of Education and  Cambridge STEAM festival. Most recently, I teamed up with children’s author Anita Lehman. Together we wrote ‘Whittling Away’ a children’s picture book about how to whittle safely.

My free time is largely spent with my family who also love being outdoors. We like to spend time in our woods, playing in the garden and especially enjoy camping trips. In my spare time, I love crafting, crochet and cooking.

Meet Rachel, CFS social media and marketing manager.

Hi, I’m Rachel. I’m responsible for our social media and marketing. In addition, I write our blog posts. I have worked in marketing  since 2003 for sustainable organisations including Divine chocolate then Cambridge Baby. Now I work for for Cambridge Forest Schools. I first found Forest School when my children went to the Cambridge Steiner Kindergarten and outdoor playgroup Woodmice.  I also love being outdoors especially on my allotment so joining Cambridge Forest Schools was a natural progression. Since working here, I’ve attended some of our training courses to learn more about Forest School. I have also assisted at Cambridge Forest Schools sessions at my local primary school. I love foraging and currently I’m  exploring how to preserve Autumn berries. Watch out for our next blog post!

Meet Louise, CFS Forest School  Leader.

Hi , I’m Louise and one of the Forest School leaders with Cambridge Forest Schools. I am an experienced Forest School leader and a trained primary school teacher  I’m an experienced inclusion specialist and love working with the diverse range of learners I encounter in my work. I have a passion for nature and love working outside in the fresh air with children, animals and adults alike. I firmly believe in the saying, if children are not learning in the way I teach, then I must teach in the way they learn. Consequently, my sessions are full of exciting activities to explore the awe and wonder of the natural world. From singing under trees to swinging on climbing ropes, I aim to help others see and feel the joy in getting muddy, smelling smoky from a campfire or even getting wet and enjoying it!

Meet Alicia, CFS Forest School Leader.

Hi, I’m Alicia. I’m one of the team of Forest School Leaders here at Cambridge Forest Schools. I have worked with children in various outdoor settings since 2016. I enjoy the outdoors in all seasons, but particularly enjoy Spring and Autumn. My current favourite forest school activities are pond dipping and fire lighting. In my spare time, I enjoy running and other physical pursuits and I have recently taken up boxing!

Meet Dave, CFS Outdoor Learning and Bushcraft Leader.

Hi I’m Dave and I’m an Outdoor Learning and Bushcraft leader. I’m a qualified primary school teacher and currently work across primary year groups with a range of abilities and personalities. I have a lifetimes experience of practical work and problem solving which I love to apply to my Woodland Learning work. My particular skill is building and constructing. I approach sessions ready to follow the learner’s interests and always have ideas up my sleeve as to what to do next. I’m also a bush-craft teacher and work with learners of all ages doing activities such as fire-lighting, campfire cooking, shelter building, whittling and nature walks. Woodland Learning is the perfect way for me to apply my skills and share my love of trying new things. In my spare time, I like making things out of wood, painting my boat and feeding the ducks.

Meet Sarah, CFS Forest School Leader.

Hi I’m Sarah and I’m one of the team of Forest School Leaders at Cambridge Forest Schools. My background is in Science – molecular biology to be exact! and I’m a secondary school science teacher/home tutor. I love spending time outdoors especially in the woods so after leaving teaching to raise my family, I trained as a Forest School Leader. I am also a trained FRIENDS facilitator, a resilience programme for 4-16-year olds, designed to reduce anxiety and depression in young people. I love learning new things and skills and finding new things in nature during my Forest School sessions. I am creative and especially love to make things with natural materials.

My hobbies include, photography, silver jewellery making and cat fostering! I’m also a shepherd, I look after a flock of sheep in the nearby nature reserve with my two children.

Meet Harry, CFS Outdoor Learning and Bushcraft Leader.

Hi, my name is Harry and I’m a Bushcraft and Outdoor Learning Leader. I have a keen interest in being outdoors and being able to make full use of the environment around us. I found my interest in outdoor education in SEND in 2011 when I left for upstate New York to work at a SEN Summer Camp. I ended up staying for 5 summers at my camp and eventually this led to me earning my Bachelors and Masters in SEND & Inclusion. In this time, I have also lived in Australia and Sweden and have experienced exciting moments allowing me to gain a well rounded perspective on how we all interact differently with the world. In my work I look to specifically focus on confidence building towards our social skills, self esteem and independence. I believe the woodland is a great natural resource for us all to learn these skills. Also, I love a good fire and den making session! Hope to see you at the woodland site soon!