DORSET FOREST SCHOOL
Jill Hooper
Level 3 forest school leader and primary school teacher. Jill is a marvel at weaving the national curriculum into her forest school practice and has a particular love for all things literacy based.
Dorset Forest School is a community interest company (C.I.C) steered by Jill Hooper, Maddy Irvine and Emily Gainsford to provide forest school for children and young people in Dorset.
The team shares a passion and hearty belief that children need to be outside, exploring, learning and creating their own adventure. Learning to assess and take risks, is fundamental part of growing up. Forest school provides a foundation to engage and inspire young minds.
Our fantastic team includes forest schoolers Helen Day, Lorretta Perrella, Nicole Woods, Julia Quinn and bushcraft boffin Justin Ruddle.
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About us
Level 4 forest school trainer, and has particular focus towards behavioural and social communication needs. With a background in working for youth, education and environmental charities, forest school brings all her experience under one canopy.
Maddy Irvine
Emily Gainsford
Level 3 forest school leader and yurt maker extraordinaire! A highly skilled in the art of using tools, Emily combines her practical knowledge with her training to keep young minds engaged. www.milliesyurts.com
Lorretta Perrella
Level 3 forest school leader, Lorretta’s sparkle lies with our early years provision. She's also famous for her Clayground antics and is a dab hand at all things cob.
What is Forest School?
Forest Schools originated in Sweden in the 1950s and was brought to the UK and adapted to fit the curriculum. The English Forest School network was set up in 2002 to discuss best practice, ensure safe working procedures and define what was special about Forest School. The network came to define Forest School as:
"An inspirational process that offers children, young people and adults regular opportunities to achieve, and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands on learning experiences in a woodland environment."
By providing positive experiences and achievable tasks individuals are motivated and inspired which enhances personal, social and emotional skills such as independence and self-discovery.
Julia Quinn
Level 3 forest school, and primary teacher with SENCO, Julia brings her calm and reassuring nature our forest school sessions.
Ash Crocker
Level 3 forest school leader, Ash is our school holiday co-ordinator. During term time he supports teenagers with behavioural issues then during the holidays he becomes an inspirational, imaginative and creative practitioner.
Nicole Woods
Nicole is level 3 forest school trained and has recently become our beach school pioneer. In term time, she is the reception teacher at Piddle Valley First School, but by school holidays - she's ours!
Helen Day
Helen is level three forest school leader and mamages her own bit of woodland heaven in Netherbury. Helen also leads Artz+ and Sportz+ activities for children with special needs.
Kathy Kelly
Kathy is an extremely experienced early years practitioner with 15 years practice behind her. She weaves her magic through story telling and puppets, bringing the woods to life in each season.
She runs the Thorncombe woods Play group.
Jenny Muller
