About Beatle Woods

I am the Founder and Manager of Beatle Woods;  I have an extensive and varied early years work experience, including most recently, managing a local pre-school for 6 years. I am passionate about everything to do with young children and am constantly reflecting and building knowledge.

I have a BA Hons in early Childhood Studies and Early Years Teacher Status. I’ve lived and worked in the local community for many years and I am committed to improving outcomes for all children.

I am Level 3 Forest School trained and have a deep-rooted belief that children need to be outdoors. I have completed a number of professional qualifications, including Solihull Approach and Autism Awareness training and have a natural interest in all research, both at home and on an international scale.

I have recently completed Makaton for Professionals Foundation training which enables us to support children developing language using signing to compliment spoken words.

I am also a Mental Health First Aid ( MHFA) Champion.  In my spare time (there isn’t much), I like to spend time with my family, walk my dog, read and exercise!

Qualifications:

BA Hons Early Childhood Studies, Early Years Professional Status, Forest School Level 3, Designated Safeguarding Lead, Paediatric outdoor First Aid, Autism Trust Training, Solihull Approach Training.

I worked for many years in Berkswell and at the same pre-school as Rachel. When offered the chance to start a new chapter at an outdoor nursery, I jumped at the chance and the opportunity to gain new skills and finding different ways to support children using the environment.

I am the Beatle Woods SENCO and I use my vast experience to support children with additional needs, using our amazing environment to ensure they have the best possible start. I have a particular interest in learning about children’s communication and language development and am always developing my knowledge to find the best ways of helping children develop their speech.

I have started to learn basic Makaton. I hold a level 3 Childcare qualification and I am currently doing Level 1 Forest School training. I am totally dedicated to ensuring children at Beatle Woods have the time and opportunity to flourish.

I enjoy spending any free time that I have with my son, by going on days out, walks in the countryside, going for meals and to the theatre. I also enjoy teaching my son how to cook, enjoy reading and socialising with my friends.

Qualifications:

NVQ Level 2 & 3 in childcare, Paediatric first aid, Setting Senco , Deputy DSL, food handling, health & Safety, Autism tier 1 training, Prevent Duty.

I qualified in CACHE Level 3 NVQ in Early Years Care and Education in 2006. I have cared for pre-school children in private nurseries and cared for the elderly within their own homes. I have always and remain committed to, ensuring that the children have the best care and opportunities available. I share this care for everyone I look after.

I feel passionate about childcare in the outdoor setting; knowing a child feels safe and secure with you, makes you feel valued as a person and is a very rewarding feeling. As they reach for your hand on that walk around the woods to then eventually let go and explore the great outdoors around; it is a real privilege to watch them grow into confident learners.

I love it when the children at Beatle Woods are not afraid to take risks. If they decide they do feel a little uncertain it’s never long before their friends are cheering them on, or helping them out when they do encounter difficulties, like being stuck in the mud.

When I am not at Beatle Woods the loves of my life are my husband and my two teenage boys. I like to think of myself as a caring, compassionate person and a good friend. It would be wrong of me not to mention I like to have a clean and tidy home! I think of it as my hobby, alongside Pilates which gives me an hour of total ‘me time’.

Qualifications and Training:

NVQ Level 3 in Childcare, Paediatric First Aid, Safeguarding and Child Protection.

I have a level 3 diploma in Childcare and Education. I began my career in a Sure Start children’s nursery taking care of children under 5 years old before moving on to personal nannying for families locally. I have loved working closely with families to provide the best stable, consistent care for the children. We have had lots of exciting adventures through the years exploring the world around us. I strongly believe children should be able to make choices and explore freely with a guiding hand nearby when required. I believe myself to be very loving and Caring and have a genuine interest in child development and different ways we can help to gain confidence and provide skills for their future.

I am really looking forward to joining the Beatle Woods team and lifestyle and being able to provide the children with such a unique, exciting start to life.

In my free time I am usually found out in parks, regardless of the weather on walks or adventures with my daughter who cannot resist mud or puddles. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends on day trips, meals out and the occasional trip to the theatre.

Qualifications and Training:

Level 3 Diploma in Childcare and Education.

I am so happy to be joining the Beatle Woods team as an NNEB early years Deputy.

I gained experience of the role in day nursery and school settings after qualifying in 1983.

I then went on to undertake my Registered General Nurse training and have spent many years since qualifying working all over the country in hospital and community settings.

I am passionate about caring for and supporting others to reach their potential. I feel my vocation is to make a difference to people’s lives in a very positive and nurturing way .

I am thrilled to be returning to my first love, early years.

I feel Beatle Woods is a unique place and I am excited to be part of such an inspirational setting where the child’s needs and wishes are right at the heart of everything that happens.

I was fortunate enough to spend one day a week with the team during 2018/19

I am also a first aid instructor.

In my spare time I am a keen baker, I also enjoy keeping fit, travel and the great outdoors.

Qualifications:

NNEB, RN, First aid instructor, DSL

While I’m fairly ‘giftless’ at any sport other than hillwalking, I suppose you could say I’ve spent most of my life as a coach!

I’ve been fortunate to be a facilitator in other people’s learning for many years, albeit with a rather different age group.

I take great joy in seeing individuals surprise themselves with what they are capable of when given a balance of reassurance and challenge.

This has been true whether leading a Venture Scout Unit or working with youth at risk on Prince’s Trust Courses.

I’ve seen it in the Probation Service when running cognitive behavioural group work with offenders ( aimed at improving skills such as emotional self management, problem solving, social skill and perspective taking) or when managing and coaching probation staff. I was part of a team of national trainers rolling out coaching skills training.

I then moved to the private sector, training aviation security to all levels from cargo staff to managers and auditors. Memorably also passing on my teaching skills on ‘train the trainer’ courses ( occasionally through Arabic translator) in locations as exotic as Antigua, Florida, Shetland….and Doncaster!

In 2015 I took a career break to raise ( and love) my own two fascinating little learners. I’ve found coaching, reassuring and challenging them has been every bit as interesting and rewarding as coaching adults. With added hugs.

My elder son started Beatle Woods in its inaugural year. My younger son is a current ‘Beatle Boy.’

Within minutes of being on site I saw how empowering this environment and this philosophy are for children. How much the children imagine, create, describe, persuade. How they are listened to. Curious. Unrushed. Given the chance to develop confidence, competence and relationships.

So much so that when it was time for my son to start school I deferred him a year to reap the benefits of another year in the Woods.

So much so that I became a volunteer on site.

So much so that now, at the age of forty *ahem* plus I am starting out as an apprentice. When Beatle Woods say they engage parents in their practice they are not kidding!!

My hobbies before becoming a Mum used to be hillwalking, travel, reading, theatre and terrible puns.

Since becoming a Mum I mostly fight entropy and play elaborate games with sudden unexpected plot twists only a 5 yr old could create. There is still time for the odd bad pun, so can I conclude by saying that Outdoor learning rocks! And outdoor learning sticks!

I have a NNEB Nursery Nurse qualification and experience of working with children in early years and school settings for nearly thirty years. More recently for twelve years at St.Margarets C of E in Solihull in roles as a teaching assistant and 1-1 support,  gaining a wealth of experience working with children of all ages and supporting many children and their families with specific needs.

Over the last few years my interest for using the outdoor environment for learning has grown. Within my experiences I’ve seen the benefits  – children gaining confidence, independence, imagination, social skills, empathy while improving their well-being, so when this unique opportunity came up to be apart of the Beatle Woods team with a SENCO support role, it felt like the perfect new challenge for me.

Working in this environment has given me the opportunity to provide the children with a great start to their adventures and experiences in life. I am so grateful to the Beatle Woods team that I have the opportunity to support each child to lead their own play, take risks and explore the fantastic environment we are in.

I love nothing more than wearing my pink wellies and eating home-made chocolate mud pies. Going on adventures in cardboard boxes and digging for worms!

When I’m not at Beatle Woods I love spending time with my husband and three daughters, going on holidays and going to the theatre and concerts.

Qualifications and Training:

NNEB, SENCO & AET Training. PFA.

Through my time at Beatle Woods so far, I have achieved both my Level 2 and Level 3 early years qualifications.

I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I finished school, but I have always really enjoyed being outdoors. I used to be a beaver leader with my local scout group, where I am now a Scout Leader (10 – 14 yrs) and an Explorer Leader (14 – 18 yrs). I really enjoy passing my knowledge and experience on to them. I have been in scouting since I was 5, so I thought to myself that I might be able to do it as a career.

I was given the opportunity to do some work experience at Beatle Woods before the summer of 2022, in Camp 2 and the Home Ed camp. I really enjoyed supporting all of the children with their development. This really helped me to decide what I wanted to do, and it was definitely the right decision.

When I am not at Beatle Woods, I’m usually enjoying myself at either Scouts, Explorer Scouts, kayaking, camping, playing the piano or improving my fitness in the gym.

Level 2 & 3 Childcare

Hi, I’m Kay and I work as a Home Educator in an outdoor learning environment. After spending 10 rewarding years working with younger children in a nursery, I was ready for a new challenge and made the move into home education a year ago.

I love creating a safe, nurturing space where children can learn, explore, and grow at their own pace. One of the most rewarding parts of my role is watching children use their imaginations, develop confidence through play, and build a genuine connection with the natural world.

Outside of work, I’m a mum to three young children, and we spend as much time outdoors as possible with our crazy dog! We love camping during the summer holidays and making the most of the woods behind our home, where there’s always a new adventure waiting.

I feel incredibly fortunate to be part of a role that combines my passion for supporting children’s development with my love of the outdoors.

Level 3 in childcare

First aid trained

From volunteering at Knowle Primary School in their Nursery setting, thoroughly enjoying myself more than I could imagine, I decided to take a career change and head into Education. Qualified as a Teaching Assistant, I have worked at Knowle C of E Primary School for 8 years. I have a strong passion to provide care and assistance within SEN inclusion, having supported 1:1, delivered access to a nurture support function at lunchtime and assisted in class as a TLSA

Once I came across the idea of ‘forest school’, having a strong passion for nature and the great outdoors, I knew this was something I wanted to pursue further.

Allowing children to be themselves, gain confidence in a low demand setting and nurture, in an environment that felt magical, was everything I believed in.

Hearing of Beatle Woods, through friends I knew this was an opportunity made for me and all my many camo clothes!

Whilst my previous background prior to education was Telecommunications and I.T Infrastructure, I hope to bring my keen enthusiasm for nature, wildlife and art to Beatle Woods.

In my spare time you might find me riding the horses, walking my dogs or perhaps fishing on the lakes.

Level 3 Qualified Teaching Assistant

Epilepsy, Asthma, Anaphylaxis & Diabetes Trained.

Boxall Profile online training.

Schools Good Autism practice, Schools making sense of Autism and Relationship based understanding.

NSPCC Child protection course.

Key adult tool kit training led by Children’s Services

Health & Safety plus Fire Marshall in school safety, previously trained.

Bereavement and Loss including Emotional Coaching

Introduction to Classroom management and attachment disorder.

Best practice understanding Autism PDA in children.

Level 1 Safeguarding qualified.

Entry Level Forest School achievement.

I started working as a dinner lady after I’d had my daughter, working with 4 and 5 year olds in Reception,

From there I moved to work in a special-needs school as kitchen manager.

Alongside that, I volunteered as a Beaver’s leader which included many trips.

This experience all sparked my love of working with early years children, which is why I applied to work in such a unique setting. I love seeing happy children and helping them grow.

In my free time, I love watching the sport rugby with my family and spending many a weekend outside.

Hi, I’m Kate and I’ve been involved with Beatle Woods since my son started his apprenticeship there in 2019.

My journey in Education has seen me teach in Primary, Secondary, Higher Education and Home Educating my two sons. Teaching remains one of my greatest joys and over the years I’ve learnt that it’s the small, in-the-gap moments that make the biggest difference. Teaching is really nothing to do with information sharing, it’s about modelling, observation and interaction.

At Beatle Woods I love the interaction with the children and the pace at which that can be taken. My favourite things to do are Sneak Tag, singing to the Nursery children (and home ed when they tolerate it!) chatting to the children and having a hot drink!

Qualified Teacher Status