Meet the team

Mrs E Surtees

Director / DSL / Lead Forest School Practitioner

Learn more about Mrs E Surtees

The director of Primary Forest School & Outdoor Education, Mrs Surtees is very passionate about providing forest school experiences to children and adults across south west England. 

Mrs Surtees has graduated with a Sport, Physical Activity and Exercise degree from Durham University and has also completed a Masters by research at Exeter University having investigated the benefits of dinghy sailing for young people. 

Sport qualifications include Level 2 Basketball Coach, Level 1 Netball and Volleyball, and also a fully qualified sailing instructor as well as holding Level 3 Forest School qualification.

Mrs Surtees has several years of coaching experience and led sessions in a variety of sports including multi-skills, athletics, dodgeball and rocket ball. She has spent 6 weeks in Zambia coaching netball, basketball and volleyball and 2 months in America working in an underprivileged camp as a lifeguard and swim teacher. She has her own sporting background consists of playing in the National League basketball, and playing locally in netball and basketball whilst taking a leisurely approach to sail when she can.

Mrs Surtees enjoys the challenge of teaching in diverse environments which makes her suited to delivering forest schools. Her strengths are being adaptable within her sessions and ensuring the participants are having fun whilst learning. 

Mrs Surtees works across Dorset & Devon supporting staff and delivering forest school sessions from EYFS to Year 6.

Mrs R Allen

Senior Administrator / DDSL              

Learn more about Mrs R Allen

Mrs Allen is our Senior administrator for Primary Forest School & Outdoor Education. She previously worked in a further education college and is our hub for all our enquires and administration needs.

Mrs Allen skills stretch across many sectors from working in the hairdressing industry, management, delivering further education courses, mentoring young people through apprenticeships and has a keen eye for detail makes her a perfect fit for our company.

Mrs Allen is our key contact for all schools and parent enquiries, she manages the holiday club and after school bookings and is also staff at our Holiday Clubs.

Mrs Allen enjoy's long walks, reading and swimming, her two boys love coming to forest school!

Mrs R Dove

Somerset Supervisor / Senior Forest School Leader

Learn more about Mrs R Dove

Mrs Dove has been a self-motivated instructor for most of her working career. It has been of the utmost importance to be able to encourage people to move and keep their minds as well as their bodies active.

Mrs Dove took her skills to many nursery and school settings within Bristol and set up regular fitness sessions within the nurseries for the children, She is highly experienced holiday clubs provision, providing outdoor education and fitness activities throughout the summer holidays for most of her career,

After completing her Level 3 Forest School qualification, working in schools across Somerset she then went on to launch an additional outdoor education programme at the beach, only one of two Beach schools in Bristol.

Mrs Dove is our Somerset supervisor  and manages our EYFS provision, she has vast knowledge in outdoor education and thrives on being at the forefront of this sector.

In her spare time, Mrs is a keen painter and enjoys long cycle rides as well as long walks, and most recently kayaking. She has two boys and lives with her partner in the Victorian town of Clevedon, North Somerset.

Mrs Dove works across Somerset supporting staff and delivering forest school sessions for parent groups, EYFS to year 6.

Mrs J Childs

Dorset Supervisor / Senior Forest School Leader

Learn more about Mrs J Childs

Mrs Childs is equipped with a wealth of knowledge and skills gained from 20 years as a primary school teacher. She understands the needs of schools and can match outdoor learning to the curriculum as well as understanding the need for child-led exploration. She is passionate to develop curiosity, self-belief and confidence in all her sessions.

Mrs Childs is our Dorset supervisor, supporting and training our West Dorset Staff, her passion for outdoor education is inspiring, you always learn something new when working with her.

Growing up in the fields of Suffolk, she enjoyed making mud pies and dens in ditches. A lover of camping and relaxing in hammocks, she is always looking an excuse to be outdoors. Mrs Childs can often be found exploring with her family, walking her dog Otto around the Dorset woodlands, or foraging the coast on a paddleboard.

Mrs Childs loves totravel and has had several global adventures.

Mrs Childs works across West Dorset, supporting staff and delivering forest school sessions from EYFS to year 6.

Mrs C Nelson

Senior Forest School Leader

Learn more about Mrs Nelson

Mrs Nelson has always loved working with children. While primarily working in School's and Nursery’s, she has also worked with teenagers for many years, leading youth groups and weekly sessions at the local youth club. In the last few years, after having children, she has found herself involved with her local playgroup, always getting stuck in and organising various outdoor fundraising events.

After completed her Level 3 Forest School Leader Qualification, she wanted to share her knowledge and passion for outdoor learning. Mrs Nelson loves that Forest School promotes learning through exploration and wonder. It provides a space for children to breathe, take risk, problem solve and grow in confidence. She loves that every day is a learning day as much for her as it is the children!

Her love for the outdoors, whether it’s walking, a family bike ride or camping in her camper van with her hubby and two boys. Beach days are always a joy come rain or shine and a favourite for their dog Fin too.

Mrs Nelson works in Somerset and Devon schools and is our project co-ordinator for our First Aid Provision. 

Mr A Osman

Forest School Leader

Learn more about Mr Osman

After working for years in the renewable technology sector, Mr Osman wanted to share his experience and passion for the environment conservation, being a forest school leader Mr Osman can educate children about nature and the environment, to empower them.

“I am incredibly passionate about the environment, and I am thrilled to work in schools in West Dorset, my commute to Corfe Castle village each week is one of the highlights and never ceases to amaze me. I think forest school is vital for all children as it engages them to learn in a different way, to be active outside, build confidence and to encourage their connection with nature. We need to encourage children to look after our environment because they are the future.”

Growing up in Dorset Mr Osman loves the amazing nature and seaside, he never plans on ever leaving! In his spare time he enjoys a long run, cycling and attending is allotment growing his own fruit and vegetables.

Adam works in our North and West Dorset schools in Sturminster Newton, Wool, Dorchester and Swanage.

Miss H Jones

Forest School Leader

Learn more about Miss Jones

Miss E Lee

Forest School Leader

Learn more about Miss E Lee

Mrs P Gordon-Watson

Forest School Leader

Learn more about Mrs G

Mrs S Temple

Forest School Leader

Learn more about Mrs Temple

Mrs Temple has dedicated over thirty years to secondary education as a passionate teacher of Geography and History. Her love of the outdoors and her belief in encouraging young people to explore, discover, and challenge themselves have shaped every aspect of her career.

Throughout her time in education, Mrs Temple has successfully managed the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme and trained numerous Ten Tors teams, many of whom have gone on to complete the demanding annual challenge on Dartmoor. She has also served as Contingent Commander for a Combined Cadet Force, roles that reflect her lifelong commitment to outdoor learning. Weekends spent walking and camping on Dartmoor—whatever the weather—are simply part of who she is.

True to her conviction that “if you are teaching about somewhere, you need to visit it,” Mrs Temple has travelled extensively to deepen her teaching. She has trekked to Everest Base Camp in Nepal, explored Machu Picchu in Peru, and led countless school expeditions, including unforgettable trips to Iceland and New York.

More recently, Mrs Temple has embraced a new adventure as a Forest School Leader. She is relishing the opportunity to work with younger children, helping them develop curiosity, resilience, and a lifelong love of the natural world. Whether making conker worms, mud pies, or toasting marshmallows over an open fire, she continues to share the spirit of exploration and discovery with the next generation of learners.