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Claire Warden; Founder Mindstretchers Philosophy and Senior Consultant.

Claire Warden (B.ED Hons, Dip Drama, CEO Mindstretchers Ltd.) is an Educational Consultant who has developed her approach to experiential learning through a variety of experiences which have taken her on a pathway that includes working in a variety of types of centre, advisory work and ultimately to lecturing in further education at Strathclyde University. Claire is an author of many books and materials relating to early years methodology. She set up Whistlebrae and Auchlone Nature Kindergartens in Scotland where children from 2-6 yrs old as well as after school care and holiday care for children up to 12 years spend up to 90% time outside. Claire is one of a leadership group of consultants who make up the World Nature Collaborative to develop a cohesive network and approach to experiential learning in outdoor spaces in a variety of climates bringing together educators, landscape architects, environmentalists and health workers to support a multidisciplinary approach to outdoor educational provision.

Jo Gordon; EY Consultant - England EYFS Specialist and Inservice Trainer based in England.

Jo Gordon has taught in both primary and infant schools where she has been responsible for the management and development of early years. She has also managed a workplace day nursery for children aged six months to five years. She worked as an Early Years Consultant for Barnet where she supported and advised senior management teams and staff across the maintained and non-maintained sectors including childminders. As part of a team, she organised, developed, and delivered centrally based INSET for the Early Years Foundation Stage. Jo joined ‘Mindstretchers’ as a senior Early Years Consultant and is based in England where she delivers project work, training and consultancy.

Kate Hookham; Eco Co-ordinator Inservice and Forest School Leader Trainer.

Kate Hookham joined Mindstrechers at the close of 2005 as a project leader for the ‘Living Classroom project- taking learning outside’ covering the whole of the 3-5 curriculum in an outdoor setting. During this project Kate visited 137 establishments in North Lanarkshire. Kate’s main role is to deliver in-service training and coaching in context sessions for Mindstretchers. However she is also responsible for ‘eco’ issues within the company, she teaches at the Nature Kindergartens and supports Claire in writing educational resources. Kate qualified (and still teaches on a supply basis) in primary education, prior to teaching she organised and delivered training for a conservation organisation, and taught informally in the outdoor and environmental education sector.

Dan Philips; Inservice trainer.

Dan comes from a background of Outdoor Education where he spent time analysing different approaches to learning and looking at the role of the outdoor environment in mainstream education. Since joining Mindstretchers in 2009 he has worked full time delivering the Mindstretchers approach in the Nature Kindergartens. In the autumn of 2010 he made the transition to the training team where he now works as an in-service trainer delivering CPD and Forest School courses to local schools, councils, and groups across the UK. Dan recently completed a 12 month action research project with Liverpool County Council looking at the Emotional Well Being and Involvement of boys across twenty different schools in the city, focusing in particular on the role of consultation and the creation of motivating learning environments. In the last year he has been developing the Living Classrooms charity and supporting a range of different communities across Edinburgh and Glasgow to access and use local natural environments for educational, health and recreational purposes. He is currently developing a Forest School project with local primary schools as well as pursuing his interest in the effective recruitment and management of volunteers within communities. Dan is an outdoor enthusiast and holds a range of National Governing Body awards working with groups in the outdoors.

Clare Nugent; Head of Research and OCN Co-ordinator

Clare works part-time for Mindstretchers as Head of Research and with a focus on the company’s Nature Kindergarten provision in Scotland, is working towards a PhD in nature-based education at the University of Stirling. The current doctoral study, a multi-site case study, expands upon research undertaken for a Masters degree at the University of Edinburgh. It is proposed that the comparative approach to the doctorate will analyse data from early childhood settings in several countries including Scotland, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Germany.

When not working Clare is mum to two young boys.

Anne Parkinson; Inservice trainer and Online Trainer

Steven White; Co-ordinator Auchlone Nature Kindergartenand  Inservice Trainer

Niki Buchan;Training Contact in Australia

Niki Buchan is an Educational Consultant and trainer who has been working with young children in very consultative, naturalistic and sensorial environments both indoors and outdoors for 28 years in South Africa and Scotland. She now works for Awe and Wonder Education to promote Naturalistic Learning throughout Australia. Niki is licensed to deliver Mindstretchers training endorsed by Claire Warden. She worked for Mindstretchers in Scotland as a senior trainer and Head of the internationally recognised outdoor Nature Kindergartens based on Claire’s philosophy which recently achieved the highest possible status from the Scottish Educational inspecting body as a Centre of Excellence. This is the first outdoor kindergarten and only the second kindergarten in Scotland to receive this accolade.

We have a number of associates. If you feel you might like to join our team- do get in touch.