Froebel Trust Online Conference 2023

Helen Adams and Emma Short have been headteachers for over 15 years and have been leaders in Cornwall Early Years Teaching School. They lead Camborne Nursery School and Truro Nursery School, the only two maintained nursery schools in Cornwall and have worked collaboratively for many years. Over the past three years they have been reflecting with the help of the Froebel Trust on their curriculum and pedagogy. In April 2022 they received funding from the Froebel Trust to develop a research project - to build parental engagement and develop relationships with parents and carers following the pandemic.

Simon Bateson is a Co-director of Froebelian Futures, a Froebel Trust funded international training and research programme which aims to develop and deepen Froebelian pedagogy and leadership in Scotland and beyond. He also teaches on the Froebel and Social Justice MSc at The University of Edinburgh. Additionally, Simon works as a senior practitioner with young children at Cowgate Under 5s in Edinburgh. He has a diverse leadership background in the arts, social justice and environmental sectors in Scotland and has served on a number of third sector boards. Simon is the founder of the Scottish social change charity, Take One Action.

Nadia leads the inclusion team at Kay Rowe Nursery School in London. She is a trained Forest School leader. A Froebel Trust grant has supported her work with children with SEND and their parents/ carers. The project helps children to learn about the local environment and highlights the value of outdoor play. Nadia grew up in France where she loved nature and playing outside with her friends in the woods.

Susana Castro-Kemp is an Associate Professor in Psychology and Human Development at UCL's Institute of Education in London. Her research interests lie in the areas of inclusion of young children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, Early Childhood Education and Care, Education Policy and Education in the Global South. She has an extensive track record of published and funded research across these areas, often involving a transdisciplinary approach and mixed methodologies. Her most recent research focuses on the inspection process of non-domestic early education settings in England.

Sandra El Gemayel is a Research Associate on the Toddlers, Tech and Talk project at Manchester Metropolitan University. She is a member of the Froebel Trust’s Research Sub Committee. Sandra's PhD focused on the childhoods and play of young Iraqi and Syrian child refugees following their experiences of armed conflict and forced displacement to Lebanon. Her research interests include cross-cultural research and working with young children using participatory methods to gain insights into their lived experiences, their constructions of childhood, their digital and non-digital play, and their learning.

Judith co-founded Apples and Honey Nightingale (AHN), the UK’s first daycare and pre-school co-located within a care home with a carefully designed daily programme of mutually beneficial intergenerational (IG) engagements. She believes strongly in the societal benefits of purposeful IG engagements and that IG practice should be an integral element in all education and care settings. In 2022 she opened AHN Education and Training Centre and recently launched the first NCFE accredited customised suite of IG qualifications. Judith tutors on the International Certificate in Intergenerational Practice course. In 2010, she was awarded an MBE for services to Early Years Education.

Dr Josephine Gabi is a senior lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her research interests are on children’s (refugee, migrant and host) development of a sense of belonging and identity.

Donna Gaywood is a senior lecturer at the University of Gloucester and a PhD candidate at Birmingham City University and Centre for Research in Early Childhood. Her research interests are post migration and lived experiences of young refugee children.

Jennifer Koutoulas is an experienced early years teacher whose interest is to support the wellbeing of young children from refugee or migrant backgrounds with their families, and foster community integration.

Amanda Norman is a senior lecturer at the University of Winchester, UK. She has lectured for over 20 years, specialising in psychology and early years education. She was a co-partner of a day nursery and family centre officer for social services. In recent years she trained as a therapeutic play specialist and in counselling in education. She continues to support and liaise with early years practitioners as part of and in addition to her academic role. Her research interests combined theoretical empirical work focusing on infant care pedagogies, within and beyond the home. She is currently researching sleep pedagogies and contemporary Froebelian practices. 

Dr Angelika Popyk graduated from the University SWPS, Poland. Her research focuses on migrant children's transnational transitions from one cultural, societal, and educational context to another; children’s sense of belonging and identity formation.

Sarah is head teacher of an East London maintained nursery school. She grew up in the countryside but has worked in early years for many years in urban areas of London, Bristol and Dorset. Learning outdoors has always been a passion for her. Studying for the Froebel certificate in education allowed her to reflect more deeply on outdoor learning. Sarah's a passionate supporter of Forest School and a recent Froebel Trust grant enabled her and Rabia Rahman (another Froebel trained teacher at her school) to plan and launch a Saturday Forest School for vulnerable children and children with special needs.

Dr Fengling Tang is a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies at School of Education, Froebel College, University of Roehampton. Fengling’s teaching covers BA/MA Early Childhood Studies, Froebel Professional Certificate in Early Childhood, and supervision of MA/PhD students at Roehampton. Fengling’s research interests include Froebelian perspectives, young children’s identities/spirituality/wellbeing, play and creativity, children’s rights and participation, early childhood professionalism and higher education pedagogy. Fengling is Co-convenor for the British Educational Research Association (BERA) Early Childhood Education and Care Special Interest Group (SIG). Fengling is a member of the Early Childhood Studies Degree Network (ECSDN) Policy, Lobbying and Advocacy Strategy Group.

Shaddai is a lecturer in early childhood studies (UK and China) at Bath Spa University and an associate lecturer at the Open University. He is a trustee for the Fatherhood Institute and an independent writer and speaker through Critical Early Years. 

Alison Tobin has worked as lecturer and programme lead and is a PhD candidate at Birmingham City University and Centre for Research in Early Childhood. Her research focus explores how play provides affordances for the connectedness of newly arrived and host children in ECEC settings.