Parties

Prior to opening BOTF with Chris she spent 7 years working as a teacher in Nursery, Reception and Year 1 classes both in the UK and in Australia. Vikki is a bit of a child development geek and is very interested in how children play and the role of nature on children’s welbeing. She is passionate about the benefits of truly child-led, open ended play as well as the importance of creativity and expression for young childen. In addition to Forest School, Vikki is inspired by the principles of the Reggio Emilia approach which she tries to incorporate into BOTF.

Prior to setting up BOTF with Vikki, Chris worked in swimming and as a therapy manager in a specialist college. This role involved supporting people who have special education needs and disabilities (SEND); and people with profound, multiple learning disabilities and physical impairments. Chris has a passion for breaking down the barriers to learning and seeking ways to improve people’s quality of life.

Following her illustration degree and publication of her first children’s book, Sarah re-trained as a teacher and enjoyed 10+ years teaching within the Early Years and Year 1, in England and Scotland. She is passionate about child-led, play-based learning, where children are the masters of their own learning journey.
As a late diagnosed autistic adult, Sarah highly values Forest School’s innovative outdoor approach and the numerous specific benefits that this approach offers the neurodiverse community.
As former British champion, Sarah also coaches Muay Thai boxing at Kao Loi gym in Harrogate, where she has trained for over 27 years.

Rose trained as a social designer, focusing on facilitating eco-art workshops to a variety of communities around London. While gaining her PGCE in Primary Education at UCL, she specialised in SEND provision and has taught in various primary schools in both London and North Yorkshire for 5 years. She has a particular interest in wellbeing and connecting children to the natural environment through creative expression.