completed my BA(hons) degree in French & Management Studies in 2002, followed by my PGCE in KS2 and 3 in 2003.  I taught French and was Head of Languages at a boys' secondary school in Kent for ten years. During that time I forged international partnerships with four schools around the world in order to embed global awareness into the school curriculum. I mentored numerous trainee teachers and was a Specialist Leader in Education and an Outstanding Facilitator, delivering training at other schools. I was nominated for a Pearson’s National Teaching Award and completed my Masters degree in Leadership in Education in 2013. 

In 2014 I created my childcare business ‘Petites Etoiles’ so that I could continue teaching, learn about Early Years education and run my own business from home while being with my own children every day. My business grew substantially in just a few years and from 2016 - 2021 I owned and managed a small nursery. My provision was graded ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted for all four areas: effectiveness of leadership and management; quality of teaching, learning, and assessment; personal development, behavior and welfare, and outcomes for children.

Having created a special little community for 1-4-year-olds, I didn’t want this level of nurture and personalized learning to stop when a child reached ‘compulsory school age’.  My experience, extensive research, and passion therefore led me to create this unique and very special Family Learning School.

In a world that is changing so fast, education must adapt accordingly. At FLS they learn to work and play in mixed age groups. They learn to manage their time themselves and discover their own unique learning styles whilst understanding that everyone has their own strengths and passions along with their own challenges. They naturally support one another. They problem solve, think critically, choose their own sessions and projects, and develop core skills in small learning groups. They experience many different learning environments each week including spending time learning outdoors. We make the most of the outside space at the farm where they are imaginative and creative, developing confidence and resilience whilst benefiting enormously from the physical exercise and fresh air.

And they have fun. They love learning and remain curious.

FLS is my dream learning environment. I know it has all the ingredients to guarantee our children a world-class, memorable, and inspiring education, and the level of flexibility and support we give our families is often life-changing. I am so proud of everything that Alida and I have achieved together so far, and know that six years on, this is still just the beginning…

I have a background in business and finance and work at the Financial Times in London. Ten years ago I had a daughter. And that changed everything. The level of exhaustion, hitherto unknown, was overshadowed only by the scale of the joy and the responsibility. I want to raise a whole person – someone who understands and cares that we are all connected.  Prior to her birth I tried to research every element of parenting and specifically education. I spoke to many friends to glean the best advice I could. I considered home-schooling but in my mind I dreamt of a learning environment like FLS.  This is genuinely a passion project.

I was brought up in a family that instilled in me a strong desire to learn and grow and improve myself. My husband and I want to provide my daughter with that same kind of nurturing learning environment. I met Julie and found someone who believes, as I do, that there are other ways to effectively educate children. We both place a high premium on life skills, common sense, kindness, global awareness and community. Languages are also incredibly important to me as I feel like they open so many doors. I met Julie while trying to find a childcare provider that cares about the same things. It was a perfect fit. We both agree that the Family Learning School is the answer to providing this holistic education.

I am a businessperson by nature. I manage and lead the flexi-school alongside Julie. We are advocates for all children and offer support to families in the community who want more from their children’s education.

I've been a primary teacher since 2005 and during this time have become increasingly aware of the benefits of more child-led approaches to learning, such as home education and forest school. My concern with the mainstream education system and about children’s learning experiences at primary school is partly due to changes in the curriculum and the importance placed on testing, but also due to sharing my own children’s learning journey – from the freedom of early learning at home to the rapidly narrowed focus of formal education from the age of four. Seeing the interaction between my children has also highlighted for me the benefits of a mixed-age learning environment.

I believe that education should take close account of children’s individual abilities, interests and learning styles in order to truly engage children in their own learning, enabling them to advance at their own pace and in a direction suited to their needs, allowing time for learning to become embedded and links to be made with prior understanding. It encompasses more than the academic and endeavours to support children in becoming positive, balanced, confident, caring, engaged and inspired young people.

I have followed the progress of FLS with keen interest since the very beginning of 2017, and I have been continually uplifted and inspired by this enlightened approach to teaching. I am thrilled to be part of the team. I’m enjoying every minute of working with children and families in the FLS community as we continue to grow and develop.

I am a qualified teacher since 2005 and Early Years is my specialist area and my passion!  In addition to teaching, I am also the mother of three beautiful girls.

I feel very fortunate to be a member of the FLS team. I feel in tune with the aims and ethos of FLS and love engaging with children as individuals, enabling them to learn and develop at their own pace. I have a wealth of experience and knowledge of the Early Years which I bring to FLS. I value the importance of play and the outdoors in child development and I’m passionate about helping children to flourish, and develop their confidence, independence and resilience. The Family Learning School approach allows my nurturing nature to make children feel safe and secure. It develops the individual and helps children realise their potential, developing positive self-esteem and wellbeing.

I believe that ‘outstanding’ education stems from the interests of the child: it’s about making connections and engaging children. Children should be enthused and inspired; they need to be able to explore, take risks, and have time to absorb and embed their learning.

Being part of FLS is an exciting adventure, making magical memories that stay with children and experiences that help shape them as individuals.

I worked in various high-level administrative roles for a world-leading Russell Group institution before having a career break to raise my son, who was born in 2015. During my pregnancy and while on maternity leave, I re-trained as a childminder and ran a successful childminding business for nearly two years. As my son got older, having other children so much a part of our lives and in our home began to interrupt the quality time I wanted with my son before he went to school. I adored being a stay-at-home parent and feel very lucky that I had the opportunity to fulfil this role completely.

My son and I have always been very active members of the community, always going to local classes and meeting new parents. We attended some of the same classes as Julie and Alida's daughters and it was there I met likeminded people with the same beliefs about what education should be, and how it should set children up for the future. After attending various open days for my son back in 2019 I felt quite deflated and concerned about the experience he would have at primary level and throughout his educational career. So I was delighted for him to join FLS, gradually increasing his hours when he was ready.

Working with Alida and Julie, such inspiring figures, and being so involved with the development and growth of FLS, continues to be an incredible adventure, fuelled by passion for education and change. I see firsthand how our children are thriving and developing, at their own pace, and with so much interest and enthusiasm. It gives me hope that one day the philosophies underpinning the FLS model will not be unique, but the standard to which all children have access.

Nick trained at the London School of Musical Theatre and has since performed in multiple pantomimes, danced on a cruise around Asia, performed in several plays in London's off-west end venues and was a featured vocalist and dancer at Potters Resort in Norfolk.

He has been a teacher of Singing, Dance and Drama since 2015, and has helped to build a highly successful Musical Theatre school in Greenwich as their Head of Singing. He is the founder and director of Memory Theatre School based in South London.

His teaching style treads the fine line between discipline and silly playfulness, which encourages all students to seek personal improvement, learn at their own pace, and have a fun and creative time while doing it.

Jenni was an FLS teacher at our Catford site and she ran many fantastic FLS after-school clubs too.  She is a mum, educator, home schooler and the Director of Utterly Sensory.

She has always been interested in alternative approaches to education and passionately believes that children learn more effectively when they’re interested in the subject and given time and space to direct themselves. Respectful relationships are at the heart of her practice, and she loves connecting with children through playful, messy and engaging experiences. 

We are delighted that Jenni is re-joining the team for the summer term.

I have always had a passion for child development, strengthened by taking childcare at GCSE level, which started my career in the field leading to now over 15 years’ of experience working with children of varying ages.

I took a temporary break from my career to fulfil the role of being a full-time mother to my two boys. Once they started school, I wanted to return to childcare and, although my ideal was to work in a school environment, mainstream settings didn’t appeal to me and how I believed education should look. In February 2023, I applied for the role of Lunchtime Supervisor at FLS. I was drawn to the profound purpose of its ethos and instantly recognised it as my preferred professional environment. I was delighted to be offered the role. I immediately fell in love with the unique home from home atmosphere, how family oriented they were and how the children were supported as individuals. I built good relationships with the children, who are so funny, caring and, confident, very quickly.

Discovering FLS, I knew it was the place to continue my professional growth, and now, in 2024, I am thrilled to undertake the position of Teaching and Learning Support Assistant. I have established some amazing bonds with the children over the past 11 months and I’m looking forward to helping them continue to grow and develop as well as expanding my own professional development working alongside such a fantastic and supportive team.

In addition to working with FLS, I also work as a part-time Nursery Nurse Assistant two days a week, caring for children from newborn to 5 years old.  I am looking forward to applying knowledge from both workplaces and contributing to the ethos of The Family Learning Flexi-School.