Our team — Under the Hazels

Small but perfectly formed - as they say. Our team combines a wealth of experience of Forest School Training as well as Early Years, Primary and Secondary Education and Nature Connection, together with a track record of successful and transformative hands on training.

Carol Middleton - owner/lead trainer mob: 07964 569170

Carol is a qualified teacher, Early Years Professional and Forest School Leader, with over thirty years experience of teaching and training people of all ages in across primary, further and higher education settings. As well as being the director of Under the Hazels Carol was a director and co-founder of huathe, a nature connection and Forest School training company which for over 12 years trained aspiring Forest School professionals from across Great Britain and Ireland as well as further afield in China and the USA.

Carol is an active member of the National FSA Endorsed trainers group.

Kate Poynter - associate Forest School assistant trainer

Kate has over thirty years experience in secondary education as a qualified teacher, SENCO, Assistant principal and Forest School trainer. She is passionate about inclusive teaching practices, supporting environments and teaching pedagogy which enables all young people to learn, thrive and which supports positive wellbeing. Her inspiration has come from her M.Ed. studies which focused on how children learn and inclusion and which began a transformation in the way she teaches and supports changes in organisational practice.

Joanne Atkins - associate Internal Quality Assurance

Joanne has combined a lifetimes love of the environment, wildlife and all things outdoors within the Forest School ethos and has been an accredited Forest School Leader for over 16 years. To this skill set Joanne brings a specialist quality assurance perspective as a qualified quality assurance assessor and she is responsible for internal verification of Under the Hazels students as they progress through their training.