Ella is a co-founder of Out There Kindergartens. She is an experienced Early years practitioner (Level 3 in Childcare and education) and an outstanding Forest School Leader. She has worked with Out There since 2016 and supports the Director/Owner in managing both Kindergartens and the Forest School. She has played and continues to play, a major role in the direction of Out There.

“ I feel very strongly about children having the chance to experience learning outdoors. Forest School promotes learning through risk taking and imaginative play and allows for freedom of expression in a natural environment. The woodland setting has so much to offer children with regards to their holistic experience. Our outdoor preschool will allow children opportunities to engage in a magical learning adventure with our carefully chosen activities and flexible child led approaches’. “

Lisa joined the team in 2020 having previously worked in a similar nature-inspired Kindergarten on top of years of working in Early Years. She is an experienced member of the team and a great role model who is happy to share her knowledge and experience to help others.

My name is Lisa, and I am a qualified level 3 practitioner. I have been working in the Early Years for 22 years (It still feels strange to say that out loud!)

With a career that long I have seen a lot of changes in the sector. But one of the best is the opportunity children now have to play and develop in the outdoors.

From working in many different settings across Bristol, I can wholeheartedly say that playing (and working) in the outdoors is the best.

Children who regularly have the opportunity to play outdoors are resilient, their play is purposeful, engaged, and the relationships they form with others are meaningful. I love seeing the children covered in mud, mixing potions, excited by discovering worms, with big smiles on their faces. This quote sums up everything for me, "The mud will wash off, but the memories will last a lifetime".

I am passionate about working with children and their families to support them to reach their full potential. My previous roles have included being a Family Support worker and managing a small team of Family Support workers within a Children's Centre. This has given me a unique perspective on supporting the whole family and is something I draw upon when working with Children and Families at Out There.

Away from work, I am busy being a mummy to my wonderful twin boys. As a family, we love to spend time outdoors. I try to impart my love of the seasons and the natural world onto my tiny humans and the children I work with at any opportunity. Who knows, I may be planting a seed that will grow into an interest that will last a lifetime...

When I find time away from work and family life, my hobbies include walking and exploring new places, reading, baking and gardening.

Alex joined the team in June 2019, having previously worked as a teaching assistant in a primary school reception class. Prior to this she studied at Bath Spa University and gained experience in Early-Years when on placement at St Paul’s Children’s Centre (a lead teaching school). She also has previous experience volunteering in a Forest School similar to Out There. Alex is a fantastic practitioner who is a real hit with the children as she engages with them in a caring but playful way.

“My name is Alex and I have been working in Early Years since 2016. My enthusiasm for the natural world came from a childhood spent helping my parents garden and led me to study Archaeology and Geography to Masters level. I soon realised my passion was not the outdoors alone, but sharing the wonders of it with people. I explored various avenues in education, from Libraries and College to Primary schools and Forest school, through which I developed a deep interest in and decided to pursue Early Years education.

I am ambitious to practice a holistic, environmentally conscious form of education which grounds children's learning in the practicalities of the real world and enables children to discover and grow their individually unique capabilities.

When I’m not hanging out with trees I enjoy singing in choirs, attempting new knitting challenges, swimming and cooking.”

“Guten Tag! I am Ulrike and moved from Germany to Bristol in May 2018.

I have worked in Germany for more than 7 Years in different childcare settings with children aged between 0-11 Years old and in other nurseries in Bristol. I have a level 6 equivalent teaching degree. I also took a specialised training for working with children aged 0-3 for 2 Years and am currently starting my Forest School Leader training.

Working with children has always brought me a lot of joy. It’s incredible how children can keep reminding you that we never stop learning, and there is always something new to be curious about!

I firmly believe that children need the freedom to develop at their own pace and discover their own interests. Child-led learning is the key to support children on their development journey. Having hands-on experience and acquiring skills to become independent, happy humans, that are part of a community that encourages diversity and love for our world.”

“My name is Daryl, and I’ve worked in Bristol as a qualified Early Years class teacher over the past two years. I’m also an artist working with natural dyes, wool and textiles, and I love to knit and spin my own yarn too! I previously studied photography at art school.

I think it’s essential for children to learn about their natural surroundings from a young age and be able to explore creatively. This is my main interest in outdoor education. Nature always suggests something — creating stillness or a bird out of sticks and leaves!

I really want children to be able to feel free to discover their passions and to feel calm and rooted in their surroundings. Outdoor education is holistic. That’s what I love about it, and being outdoors is by far the healthiest place for children to grow. As an educator, I also love the process of building relationships with families and collaborating with them to support their children’s growth!

I live in St Annes, Bristol and now call myself a local — but I’m originally from the North East of England, having moved to Bristol a few years ago from Berlin and, before that, Manchester. If I’m not teaching or making art, I love to spend time in my greenhouse growing vegetables (and plants to dye with!) and being in my garden. My passion for the outdoors and being close to the Earth all started when I spent summers in my Granda’s greenhouse, smelling and eating his tomatoes!”

Evie started as a volunteer with Out There and was our first-ever apprentice, having shown a passion for what we do. She is now an early-year practitioner level 3.

“I have loved volunteering and doing support work at Out There for the last year and a half, and I'm excited to continue my journey here! I have experience working with children in various settings as a play worker, teaching assistant, and science workshop facilitator.

As a child I loved spending time playing and exploring outdoors (and I still do!). I am passionate about encouraging and fostering children’s' innate curiosity and desire to learn about the world around them - and what better environment to do that in than our natural world!”

I have a deep love for our natural world, having spent much of my childhood in in the countryside of South Devon. I spent most of my formal education at a Steiner school in South Devon. My experiences of this holistic, curiosity driven and often nature based learning led me to undertake a Bsc in Education studies at the University of Bristol. 

I am passionate about providing spaces for children to engage with the world with curiosity and creativity, helping to build resilience, confidence and positive relationships. I consider that the natural world is the perfect setting to promote this kind of learning.

Gem Jenkins, a dedicated Early Years Support Person at Out There Kindergarten, is a compassionate and dedicated professional committed to nurturing the minds of young learners.
We are pleased to have Gem Jenkins as part of our Out There Kindergarten family. As an Early Years Support Person, Gem goes above and beyond to ensure that our young learners receive the support they need to thrive socially, and emotionally. Gem's commitment to igniting a love for learning in each child is a testament to the transformative power of dedicated early childhood professionals.