Becky Watanabe - Trainer and Consultant Expand Becky Becky is Acorn’s Early Years Trainer and Consultant. With over 20 years’ experience in the Early Years Sector, in which she has gained experience in various roles, including Nursery Management, Chairperson of the Milton Keynes Childminding Association, and running her own childcare business that achieved two consecutive ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted grades, before closing her business to become a full-time trainer and consultant. Becky is now Acorn’s main Early Years consultant, offering her expertise to support other settings at an affordable rate. Becky also writes bespoke Early Years training courses, and delivers most of Acorn’s Early Years Training Programme. Becky has a particular passion and expertise in Enabling Environments, Heuristic Play, Loose Parts, and Risky Play.
Donna Glendenning - Senior Forest School Leader and Trainer Expand Donna With over 12 years’ of experience in the Early Years, and almost a decade of delivering different forest school programmes, Donna is now one of Acorn’s Senior Forest School Leaders and Trainers. Alongside Gemma, Donna delivers Acorn’s accredited forest school qualifications, most of Acorn’s short courses and workshops relating to forest school and outdoor learning, and is one of Acorn’s Forest School Consultants. In addition to her training and consultancy work, Donna continues to deliver many forest school sessions and programmes for Acorn to ensure keeps up to date with current practice.
Gemma Goodchild - Senior Forest School Leader and Trainer Expand Gemma With over 17 years’ of experience in the Early Years, and almost a decade of delivering different forest school programmes, Gemma is now one of Acorn’s Senior Forest School Leaders and Trainers. Alongside Donna, Gemma delivers Acorn’s accredited forest school qualifications, most of Acorn’s short courses and workshops relating to forest school and outdoor learning, and is one of Acorn’s Forest School Consultants. In addition to her training and consultancy work, Gemma continues to deliver many forest school sessions and programmes for Acorn to ensure keeps up to date with current practice.
Laura Tingey - Head of Operations Expand Laura is Head of Operations and oversees the management of our Early Years Team. Since joining in 2013 Laura has completed her Masters in Early Education through the Centre for Research in Early Childhood. Her experience in management and Early Years continues to serve us all well. Laura is one of Acorn Early Years Consultants, offering her knowledge and expertise to settings, supporting their knowledge and understanding.
Sarah Austin - Early Years SEND Manager Expand Sarah is our Special Educational Needs (SEND) Manager and brings over 20 years of experience supporting children with SEND and their families. She has previously worked within the NHS Complex Needs Team as a Speech and Language Associate and held a range of local authority roles, including Portage, Area SENCo, Inclusion Practitioner Lead and Deputy Team Leader for the Inclusion and Intervention Team.
Tammie Redman - Independent Safeguarding Trainer & Consultant Expand Tammie Tammie is a highly experienced and qualified Safeguarding Trainer and Consultant who Acorn Training works with to undertake our comprehensive safeguarding training programme. Tammie has many years’ experience of developing, coordinating and delivering safeguarding children training to a multi-agency range of professionals and volunteers from pre-schools, nursery schools, primary/secondary schools, youth groups, police, health organisations (such as GPs), and many more. Having developed and delivered training for Milton Keynes Safeguarding Children Board for over five years, she is confident in developing training that meets not only the legal requirements but also what works in practice. Tammie was responsible for a training programme that was delivered to over 3000 professionals each year. In addition to delivering Acorn’s Safeguarding Training Programme, Tammie supports settings with delivering bespoke courses to their staff team, in addition to a range of other safeguarding consultancy services.
Victoria Cocken - Associate Forest School Trainer Expand Vicky Vicky is the Director and Manager of Great and Small Forest Education and Kindergarten, an organisation with an 'Outstanding' Ofsted rating for her forest school which is located on the woodland of Cottams Farm in Clayton le Moors, Lancashire. As a full-time forest school leader, Vicky is passionate about bringing the forest school ethos to children and learners of all ages. Vicky is an Associate Trainer for Acorn, delivering Acorn's accredited forest school qualifications to the people in her local area. The strong working partnership between Acorn and Great and Small Forest Education with regards to forest school training is a brilliant example of how organisations can work together to share best practice and deliver high quality training for the good of the local communities.