Bringing the outside in
Inside Out started as an innovative Forest School, delivering green-space education to children in the Peak District.
We have grown from strength to strength! The beauty, tranquillity, and bounty of our fabulous Inside Out woodland sites have since proven popular for everyone, from birth to 103!
At our core, we will always be a Forest School, and we love enriching the lives of the children we are privileged to meet. But we now provide services for adults too, including retreats, corporate days, training, and wellbeing sessions.
The Forest School Ethos
If your memories of childhood are of always being outdoors, having adventures at the bottom of the garden, disappearing off with mates for the whole afternoon into the nearby woods and fields, and being told to come home for tea when it was starting to get dark, then you were probably born before the techno age; before we were glued to our phones and tablets, and using the weather as an excuse to avoid going out to play.
We now live in a culture where we are so concerned about the safety of our kids outside of our homes that, sadly, they are missing out on the freedom, adventure, and risk-taking that we were so unknowingly lucky to experience.
Forest School is a long-term programme, delivered ideally in a woodland setting or natural space. It provides regular sessions and opportunities for emotional development, with a holistic approach that builds on child-led achievable experiences and a sense of community. Forest School also facilitates children’s interaction with the natural world in a positive and magical way, where they can learn to manage their own emotions in response to challenges and perceived risks. Sessions are delivered by a qualified Forest School practitioner, and include environmental impact assessments and risk benefit analysis.
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Deaf friendly
Did you know that we're a 'Deaf friendly' Forest School?
Sarah, one of our Forest School Assistants, is a communicator for the Deaf. If anyone has a Deaf child who would like to participate in any forest school sessions, parties, or holiday camps, Sarah will be on hand to work with and accompany your child. This, of course, includes adults too. If you are Deaf, or know anyone who is and who would like to book onto one of our retreats, Sarah be on hand all day.
Accessibility
Although located on a woodland plateau, we have worked hard to ensure that our Leek Inside Out site is accessible by wheelchair. Unfortunately, by its very nature, the Glossop site is not wheelchair friendly, but we always do our best to ensure that our sites are as inclusive as possible, within the parameters of the natural environment.
Please get in touch if you have any questions.
Inside Out Forest School Is Ofsted Registered.
You can find details on Ofsted's official website.
Meet our Founder
Esther Brock, Founder of Inside Out
Level 3 Forest School Leader
Post-graduate certificate in Autistic Spectrum Conditions
Design and Technology teacher
Mental Health First Aider
Level 3 Safeguarding in Children
Certificate in Therapeutic skills for Outdoor Leaders
I was very privileged to grow up with a small wood as my back garden. My childhood was spent tree climbing, den building, playing man hunt, and spending more time outdoors than in. I realise now how lucky I was to experience that sense of freedom and adventure.
After over 15 years as a Design and Technology teacher, I took my skills and love of teaching into the great outdoors. Training to be a Level 3 Forest School Leader has been one of the most incredible journeys and experiences I’ve ever taken. I’m so glad I took the plunge, and I hope that Inside Out provides a fun and empowering experience for the young people I work with.
I love to travel, and I enjoy being a prominent member of the Glossop community. When I’m not in the woods, you may well see me driving around in the 'Beast' or rushing around after my three children.
Polly Anderson (Glossop)
Richard Hollington (Glossop)
Richard Hollington (Glossop)
Level 3 Forest School Leader
Degree in Zoology
Well, what can I say about Polly? She’s my right-hand man. My second in command. My wingman! Always reliable and organised, but also incredibly passionate and creative. She has a degree in Zoology, so she’s very knowledgeable, and she loves to share that with the children we work with. I’m s
Level 3 Forest School Leader
Degree in Zoology
Well, what can I say about Polly? She’s my right-hand man. My second in command. My wingman! Always reliable and organised, but also incredibly passionate and creative. She has a degree in Zoology, so she’s very knowledgeable, and she loves to share that with the children we work with. I’m so lucky to have her at the core of my team. What would I do without her?
Richard Hollington (Glossop)
Richard Hollington (Glossop)
Richard Hollington (Glossop)
Level 3 Forest School Leader
Richard is a lover of the outdoors and passionate about ancient woodcraft. He is a self taught willow weaver and also enjoys woodcarving. He has over 25 years experience of supporting people with disabilities in various sertings and has recently qualified as a Level 3 fs leader. Richards happy place is sat i
Level 3 Forest School Leader
Richard is a lover of the outdoors and passionate about ancient woodcraft. He is a self taught willow weaver and also enjoys woodcarving. He has over 25 years experience of supporting people with disabilities in various sertings and has recently qualified as a Level 3 fs leader. Richards happy place is sat in the woods crafting with the students he supports freely sharing his knowledge and skills. Richard's other passion in life is music and playing guitar, something he also wants to bring to the fs setting.
Emma Hookey (Glossop & Leek)
Richard Hollington (Glossop)
Emma Hookey (Glossop & Leek)
Level 3 Forest School Leader
Certificate in Therapeutic Skills for Outdoor Leaders
Before she moved back to the UK, Emma had the pleasure of running her very own Forest School playgroup in Switzerland! A true child of nature and lover of the outdoors, Emma is never more at home than when she’s cooking and foraging in the wild. After spendi
Level 3 Forest School Leader
Certificate in Therapeutic Skills for Outdoor Leaders
Before she moved back to the UK, Emma had the pleasure of running her very own Forest School playgroup in Switzerland! A true child of nature and lover of the outdoors, Emma is never more at home than when she’s cooking and foraging in the wild. After spending a week in the Sussex woodlands with Ray Mears on an Ancestral Survival Skills course, Emma has been inspired to write her own cookery books about foraging and cooking in nature. She’s passionate, quirky, and full of wonderful ideas.
Daniel Norton (Leek)
Eleanor Duckworth (Glossop)
Emma Hookey (Glossop & Leek)
Forest School Leader
Teacher of English as a Foreign Language
Dan is a true man of the land and Earth. His childhood was spent in woods and fields, and his love and respect for nature runs deep. He’s passionate about giving the children of today the same wonderful opportunities to explore and discover the wild that he had as a child. In tod
Forest School Leader
Teacher of English as a Foreign Language
Dan is a true man of the land and Earth. His childhood was spent in woods and fields, and his love and respect for nature runs deep. He’s passionate about giving the children of today the same wonderful opportunities to explore and discover the wild that he had as a child. In today’s technology driven world, he’s a happy man when he’s teaching foraging and bushcrafts to young people. He also strengthens our team by bringing his knowledge of mental health and wellbeing to the woods.
Fiona Boddie (Leek)
Eleanor Duckworth (Glossop)
Eleanor Duckworth (Glossop)
Forest School Leader
Fiona joined our team after bringing her own children to Forest School. She has a brilliant quick-witted sense of humour! She’s a natural teacher, and is especially skilled at working with our groups of Looked After Children (children in care). She’s artistic, crafty, and a wonderful communicator. The kids love her!
Eleanor Duckworth (Glossop)
Eleanor Duckworth (Glossop)
Eleanor Duckworth (Glossop)
Level 3 Forest School Leader
PGCE in Primary Education specialising in SEN
Next to Polly, Eleanor is at the core of my wonderful team. She’s incredibly experienced as a teacher for children with Special Educational Needs. But what really sets Eleanor apart is her extraordinarily calm, zen-like vibe. Children love her peaceful energy, which
Level 3 Forest School Leader
PGCE in Primary Education specialising in SEN
Next to Polly, Eleanor is at the core of my wonderful team. She’s incredibly experienced as a teacher for children with Special Educational Needs. But what really sets Eleanor apart is her extraordinarily calm, zen-like vibe. Children love her peaceful energy, which leaves them open to her creative and imaginative ideas. She’s truly connected the Earth, and we’re very fortunate to have her, to pass that special quality onto our children and adult clients.
Sophia Walker (Glossop)
Stevieann Partington (Glossop)
Sophia Walker (Glossop)
Forest School Assistant
Bachelor’s degree in Leadership of Outdoor Adventurous Activities
Sophia joined us at a young age, and she’s already brought so much to our team. She completed her bachelor’s degree in ‘Leadership of Outdoor Adventurous Activities’ at the University of Derby, and is a treasure trove of ideas and skills for bushcrafts
Forest School Assistant
Bachelor’s degree in Leadership of Outdoor Adventurous Activities
Sophia joined us at a young age, and she’s already brought so much to our team. She completed her bachelor’s degree in ‘Leadership of Outdoor Adventurous Activities’ at the University of Derby, and is a treasure trove of ideas and skills for bushcrafts and creative activities. Children love her imagination and energy, and we love having her wonderful personality and skillset to share with our clients.
Natalie Blakeman (Leek)
Stevieann Partington (Glossop)
Sophia Walker (Glossop)
Forest School and Inside Out Assistant
Yoga teacher
Founder of Love & Light Yoga
I love it when Natalie brings her beautiful, calm, spiritual energy to the woods.
She has years of experience leading classes in Hatha Yoga, Meditation, Pregnancy Yoga, Mum and Baby Yoga and Baby Massage. She’s qualified with The Comprehensive Yoga Fellowship,
Forest School and Inside Out Assistant
Yoga teacher
Founder of Love & Light Yoga
I love it when Natalie brings her beautiful, calm, spiritual energy to the woods.
She has years of experience leading classes in Hatha Yoga, Meditation, Pregnancy Yoga, Mum and Baby Yoga and Baby Massage. She’s qualified with The Comprehensive Yoga Fellowship, Yoga Campus Manchester, Birthlight London, and To Baby and Beyond. She helps us with our Summer Camps, and she contributes her expertise to our Wellbeing Retreats. Visit her website to get a sense of the value that she brings to our team: www.lovelightyoga.co.uk
Stevieann Partington (Glossop)
Stevieann Partington (Glossop)
Stevieann Partington (Glossop)
Forest School Assistant
PGCE in Primary Education
Great British Martial Arts Team Member
Level 3 Child Safeguarding
Stevieann has worked in Primary Education for the last eight years. When she's not training at her local dojo (she's a competitive martial artist) then she's thinking up ideas with her Eco-school council leader hat on!!
As a mu
Forest School Assistant
PGCE in Primary Education
Great British Martial Arts Team Member
Level 3 Child Safeguarding
Stevieann has worked in Primary Education for the last eight years. When she's not training at her local dojo (she's a competitive martial artist) then she's thinking up ideas with her Eco-school council leader hat on!!
As a mum to two very active children, she thrives on being busy, doing things, seeing new places, and trying different food.
Emma Hutchinson (Leek)
Emma Hutchinson (Leek)
Stevieann Partington (Glossop)
Forest School Assistant
Mum to 3 boisterous boys, She discovered the joys of forest school after bringing her own children back in 2017. Emma loves camping and getting away in her campervan. An occasional wild swimmer, nature lover and bird nerd, she can recognise birds by their call/song...and passed Esther's test with flying colours,
Forest School Assistant
Mum to 3 boisterous boys, She discovered the joys of forest school after bringing her own children back in 2017. Emma loves camping and getting away in her campervan. An occasional wild swimmer, nature lover and bird nerd, she can recognise birds by their call/song...and passed Esther's test with flying colours, beating an app!! Her son has type 1 diabetes so she can provide t1 friendly support at camp if required. Emma's background is in art and design so she especially enjoys crafting with the children.
Emma is also the face behind Dirt, Diggers and Dinosaurs a blog covering family days out and adventures.
Kim Williams (Glossop)
Emma Hutchinson (Leek)
Kim Williams (Glossop)
BA in Early Years and Primary Education.
Kim loves spending time either exploring the wonders of the outdoors with her family, running in the hills or down at the farm with her horse.
Travelling to new cities and countries is one of her fave things to have booked in to diary.
The forest is the most wonderful place to be and I just love watching the children blossom!
Liz Regan (Glossop)
Liz Regan (Glossop)
Liz Regan (Glossop)
Forest School Leader
Liz is a qualified occupational therapist specialising in paediatrics and has over 15 years of experience supporting children to maximise their independence, wellbeing and quality of life, always with a child-centred and holistic approach. She has also taught English as a foreign language and baby signing classes. She
Forest School Leader
Liz is a qualified occupational therapist specialising in paediatrics and has over 15 years of experience supporting children to maximise their independence, wellbeing and quality of life, always with a child-centred and holistic approach. She has also taught English as a foreign language and baby signing classes. She has seen the benefits of forest school first hand and joins us after both her children have thrived in our sessions from babes in the woods and little explorers through to school sessions and holiday camps. She can often be found exploring and adventuring in the great outdoors with her young family.
Emma Reid (Glossop)
Liz Regan (Glossop)
Liz Regan (Glossop)
Level 3 Forest School Leader
PGCE in Primary Education
With over 10 years of experience teaching across all primary key stages, Emma brings a wealth of knowledge, enthusiasm and dedication to their role as Forest School Leader. Emma considers it a real privilege to inspire children and support them in developing lifelong skills and a
Level 3 Forest School Leader
PGCE in Primary Education
With over 10 years of experience teaching across all primary key stages, Emma brings a wealth of knowledge, enthusiasm and dedication to their role as Forest School Leader. Emma considers it a real privilege to inspire children and support them in developing lifelong skills and a lasting love for learning.
Passionate about the outdoors, Emma strongly believes in the value of children connecting with nature and the benefits of Forest School for wellbeing, resilience, creativity, self-confidence and independence. In their spare time, Emma is often found outdoors - running, walking or cycling with her two sons, embracing life with a sense of adventure and curiosity!