Experience

Institute for Outdoor Learning
• United Kingdom
• Professional Training and Coaching
• 1 - 100 Employee
• Chair Of The Board Of Trustees

  • Apr 2019 - Present


Releasing Potential Charity / Independent Special Needs School & Releasing Potential Enterprises

• Chief Executive Officer / Executive Head Teacher / Director

  • Sep 2017 - Present

  Releasing Potential began in Portsmouth, offering outdoor education as a way of engaging young people who had become disengaged from mainstream school. Over the last seventeen years, the organisation has grown, and now runs two school sites, one in Havant and the other in Chichester; one of the largest Forest Schools in the south of England; an Outdoor Education Centre of Excellence; a Educational Mediation service; an academic research institute, and several social enterprise businesses. We… Show more Releasing Potential began in Portsmouth, offering outdoor education as a way of engaging young people who had become disengaged from mainstream school. Over the last seventeen years, the organisation has grown, and now runs two school sites, one in Havant and the other in Chichester; one of the largest Forest Schools in the south of England; an Outdoor Education Centre of Excellence; a Educational Mediation service; an academic research institute, and several social enterprise businesses. We continue to offer outdoor education, giving young people opportunities to thrive beyond the narrow expectations of more traditional learning environments, but we also deliver specialist provision through a broad range of alternative educational models. We have been successful in our work with the hardest-to-reach young people, by valuing them as individuals and welcoming them into the Releasing Potential family with unconditional positive regard. Our approach is holistic and systemic: we believe in creating a community in which young people can be supported, regardless of their background or level of ability, and our philosophy of belonging, safety, and risk underpins everything we do as an organisation. Our faith in the power of community determines the ways that we work, giving us a strong sense of identity across all six areas of the organisation: school, forest school, outdoor education, mediation, institute and enterprises. Show less Releasing Potential began in Portsmouth, offering outdoor education as a way of engaging young people who had become disengaged from mainstream school. Over the last seventeen years, the organisation has grown, and now runs two school sites, one in Havant and the other in Chichester; one of the largest Forest Schools in the south of England; an Outdoor Education Centre of Excellence; a Educational Mediation service; an academic research institute, and several social enterprise businesses. We… Show more Releasing Potential began in Portsmouth, offering outdoor education as a way of engaging young people who had become disengaged from mainstream school. Over the last seventeen years, the organisation has grown, and now runs two school sites, one in Havant and the other in Chichester; one of the largest Forest Schools in the south of England; an Outdoor Education Centre of Excellence; a Educational Mediation service; an academic research institute, and several social enterprise businesses. We continue to offer outdoor education, giving young people opportunities to thrive beyond the narrow expectations of more traditional learning environments, but we also deliver specialist provision through a broad range of alternative educational models. We have been successful in our work with the hardest-to-reach young people, by valuing them as individuals and welcoming them into the Releasing Potential family with unconditional positive regard. Our approach is holistic and systemic: we believe in creating a community in which young people can be supported, regardless of their background or level of ability, and our philosophy of belonging, safety, and risk underpins everything we do as an organisation. Our faith in the power of community determines the ways that we work, giving us a strong sense of identity across all six areas of the organisation: school, forest school, outdoor education, mediation, institute and enterprises. Show less



Releasing Potential

• United Kingdom
• Education Management
• 1 - 100 Employee

• CEO

  • Jan 2001 - Present

  I started Releasing Potential in Jan 2001 using outdoor education to deliver programmes concerned with helping young people engage with education. We deliver a variety of programmes including a Sailing Academy for Looked After Children, long term outdoor education programmes which are based in schools, SEN provision or PRU's, Near to School (helping young people engage with education), Engage which is our full time SEN provision, residential programmes and holiday activities etc. I manage the… Show more I started Releasing Potential in Jan 2001 using outdoor education to deliver programmes concerned with helping young people engage with education. We deliver a variety of programmes including a Sailing Academy for Looked After Children, long term outdoor education programmes which are based in schools, SEN provision or PRU's, Near to School (helping young people engage with education), Engage which is our full time SEN provision, residential programmes and holiday activities etc. I manage the organisation in delivering these various programmes. Show less I started Releasing Potential in Jan 2001 using outdoor education to deliver programmes concerned with helping young people engage with education. We deliver a variety of programmes including a Sailing Academy for Looked After Children, long term outdoor education programmes which are based in schools, SEN provision or PRU's, Near to School (helping young people engage with education), Engage which is our full time SEN provision, residential programmes and holiday activities etc. I manage the… Show more I started Releasing Potential in Jan 2001 using outdoor education to deliver programmes concerned with helping young people engage with education. We deliver a variety of programmes including a Sailing Academy for Looked After Children, long term outdoor education programmes which are based in schools, SEN provision or PRU's, Near to School (helping young people engage with education), Engage which is our full time SEN provision, residential programmes and holiday activities etc. I manage the organisation in delivering these various programmes. Show less