Our mentors have a range of qualifications and experience to support the activities and aid their re-engagement into education.
Quality Assurance of our staff team:
All staff at CoRE are:
- Qualified as SEMH practitioners with Somerset Youth UK
- Trained in PACE
- Trained in THRIVE
- Trained in the neuroscience of child development
- Trained in the benefits of Ecotherapy
- Trained in the Benefits of Therapeutic Play
- Are part of Dorset Councils single central record and have enhanced DBS
- Hold up to date Safeguarding L2 or L3 qualification
- Are covered by CoRE’s Employee and Public Liability insurance
- Have access to a fortnightly peer support group and access to regular supervision
- First Aid
Rachelle Green and Alasdair Green – Co-Founders of CoRE.
Rachelle and Alasdair co-founded CoRE in 2015 developing Limemead Farm as an Environmental Education Centre and a ‘Sanctuary for Young People’ with SEMH. Together, they have uniquely fused the environment at Limemead, with experiential craft based learning, ecotherapy and developmental movement and play into a bespoke therapeutic alternative provision.
Rachelle Green – Co-Founder, Director/Senior Manager and Play Therapist
I am a Sociologist (BA Hons), Movement & Developmental Play Specialist (PGrad. Laban), Ecotherapist (Nature Therapy UK), Play Therapist (Academy of Play & Child Psychotherapy) and Hedgehog Ambassador (affiliated with the Dorset Mammal Group). I have worked for 25 years developing intervention programmes across a range of Education, Culture and Health sectors in the South East and South West of England. I have 3 amazing boys, who with Alasdair, we home educated for 10 years, with play based, child led, experiential learning at its heart.
As Senior Manager at CoRE, I oversee the care for all students, staff and creatures at Limemead Farms Environmental Education Centre. As Director, I champion my environmental, child centred philosophy through CoRE, working in partnership with teachers, SEND departments and other child and family health professionals; advocating and advising on child mental health; championing the rights of the child; holistic progression for all young people; developing best practise in child advocacy with partner organisations; contributing to new research in this field.
Alasdair Green – Co- Founder and Education Manager
I set up Core Creative Education, with my wife, Rachelle, as the cornerstone of our philosophy for educating children. I am a qualified teacher and have a PGCE in primary education. For 15 years have worked in both primary, secondary and special needs schools in London and Somerset. In 2010, I became increasingly disillusioned with how the education system was disabling children’s creative learning, the increased lack of pastoral care and disliked the target driven agenda of schools being promoted to the detriment of a stimulating, holistic education.
As a primary school teacher, I often worked with children and especially boys who were disengaged at school and as a result I developed outdoor education opportunities whenever I could. I set up CoRE with Rachelle in response to our disappointment of how mainstream education was not meeting our children’s needs. I then trained with Bernard Graves from Pyrites developing my skills in Creative Crafts and the developmental, educational and therapeutic benefits of Natural Crafts.
My current role at CoRE, is to impart my passion and knowledge about our natural world in a fun, creative and stimulating way that will help our children to learn more effectively and develop as individuals. I work closely with parents and schools and am currently the Education Manager for the Mentoring Programme.
Bonnie – Assistant Manager
I really enjoy bringing Maths and Science out of the classroom into the fresh air. It is my belief that children learn best when allowed to fully discuss, experience and explore their areas of interest, and Core Creative’s culture of respect really allows them to thrive emotionally. Having worked with home educating children to tutoring GCSE Maths & Physics to now an experienced mentor to secondary age children and an assistant manager to the mentors here at Core Creative Education. I also oversee the ASDAN qualifications for young people at Core Creative.
Kate – Assistant Manager
I have worked as a Forest School leader since 2014 and feel passionately that it is essential for our mental, physical and spiritual development, to spend quality time in nature. My intent is to invite young people to connect with nature in a playful way, enabling time and space to slow down and process emotions in our busy daily lives.
During a typical Forest school session, I follow the rhythm of the child, offering opportunities for playfulness, storytelling, singing, natural arts and craft, cooking and tool use. Activities and games are linked to the seasons and changing cycles of the year. I am always grateful for children’s boundless imagination and vision.
Sara – Office Manager
A lover of the outdoors and all things water. I have a passion for the environment and a degree in Environmental Science. Been working with young people for many years as a Paddle Board Instructor, swimming teacher, fitness instructor with a summer business at West Bay. I am super organised, and the opportunity for working and helping young people in the unique way at Core Creative Education is a genuine pleasure.
Louise – Mentor
I have been working outdoors as a Forest School Practitioner since 2013 after completing my training in Wiltshire, where I originate from and I have worked with a range of young people with different needs and abilities. I approach things in a playful manner and am always guided by the interests and imagination of the children that I work with. I have a particular interest in all things creative and crafty, working with what nature and the seasons have to offer throughout the year.
Theo – Mentor
I have always enjoyed the outdoors and am super creative. I trained as a cordon bleu chef in my younger years, and I am award winning artist specialising in cold form metalwork and sculpture. I can create wonderful sculptures from metal. I love the outdoor life and have a passion for horticulture, landscape design, woodland sculpture and knowledgeable in foraging.
Tom – Mentor
I have travelled for more than 24 years with a horse drawn carriage and have trained horses and donkeys. I am an expert in horse back archery and am an archery instructor. I have a passion for the outdoor life and for outdoor cooking. I have worked with young people in care for many years and have a wealth of experience delivering engaging alternative provision to young people with a variety of needs.
Pete – Mentor
I have over 14 years experience in working with children with additional needs, ASD, ADHD and early life trauma, trained in several therapeutic techniques to help and support growth. A lover of the outdoors, spending most of my spare time in the mountains or running, preferably combining them both. Also passionate about woodworking, campcraft and really enjoys teaching these to the young people at Core Creative. I thrive on working with children at Core Creative, seeing them grow in confidence and achieve, no matter how large or small the goal.
Yun Mi – Mentor
I grew up on a farm in the countryside in South Korea. I loved playing outdoors, muddy rice fields, streams, ponds, ploughed fields and forests were my all day, everyday playground. I have a degree in Youth Education Leadership, and vast experience working with adults and young people with additional learning needs. I am able to build meaningful relationships with children with autism, attachment disorder, PDA & ADHD. I have particularly enjoyed supporting students with maths, communication groups and forest school. I truly value CoRE’s ethos and I am very happy to be a part of it.
Wayne – Mentor
I have 15 years of experience working with young people and adults with early childhood trauma and ASD. I am trained in conflict resolution and de-escalation management and hold several other qualifications, all based around achieving positive outcomes for children. I excel in woodwork and can build and facilitate young people to create fantastic things from a range of woods. I enjoy the outdoors, gardening, connecting with nature, water sports and mountain biking.
Pippa – Mentor
I have a long record of working and volunteering with young people from a wide range of backgrounds. I have worked with children, teenagers and young adults with a wide range of needs and abilities and love doing it. I am passionate about the outdoors and taking a child centred learning approach, I love trail running, walks out in nature, and also enjoy a good fire. I love nurturing people and helping them develop.
Kathy – Mentor
I have been working as a freelancer in Arts education for nearly 20 years, puppetry and storytelling has been a big part of this journey. Working in various settings from Schools, museums, and festivals I have inspired children and young people to write stories, create characters together and explore performance ideas.
I am also a Forest School leader since 2015, I have a foundation in Art therapy, and a recent degree in Fine Art. At Core Creative I enjoy exploring creative art ideas and the use of different mediums with the students, Woodland skills and campfire cookery and tool use. My approach is nurturing, child-led and playful, I also like to follow the seasons for inspiration.
Outside of Core Creative I teach art at a local youth club for neurodiverse young people with Autism and social anxiety. I enjoy cooking, cycling, playing in a band and being a music DJ.
Amy – Mentor
I have worked with children, young people and families for around 15 years in a range of roles. I have a degree in Art and Psychology and a postgraduate qualification in Early Years Practice. I’m also an experienced facilitator of the Incredible Years Parenting Programme.
I’m passionate about child-led play and relish following the students lead here at CoRE.
I’m at my happiest when my wellies are on and I’m exploring the great outdoors. I love any big wide open space or sheltered woodland and I take every opportunity to be out camping with my family in the warmer months.
Meg
I have always been amazed by the outdoors ever since I was a child, especially after the rain. It’s not bad weather – just bad outfits! After completing my art and textiles course and doing my Art Foundation my enjoyment for sharing art with others grew. I worked in mainstream education as a TA and was lucky enough to teach art lessons and run after school clubs. I feel unbelievably lucky to have a job where I can combine the joy of art with the freedom and inspiration nature brings. Showing children that anyone can be creative and how therapeutic, calming and joyful it can be.
Aisling
I have 14 years of experience working across a range of educational settings, and during that time have worked with children with various needs, including many with EHCPs. I have a passion for creative writing and have always enjoyed the challenge of making maths accessible and interesting for all students.
I have a love for travel and enjoy spending time in the great outdoors; in particular on camping trips with my family.
I fully embrace the ethos at CoRE, and recognise the positive impact of creative activities on the development and welfare of young people.