Melissa Carter – Principal
BSc (Hons), PGCE, PGDipl.Psych.Obs., P4C, C.I.M.I.
For 20 years, Melissa has worked within the field of child development encompassing Waldorf Steiner, Montessori and pre-preparatory pedagogy.
Trained at the Tavistock Clinic in Psychoanalytic Observational Studies, Melissa developed her practice through working with leading professionals from the education and therapy world, as well as teaching within diverse educational environments. Melissa also works as a psychotherapist and has worked within the field of emotional family development for many years. This understanding and knowledge has allowed Melissa to develop and nurture a unique environment in which children can happily learn.
As well as Principal of Bloo House, Melissa supports her staff in the day to day teaching, specialising in English, Latin, philosophy and psychology.
Piers Hesketh-Gardener - School Director
Piers is passionate and enthusiastic about the development of education. Since the school’s inception, Piers has been responsible for the strategic growth of Bloo House and oversees all aspects of the day to day running of the school.
As a father and co-founder of the school, Piers believes that children should regain their passion for the great outdoors. The natural world plays a key role in all our lives and it is important that this philosophy is taught to children from an early age, whilst at the same time, maintaining a healthy respect for technological advances.
Georgina Pimm – Primary Teacher
BA (Hons), PGCE
After completing her A-Levels at Godalming college, Georgie attended Central School of Ballet in London. Following her graduation from Central, she worked for Vienna Festival Ballet and toured throughout England performing Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty and Giselle.
Georgina graduated from Roehampton University in 2010 with a first class BA honours in primary Teaching with Physical Education.
Upon completing her NQT training at a school in Hampshire, she joined Bloo House in September 2011. Apart from being an enthusiastic dancer, Georgina also has a passion for the outdoors and is a keen surfer and skier.
Steve Digby – Maths, Science & Latin
BSc, ITC, Forest School Practitioner
Prior to becoming a teacher, Steve started life as a research chemist, before expanding his abilities into information technology and working with some of the world’s biggest blue chip companies.
Steve worked as a consultant overseas before retraining and focusing on the world of education. His first position at ACS in Cobham, lead him onto other independent educational establishments, before joining Bloo House.
With a background in science and maths, Steve supports the academic programme for mathematics and the sciences and is also the school’s Forest School Practitioner.
Frances Notton - English
BA (Hons), PGCE TEFL
Fran studied at Surrey University in Guildford, before embarking on a business career.
However, having two boys of her own and a natural desire to teach, she decided to take on a PGCE in order to work within primary environments.
Prior to Bloo House, she taught at St Mary’s University College in Twickenham. Fran’s main role at Bloo House is to support the English curriculum across the age range at Bloo House. She also plays a pivotal role in the children’s overall happiness and well-being.
Outside of the classroom, Fran devotes much of her time to keeping fit, delving into international cuisine and also ensuing her other passion in life – Latin American dancing!
Cassie Wadsworth - Music & Drama
BA (Hons), MA RADA
Cassie studied at Kings College London and The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and is currently undertaking a PhD.
Cassie is an accomplished musician who has developed her music teaching to incorporate the emotional and social elements of music interaction. She has been involved in several productions including a recent adaptation of Shakespeare’s ‘The Rape of Lucrece’, for which Cassie won Best Actress for her portrayal of Lucrece at the Woking Drama Festival.
In addition, Cassie is also a student of dance and specifically, ballet, having trained at The Susan Robinson School of Ballet and studied various other forms of dance with the La Ronda Dance Company.
Lucy Smith - Art & Craftwork
Lucy has always been fascinated by the visual arts. She is one of the most enthusiastic art teachers around and her creative ideas are limitless. Her love of the art process means that she always delights in being able to guide children on their own personal discovery of the subject.
Without any preconceived ideas or theories on art, children have a unique perspective, which can often challenge accepted opinion. In her art classes at Bloo House, Lucy aims to encourage the appreciation and criticism of art along with a love of creating.
Natalia Nin - Spanish
B.Ed, M.A.
Natalia is a primary teacher from Barcelona, Spain. Whilst at Barcelona University, she completed a Postgraduate course in Methodology of Spanish so that she could develop her skills as a language teacher.
In her 15 years of Spanish tuition, Natalia has taught in Europe and Sydney, Australia, where she taught Spanish in a Montessori school. After five years living in Sydney, she moved to London, where she has spent the last four years teaching children as well as adults.
Melissa Bennett - French
BA (Hons)
Melissa is a graduate in French and Spanish and has lived and worked in both countries. She grew up in a fairly French environment - her mother is French and spent many holidays with her family in France. .
After having children, Melissa chose a career in education, specialising in foreign languages and has taught French and Spanish to children of all ages.
Seeing how much fun the children have and how much they progress makes this hugely rewarding for Melissa, who is passionate about teaching languages to children and believes it is the perfect time to learn a language. She believes that competence in a foreign language can offer children a head start in life as it is the perfect time for them to learn languages.
David Hunt – Bush Craft
BA (Hons)
David is our resident bush craft expert who runs his own bush craft school called Native Eyes.
After reading English at Oxford, David trained as an actor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He has since worked extensively in theatre, radio, TV and film. When not treading the boards, David devotes his time to teaching about the natural world.
The art of bush craft is a fascinating subject for children but, with so many distractions in the modern world, it is easy to lose touch with Mother Nature. Throughout the year and the changing seasons, David uses a range of practical workshops and storytelling to reveal a treasure-trove of knowledge and natural lore. In addition to running Native Eyes, he is employed on a regular basis by TAG Aviation in Farnborough to teach survival skills to pilots.
Moira Clark - Yoga
BSYA (Th), AIYS (Dip. Yoga, Dp.Nu.Th), BSYA (Acu)
Moira has been teaching yoga internationally for many years working in Morocco, France, Egypt, Spain and Turkey. As a qualified Yoga Therapist, one of Moira’s specialities is her work with children and she is recognised as one of the most experienced and knowledgeable yoga instructors in the UK.
Due to her exceptional experience, Moira plays a key role in the children’s emotional, social and physical development.
Alex Kennedy - Guitar
BA
Alex graduated from Dartington College of Arts in 2007 and followed this with a further year's study of Jazz at one of Portugal's most prestigious colleges. As well as being a super guitar teacher, Alex is also a renowned performer having toured the world with large scale productions and solo shows.
Alex believes that music lies in the heart of all children and his classes are designed around releasing the inner spirit of musicality through the guitar. Children are taught the basic skills required to both read and interpret music notation from page to life. The guitar is a very social and rewarding instrument to play and the aim of the lessons is to teach children a new skill, which can benefit them for the rest of their lives.
Lauren Casey - Violin
BA (Hons)
Lauren has taught violin, viola and vocals to children for a number of years. She is a highly experienced tutor, with a 100% pass rate for all her students. Lauren is also an early years specialist at Stagecoach, creating and adapting a varied curriculum for the children every term.
When not teaching, Lauren spends much of her time performing professionally either in choirs or singing solo, promoting her own work. Lauren completed her first album If Only... in 2009 and continues to write and perform for live audiences.
Michael Page - Martial Arts
Michael teaches the fundamentals of Martial Arts at Bloo House and also heads up the Great Britain Martial Arts Academy (GBMAA) in Cobham. As well as being a fully qualified instructor at the highest level, he is also a 14 times World Champion kick boxer, who has represented Great Britain on numerous occasions.
Sam Waters - Sports Coach
Sam is part of the team at SCL (Sports Coaching Ltd) - a professional body specialising in the physical development of children. Sam’s natural experience as a young athlete has led him to taking on an instructor’s role at SCL. As well as introducing the children to a wide range of sports, many activities are based around general fitness and physical exercise.