Our Team

Tom founded Corfe Valley with Kirstie in 2020. He has worked in education for over 14 years, learning his trade in an outstanding, National Teaching Academy and progressing to Senior Leadership. During this time Tom led whole school curriculum development and spent time supporting other educational settings in school improvement. In his spare time, he enjoys running the Purbeck Hills, having several building projects on the go and exploring the local area with his family. 

Kirstie founded Corfe Valley with Tom in 2020. She has worked in education for over 12 years, learning her trade in an outstanding primary school and progressing to Senior Leadership. During this time Kirstie led whole school curriculum development in core subjects and mentored a number of new teachers helping them to begin their teaching career. Kirstie has also completed a diploma in Psychology and continues to keep up to date with current research in the field of mental health, psychology and neuroscience. In her spare time, Kirstie enjoys reading, spending time with animals and exploring the local area with her family. 

Jen is one of our highly qualified and skilled teachers with over 12 years experience in education having worked in a range of educational settings. Jen has an incredible set of skills which also include qualified Level 3 Forest School trained leader and a level 2 award in counselling. Jen has a solid understanding of what it means to use a trauma informed and relational approach to help build strong and meaningful relationships with our young people. Her wealth of knowledge and understanding is of an immense benefit to our young people and our provision. 

Claire is our wonderful and highly skilled qualified secondary trained teacher. She has a natural and calm presence which has enabled all our young people to feel safe and learn with Claire. She is able to share her incredible knowledge of STEM and is able to create awe and wonder with our young people whilst also teaching them through play and exploration – this is a real skill. Claire has also recently started taking the lead on our Science ASDAN courses which our young people are not only thriving in but also enjoying. Claire’s additional background in pastoral care and her willingness to continually read, learn and share knowledge is of a real benefit to Corfe Valley. 

Marielle is another of our highly skilled and qualified teachers with over 13 years experiences in a range of educational settings. She has taught all years from Early Years through to A-Level. Marielle, a native French speaker, is a talented and creative individual with a passion for design. She is able to share her passion and knowledge with our young people and teach them incredible new skills which often also incorporate ICT and business. Marielle’s calm manner is a real asset to Corfe Valley and our young people are thriving and gaining so much from working 1:1 with her. 

Jeri is an exceptionally talented and dedicated individual who joined us in 2024 and has already brought a wealth of skills and knowledge to Corfe Valley. Her ability to relate to all our young people and to really take the time to understand them and their needs is truely humbling. Jeri is able to share her passion and knowledge which ranges from arts and crafts to her understanding on neurodiversity. She has a real gift at being able to engage our young people and build relationships with them. Jeri has worked in a range of educational settings and her ever-growing skill set which includes training in mental health, emotion coaching, autism, ACE and currently a degree in Psychology and Counselling is comendable. 

Kate joined our team as a Learning Mentor bringing her passion and experience in animal care, nature and gardening. She has a calm and nurturing presence and our young people enjoy learning their knowledge of animals from her! Kate is currently training in Equine Assisted Learning and we all can’t wait to be able to offer our young people another experience. 

Emma joined our team in 2025 as a Learning mentor for our young people. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience working outdoors and with animals. Her passion is being out in nature and seeing the benefits this can bring to young people. Emma has a real skill in relating to young people and being able to follow their interests and build positive and strong relationships. We are really pleased to have her join Corfe Valley!