Amanda Gibbard-Atherton

Forest School/Outdoor Learning

Teaching and Pastoral

I am so excited to join Summer Fields as the Forest School and Outdoor Education teacher. This is my dream job, being in the great outdoors all day sharing my love of nature and bushcraft. 

I am a qualified teacher and have taught for 23 years throughout the primary school years but have most experience in KS1 and foundation stage.  

I am passionate about outdoor education. I have been a Forest School level 3 Leader for six years and just love the diversity and challenges that the outside setting presents.  

What attracted me to Forest School teaching was the thought of passing on my love for natural spaces to others; I want the boys at Summer Fields to feel confident and have fun outside whilst showing respect for what is around them. 

I live in a village in North Oxfordshire with my husband and two sons; we share our home with two Labradors, ten chickens, two guinea pigs and an African land snail, I love animals. In my spare time I like to garden in our vegetable patch and bake. I am a member of a wildlife committee and enjoy learning new skills such as whittling and wreath making. My family and I enjoy visiting agricultural shows and going for walks together with our dogs Bracken and Poppy.

I am passionate about Forest School and learning outdoors, whatever the weather. Coming to Summer Fields is a fantastic opportunity for me to do something which I love.