Paula Woodman
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Paula Woodman | |
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| Born | Paula Woodman January 1967 |
| Occupation | Early years educator |
| Children | 2 |
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Paula Woodman MBE (born 1967) is a British early years educator and social entrepreneur. She is the founder and principal of Woodentots Montessori Nurseries, a group of nature-based Montessori settings in North London. Woodman is known for integrating Montessori education with the forest school philosophy, pioneering child-led, outdoor early education in urban environments.
In 2025, she was made a member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to early years education in the King’s birthday honours.[1][2]
Early life and education
Woodman was born in January 1967 in the United Kingdom and began her career in early years education in her early twenties.
Career
In 1989, at the age of 21, she opened her first nursery in North London, laying the foundations for what became the Woodentots network of Montessori nurseries.[1]
Woodman founded Woodentots Montessori in 1989 as a single nursery setting in Camden, North London.[1] Over more than three decades she expanded it into a small network of "bespoke Nature Nurseries" offering education for children ages 2-5 years across several North London sites, including Belsize Park, Camden Road, and Highgate.[3]
Woodentots combines Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Waldorf, and Forest School principles, emphasising play, independence, and connection with the natural world.[3] The nurseries are known for their Nature inspired environments, outdoor clasrooms, and ecological ethos.
Woodman is described by colleagues and the press as "one of the first to bring Forest School to London".[3] The approach she developed at Woodentots has influenced other early-years educators adopting nature-based pedagogy in urban contexts.
Beyond running the nurseries, Woodman delivered Montessori-parenting courses, forest-school camps, and professional mentoring programmes for early years practitioners.[3]
Awards and recognition
- Montessorian of the Year (2017)[4]
- Appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2025 King’s birthday honours, for services to early years education.[1][2]
Personal life
Woodman lives in North London with her 2 daughters.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Goddard, Charlotte (2025-06-16). "Early years leaders recognised in Honours List". Nursery Management Today. Retrieved 2025-11-24.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "The King's Birthday Honours List 2025". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2025-11-25.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "About Us". Woodentots. Retrieved 2025-11-24.
- ↑ "Take it from Paula Woodman, Montessorian of the Year 2017! | Unity Montessori Nursery - North London". unitymontessori.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-11-24.
External links
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