“We are the music makers and we are the dreamers of dreams.”
- Arthur O'Shaughnessy (& Willy Wonka)
Da Vinci Life Skills was started in 2021. Our Founders are passionate and dedicated teachers who specialise in engaging and empowering students with curiosity, confidence and a love of learning.
Co-founder & Director of Curriculum Development
Change-maker/Entrepreneur, art, design and technology teacher, portrait artist and furniture designer. Rosina has spent 20 years developing creative learning programs for both children and adults. She is passionate about making education more creative and inclusive. She aims to help alleviate the growing mental health crisis by supporting people to find and be valued for their unique talents. FIND OUT MORE>>>
Co-founder & Director of BE Mentor Development
Founder at Teacher-Gamer, Life-Skills Innovator, author of Teacher-Gamer Handbook, Green School educator and English teacher.
Zach combined his love of games with his Masters in Education and teacher training experience to produce a ground breaking system that integrates Role Playing Games (RPGs) into education to help develop resilience and well-being. FIND OUT MORE>>>
We have a growing number of brilliant ambassadors who are supporting our Biophilic Education mission. People who have achieved amazing things with their lives and whom our team and our young people can look up to for wisdom, guidance and inspiration.
Iain McGilchrist is an author, psychiatrist, philosopher and former Oxford literary scholar, who came to prominence after the publication of his landmark book, 'The Master and his Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World' (2009). This book was described by Professor Louis Sass as “Unbelievably rich… of absolutely crucial cultural and intellectual importance”
In 2001 he published his latest gift to humanity, 'The Matter with Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions and the Unmaking of the World'. This important work combines the brilliance of science, the deep reasoning of philosophy and the profound wisdom of the great spiritual traditions across the world to provide us with a restorative vision that is necessary, if we are to survive as a species on this planet.
Dr Alison Wood is founding Academic Director of Homerton Changemakers, a co-curricular, pioneering programme equipping Cambridge University students to be wise change-agents amidst complexity and challenge. The programme focuses on global citizenship; leadership; enterprise; self-hood; narratives of changemaking; adaptive mindsets; & regenerative thinking in the era of climate crisis and geo-political instability.
Alison also teaches and writes on the philosophy of education; the history and future of Universities; the future educated self; and the deep questions of what universities are really for. Her work combines two decades of experience building cross-sector and cross-disciplinary research initiatives with a research career in the history of intellectual institutions and changemaking. She’s also worked in 7 different disciplines, including medicine; spent 10 years working as a musician; and is what might be called a serial intrapreneur.
Professor John Wood is a Commonwealth Scholarship Commissioner, Chair of ATTRACT. John is a materials scientist by background and has honorary chairs at a number of UK universities. He is an adviser to governments on international research infrastructures and Open Science. He is a consultant to CERN in Geneva and a member of council of Brunel University.
John combines his love of science with his faith in God and encourages a joyful and imaginative exploration into the world around us. He inspires us to explore our natural curiosity through blending the arts and sciences. He embraces ethical ways to advance our technologies and to develop our understanding of the universe, encouraging connection and collaboration within our scientific communities.
Angela is Founder of Chatmore British International School, Bermuda, educational psychologist, leadership & management consultant.
Angela has an affinity for small schools and the unique challenges they must overcome to be recognised for the big difference they often make as pioneers in education and learner reform.
She is helping build a world class BE Mentor Development program, supporting teachers to deliver our DVLS Curriculum and DVQ Assessment Framework, as well as enhancing their best practice in PLB and formative assessment. We are working together to define the best teaching practice for the future, one where both teachers and students can thrive.
We have been blessed to be supported by our extraordinary and expert Advisory Board who have guided us in building a world class curriculum and assessment model.
Professor of Arts, Creativities and Educations at Cambridge University, Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, prolific author of works which advance the theory of multiple creativities across education sectors, and co-editor of the journal Thinking Skills and Creativity.
Pam continues to inspire and support us with her boundless energy and enthusiasm for bringing together the arts and sciences in transdisciplinary learning.
Teacher/researcher/author/adviser/school vice-principal and inspector/consultant in the field of educational development and the creation of more motivating and engaging learning systems. Derry Hannam has a bachelor's degree in education from Oxford University and an M.Phil, in educational research from Exeter University. Over 30 years of experience creating and advising democratic schools.
Derry keeps showing us what is possible in democratic education and has inspired our PEP projects with is 20% student led time.
Youth MP for Birmingham, Chair of Birmingham Aspiring Youth Council and youth activist. Yumna is the Co-author of Struggles of War, a public speaker and founder of RESILIENCE HQ, part of BiteBack 2030's Youth Board in Birmingham, which is a youth-led movement, redesigning the food system to put children's health first.
She had made an inspirational TED talk and we are blessed to have her support in our vision.
Founding Director of Positive Peace Cambridge. Founding Director of Undiscovered Country, an arts lead training company supporting learning and change explored through science, specifically: neurology, psychology, mythology, sociology and 'self-organising' systems.
Roy keeps us connected and vital with his passionate wisdom and extensive knowledge on the science of life. He has supported the building of our teacher training program.
Co-Founding Flourishing Youth, an online youth lead platform to support young people to find different educational and career pathways. Ben is studied Modern and Medieval Languages at Cambridge University. He is now a MFL teacher and school governor.
Ben has volunteered much of his time to coding the National Curriculum and building teaching resources with his enthusiastic, warm and insightful support.
It is encouraging to note that this education movement is believed in by a huge number of people. We have had a wonderful and dedicated collection of advisors, funders, part time and volunteer workers that have helped us (and many continue to help us!) build curriculum, produce media, raise funding, research our pedagogy and so much more.
We would like to give a massive thanks to: Demian Dorelli, Sophie DR, Farhaan Mir, Chryssie Cobbold, Ricardo and Carol Reznichek, Anton Zastavnyi, Michael Norton, Stuart Antony, Dr. Michelle Fava Darlington, Alex Battison, Guy Claxton, Meena Kumari Woods, Lucy Sicks, Dr Olugbenga Taiwo, Aliyah Irabor-York, Tom Vailes, Leila Coy, Bethany Stacey, Britani Butterworth, Andre Cann, Jerome Stovell, Richard Flanagan, Jak Boston, Tom Brown, Olly Newton, Peter Hyman, Lord Kenneth Baker, Simon Connell, Soraya Jones, Rupert Baines, Bill Lucas, Clare Jarmy, Alistair McConville, Michael Ledzion, Rae Snape, Sue Trory, Diana Scarborough, Simon Cheng, Jo Symes, Jo Sweetland, Fabienne Vailes, Fran Wilby, Rosie Clayton, Toby Pallatt, Lily Cobbold, Joe Klymkiw, Sonia Trickey, Alex Catallo, Sally Jenkins, Vikki Chell, Metaxoulla Chrisostomou, James Mannion, Penny Hay, Kevin Jennings, Suzanne Caruso, Vincenzo Di Bartolo, Esther Chesterman, Amul Pandya, Richard Cobbold, Peter Cobbold, Danny Matovu and many more for giving your precious time, advice, inspiration, support, money, etc. to get this project off the ground. And of course the wonderful late Sir Ken Robinson for the call to action.
Let us know if you would like to get involved.