Amber Donaldson is a highly experienced classroom teacher and play advocate based in Wellington. She brings deep knowledge of how to implement structured literacy within a play-based classroom, ensuring that high-impact teaching and child-led exploration work hand in hand. She is passionate about making learning meaningful, inclusive, and responsive — especially for students with high and complex behaviour or learning needs.

In 2022, Amber led Oxford Crescent School’s first Bush School pilot, taking play into the surrounding natural environment. The success of this programme saw it become a permanent fixture in the school calendar, reflecting her strong belief in the power of nature play to support wellbeing, regulation, and curiosity.

Amber’s hands-on leadership and classroom-tested strategies make her an incredibly relatable and inspiring presence in any professional learning space.