About Inventors & Makers
Laura Cross
Founder & Class Leader
I'm Laura and I set up Inventors & Makers in 2019 with a mission to help prepare today's children for tomorrow's world.
As well as our award-winning classes and workshops now inspiring children all over the world, I'm also STEM expert contributor for Teach Primary and Teach Early Years magazines and a STEM ambassador for TTS Resources.
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A bit more about me.....I originally trained as a lawyer and worked in the city for a few years before finding my true calling in education and teaching in some of London's Outstanding primary schools,
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However, it was during my time leading curriculum design at a San Francisco education technology company that I started to think about the world of work that lies ahead for our children.
We don't know what the jobs of the future will be, but we do know that our children will need to be adaptable, flexible and creative problem solvers.
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Inventors & Makers classes and workshops focus on developing the 21st century skills of problem solving, creativity and collaboration through STEM and Design subjects. With experience and practice of these skills, we give our children the ultimate transferrable skills: skills that are applicable to everything, and forever.
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In late 2024 we started our franchising journey, offering teachers like us the chance to rediscover their joy of teaching, on their own terms. With our first franchisees onboard, we're excited to be expanding our reach across the country.​
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Drop me a line any time to chat STEM, teaching, favourite chocolate bars, or anything at all really!
Susie McAuley
Lead Teacher
Susie joined us in early 2022 as our lead teacher, delivering after-school clubs and workshops to schools in person and contributing to development of virtual clubs, classes and workshops.
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Susie has been teaching for more than 20 years. After initially training in Scotland, she went on a big adventure and taught in International schools in Kuwait and Thailand. She then moved back to England in 2010, with her two boys and has taught in schools all over Hampshire and West Sussex ever since.
In her last role Susie was the computing lead and STEM coordinator over a federation of schools, leading after-school clubs, STEM days, parent and community STEM workshops and teacher training from Early Years to Year 6 and even up to the local grandparents.
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She has a passion for technology and STEM and particularly loves hands-on learning, having seen what a difference it makes to children’s engagement and excitement to learn more. She wants to make sure all children know about the options open to them in the future. There’s an engineer in everyone!
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Susie is delighted to be a part of Inventors & Makers where she feels her vision for STEM is shared and she gets to be a big part of the company’s journey.
Caroline Chapman
Curriculum Designer
Caroline joined us in early 2020 as a class leader. As a qualified teacher with 10 years experience at some of London's top schools, she brought with her particular expertise in KS1 and Early Years curriculum as well as being a Level 3 Forest School Leader.
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Many of the skills central to Inventors & Makers are also promoted and developed within the Forest School philosophy. Caroline therefore came to Inventors & Makers already passionate about developing problem solving, creativity and collaboration in children through engaging and practical activities.
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We are delighted to still use some of Caroline's expertly created content years later.
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About Inventors & Makers Sessions
Inventors and Makers workshops and clubs focus on developing future-proofing 21st-century skills such as problem-solving, creativity and collaboration. It is these skills, so often missed in the busy school day, that will allow our children to thrive in an increasingly digital world.
We give children the support and time to invent, make and collaborate, while being exposed to the tools and resources of the 21st Century: for example designing their own app, creating their own short films, building a simple machine, or programming a robot.
The topics of toure sessions are intentionally broad to encourage flexibility and adaptability, whilst also allowing children to experience a range of new and interesting skills, and perhaps discover a new passion.
