What we do
CFI awarding’s vision and mission in the world is to work alongside partner education providers to develop holistic and integrative qualifications, and to ensure the robust and high-quality assessment and certification of learners.
We are an Ofqual- (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) regulated Awarding Organisation that works with institutions and training providers throughout the UK and abroad.
Vision and Philosophy
We believe that education is a transformative journey that is as much about the journey as the destination. We work carefully to ensure that the qualifications which we develop and certificate offer an in-depth, reflective experience for learners, as well as leaving them with a reputable, meaningful qualification to take forward in their lives.
Whatever the subject area we are working in, we are guided by a model of learning which is:
We work within a notion of learning that speaks not only to the bottom line or exam results, but also to the development of the whole person; we consider what a learner needs from a qualification, and what they might bring to it.
We believe in an experiential and problem-based approach to learning; one which requires engaging with complexity and real-world practice.
In our view, education is not just about acquiring new knowledge and skills, it also has the possibility to bring about profound transformation at the personal, political and social levels. Central to our approach is the recognition that taking risks and not-knowing are fundamental if education is to have the potential to be transformative as well as integrative.
When separate disciplines meet and mix then new insights can arise that are not necessarily found in any one single discipline. Our Integrative Education qualifications in particular emphasise a cross-cutting approach to curricula.
With the shifting and fluid nature of life today, learning is less confined than ever to a classroom. We value a range of formal, informal and non-formal approaches to education, and recognise the potential for learning to endure well beyond the conventional boundaries of a course or qualification.
Deep learning is enabled through a rich mix of perspectives and experiences. In all our activities we aim to be as inclusive as possible, meaning that no one is excluded from participation on the basis of gender, race, sexual orientation, age or disability.
We aim to nurture love and care for the environment, whether urban or natural, and we seek to promote environmental responsibility wherever possible when we design our qualifications.
The Team
- Crossfields Awarding
- Kirsty Allen – Managing Director & Responsible Officer
- Sam Milton – Awarding Manager & Deputy Responsible Officer
- Julie Smith – Quality Consultant/EQA
- Nick Adams – Qualification Development Lead
- George Frost – PA to the Managing Director
Staff Biographies

Nick Adams
Qualification Development Lead
Nick is Qualification Development Lead at CFI. He has worked in varied roles within private and public sectors of Education, both in the UK and in Spain, where he most recently worked as the Head of Studies at a language school in the Basque Country and conducted oral examinations for Cambridge University. He is invested in a model of education which recognises and values the inherent diversity of its learners and takes a creative, experiential approach to learning. He sees education as a lifelong process which is constantly in motion.

Kirsty Allen
Managing Director & Responsible Officer
Kirsty joined us in 2019 as our accountant, and is now the Managing Director for CFI Awarding and Responsible Officer.
She has worked in the financial sector for over ten years and is currently working in practice. Over the years she has gained expert knowledge and experience of working within the voluntary sector. She is passionate about assisting organisations to grow.

Sam Milton
Operations Manager & Deputy Responsible Officer
Sam is the Operations Manager & Deputy Responsible Officer for CFI. He initially joined us in 2022 as the Quality Coordinator. He oversees all operational Quality Assurance aspects of the Awarding Organisation supporting EQAs and Centres. Sam has been instrumental in developing and improving our online platform Mercury for learner Registration and Certification as well as overseeing qualification development for the organisation.
Before CFI, Sam had a Career in Retail Banking from Cashier to Leadership positions before moving into the Training Sector in recent years as a Customer Service and Sales Specialist. Sam is committed to a person-centred approach and passionate about open communication and integrity. He was drawn to the vision and philosophy of CFI for its continued great work in promoting integrative and transformative education.

Julie Smith
Quality Consultant/EQA
Julie is the Quality Consultant/EQA at Crossfields Institute. She is a qualified teacher, EQA, IQA and Assessor with over 25 years post-16 educational experience. She is the co-founder of a small training company providing assessor, quality assurance and teaching qualifications and remains a practitioner across these areas in order to maintain occupational competence. Julie likes to get involved in new initiatives to develop her knowledge and thinking further in the ever-changing landscape of teaching, learning and assessment.
She has many years’ experience of working with small independent and large national awarding organisations, training providers and employers developing in-house training teams and supporting them through training and consultancy. She has authored post-16 educational resources published by Pearson Education, and has been instrumental in writing regulated qualifications.
Work with Us
CFI is a growing organisation, always looking out for talented individuals to join the team. If you have an interest in integrative education, regenerative social practice or transformative learning, and the skills to make a difference, why not get in touch with us? Email info@cfiawarding.com or or see the jobs board below for current openings:
External Quality Assurers (EQA)
We are seeking experienced subject specialists with understanding and experience of awarding organisation quality assurance processes in the following curriculum areas:
Health and social care – nutrition and lifestyle coaching, herbalism, trauma-informed approaches to health, care and education, equine facilitated psychotherapy, integrative healthcare, osteopathy, anthroposophic skincare
Teaching and learning – higher level teaching qualifications and therapeutic education
Agriculture, horticulture and forestry – biodynamic agriculture, agroforestry, community orcharding
Child development and well-being –Steiner Waldorf, Pikler and Montessori approaches
Foundations for learning and life – integrated qualifications for school age learners at levels 2 & 3
Application by CV and covering letter or email should be returned to info@cfiawarding.com.
Submission deadline: Ongoing
Contact Us
Contact Crossfields Institute by phone, email or write to us:
Crossfields Institute
Stroud House
Russell Street
Stroud
Gloucestershire GL5 3AN
United Kingdom
Office: +44 (0) 1453 808 118
Office hours: Monday to Thursday, 9am – 4:30pm
General Enquiries: info@cfiawarding.com