Atelier Talks

“We’ve not stopped. We’ve tested our skills, tested our knowledge, and we’ve supported each other through it all." - Beth, Atelier Leadership Team Where has 2025 gone?! In this special end-of-series episode, jpin us as we take a moment to pause, reflect, and celebrate everything we’ve built together this year, as a nursery, as a consultancy, and… as podcasters! Joined by our full leadership team (...

“Y ou go there to learn about children — but you come back remembering who you are, and why you do what you do.”   Harriet, Early Years Educator at Atelier In this very special episode of Atelier Talks , we’re reflecting on our recent team study trip to Reggio Emilia, Italy : the city that inspires so much of our practice and pedagogy here at Atelier. Clare & Laura are joined by Harriet a...

“Our biggest priority is the children. But we can’t keep showing up for them at the level we want to if the system is this broken.” Clare Crowther - Director, Atelier  “ When there’s no consistency from one local authority to another, how are settings supposed to stay compliant ?” This is one of the many questions we’re tackling in this episode of Atelier Talks . This episode is essential lis...

“Shine. Don’t shy away. This is your setting. You own it.” – Vanessa Dooley, Jigsaw Early Years Consultancy In this special guest episode of Atelier Talks , we’re joined by one of the most trusted names in Early Years consultancy: Vanessa Dooley , founder of Jigsaw Early Years and the voice behind the Get Inspection Ready podcast. Together, we unpack the brand-new OFSTED Early Years Inspection Too...

“ If somebody wants to step into leadership, they need to have opportunities to lead, and they need to know we’ll be there to catch them if they wobble .” Clare Crowther, Director This episode explores why collaboration, not hierarchy, builds sustainable teams in Early Years settings. Continuing on from where we left off in episode 12, we’re going even deeper into Early Years leadership, moving be...

“We want our team to have their voices heard, but we also need to have that strategic direction that we’re moving in.” – Clare Crowther, Atelier Nursery Director In this episode we’re unpacking the kind of leadership that underpins everything we do at Atelier, both in our nurseries and through our consultancy. We’re not about traditional hierarchy, job titles or top-down management - our approach...

“ They amaze me every single day… They set themselves challenges, find solutions, and they are these mini scientists roving around our environment .” – Laura, Nursery Manager In this episode of Atelier Talks , we’re showing you what life at Atelier looks like through the eyes of our youngest children, our babies. As more children enter nursery at an earlier age and for longer hours, it's more impo...

“Put your big girl pants on. Be brave. Love your team. Support them. Enjoy your new families and build your community.” – Laura, Nursery Manager What dowe mean by ‘Simple September’ at Atelier? In this episode we’re discussing one of the busiest (and most important) times of the Early Years calendar: September. Whether you're welcoming new babies, supporting toddlers through transition, or helping...

“ It’s just holding the child at the centre at all times and the parent as well… and really, really love your families and your children .” – Laura, Nursery Manager In this episode of Atelier Talks , we’re looking into the reality of children starting nursery; what settling really looks and feels like, for children, for families, and for practitioners. We talk through our full settling roadmap at...

“Educators observe deeply. They use what they see and hear to create opportunities for children to explore further, to dig deeper, and to build on their knowledge.” – Aaron Bradbury, shared by Lauren In this episode of Atelier Talks , we discuss one of the most central elements of our pedagogy: how we use projects and provocations to build deeply meaningful learning for children. We promote learni...

“ Always be unwavering in your commitment to rich, beautiful environments that children deserve to work and play within. ” Clare Crowther, Atelier Director In this episode of Atelier Talks , we’re taking you on a full virtual tour of our OFSTED Outstanding rated nursery. From the baby nest to the studio, and from our piazza spaces to the garden room, we explore how each part of the Atelier environ...

“ These inspections are our opportunity to show and tell. To celebrate what we’re doing day in, day out .” – Clare Crowther, Atelier Director Think of this episode of Atelier Talks as your essential guide to acing your nursery’s Oftsed inspection. We take you behind the scenes of our recent OFSTED inspection, which resulted in our Chippenham setting proudly retaining its Outstanding status. ...

“ It’s about pedagogy, not Pinterest .” – Clare, Director What does an enabling environment really look like? In this episode of Atelier Talks , we explore how thoughtfully designed environments (both physical and emotional) can transform your Early Years setting. This episode is a real behind-the-scenes exclusive insight into how we design and continually review and adapt our nursery spaces here...

“ It’s a privilege to look after other people’s children ” - Lauren What does it take to build deep, lasting trust in a nursery setting? In this episode of Atelier Talks , we explore the role of the Key Person approach , often referred to at Atelier as the Key Family model . Rooted in attachment theory and steeped in real love (not just “professional love”), in this episode we unpack how relations...

“Children are capable of so much - if we let them.” What if babies and preschoolers could learn alongside each other every day? At Atelier, they do, and we're here to share with you just how transformative this approach can be in your nursery setting. In today’s episode we take you through the benefits and practical realities of the mixed-age key family approach our nursery has become well known (...

What does truly child-led learning look like? The Atelier team explore autonomy, relationships, and purposeful planning, blending Reggio Emilia, Froebel, and research-led pedagogy into a setting where children, families and staff feel seen, heard, and inspired. Brought to you by the Atelier Nursery senior leadership team, proudly produced by Decibelle Creative. “ It doesn’t fit a business plan, it...

An introduction to the people and principles behind Atelier Nursery Meet the team behind Atelier Nursery and discover the story, values, and philosophy that shape this award-winning Early Years setting. From free-flow learning to mixed-age groups, find out what makes Atelier unique, and upcoming episode topics to look forward to. Brought to you by the Atelier Nursery senior leadership team, proudl...

A podcast for educators, by educators. The podcast from Atelier Nursery Welcome to Atelier Talks , the podcast lifting the lid on what it really takes to build an outstanding Early Years setting. Hosted by the Atelier leadership team, this series shares honest conversations, research-led practice, and practical strategies for educators. Whether you’re a nursery manager, practitioner, student or pa...