“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 relationships are built, maintained, and celebrated at Atelier, from home visits and settling-in sessions to key family time and sibling connections.

You will learn how to strengthen your relationships with families within a nursery setting, or if you’re an educator wanting to deepen your understanding of responsive care, this episode offers plenty of practical strategies and inspiration to reimagine how love and trust can underpin your practice.

• What makes the Key Person approach at Atelier different from standard EY models
• Why trust, attachment, and emotional safety unlock growth and learning
• How we’ve embedded the Key Family model across our mixed-age, free-flow settings
• The importance of home visits, continuity, and relational care
• Tips for overhauling your settling-in process
• Practical staff development strategies to support this approach
• Building strong parent partnerships through openness and community

Standing on the shoulders of giants:

• Peter Elfer - the Key Person approach and the concept of the "stretching elastic" between child and practitioner.
• Elinor Goldschmied - “islands of intimacy” and relational care.
• Jools Page - her research into the concept of professional love in Early Years education.
• Dr. Chris Pascal - for questioning the term “professional love” and encouraging us to simply recognise it as love.

Website and newsletter: ateliernursery.co.uk

Instagram: @ateliernurseryltd

Consultancy enquiries: Contact us via our website

Together, we’ll unlock the potential for incredible growth and learning.

Atelier Talks is a Decibelle Creative original podcast

🎧 @decibelle_creative / www.decibellecreative.com

Keywords: Key Person approach, Key Families, Early Years education, nursery trust-building, attachment theory, emotional development, settling-in strategies, responsive care, parent partnerships, professional love.

“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 (and loved!) for. From peer scaffolding and social-emotional development to fluid, child-led environments and trust-based pedagogy, the Atelier leadership team share their experiences of creating a setting where all children, regardless of age, can learn and grow together.

This episode is absolutely brimming with practical insights and all our best tips on how to start implementing this approach, so if you're curious about how mixed-age learning could transform your setting (or even if you're a parent wondering how this actually works in practice) you'll definitely want to grab your notebook!

• What the mixed-age key family model really looks like in practice at Atelier
• Why peer learning and scaffolding flourishes across age groups
• The role of trust, risk, and autonomy in child development
• How staff and children adapt to a fully free-flow environment
• Tips for nursery leaders thinking about transitioning away from age-defined groupings
• Planning, communication, and ‘rhythm not routines’ at Atelier
• Insights into personalised CPD and staff development in a mixed-age setting
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Find out more:

· Website and newsletter: ateliernursery.co.uk

· Instagram: @ateliernurseryltd

· Consultancy enquiries: Contact us via the website

Together, we’ll unlock the potential for incredible growth and learning.

Atelier Talks is a Decibelle Creative original podcast www.decibellecreative.com / @decibelle_creative

Keywords: Early Years education, child-led learning, Mixed-Age, key family groups, reflective practice, nursery leadership.

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 doesn’t fit an educational curriculum… it’s about a feel—what feels right for those children, what feels right for those families.”

Clare, Director

Welcome back to Atelier Talks, the Early Years Collective.

In this episode, 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.

Consider this episode permission to do things differently in your Early Years practice, and get ready for a deep dive with Clare, Beth, Lauren and Laura, into research-led Early Years education, the Atelier way.

In this episode:

• Reggio Emilia, Froebel, Vygotsky and Katz: blending research into everyday pedagogy
• Why autonomy matters (for children and practitioners)
• The child-led planning cycle: from individual interests to project work
• The “confronto” process: how Atelier educators reflect deeply on their children’s development
• Why relationships with families are at the heart of our practice

Find out more:

· Website and newsletter: ateliernursery.co.uk

· Instagram: @ateliernurseryltd

· Consultancy enquiries: Contact us via the website

Together, we’ll unlock the potential for incredible growth and learning.

Atelier Talks is a Decibelle Creative original podcast www.decibellecreative.com / @decibelle_creative

Keywords: Early Years education, child-led learning, Reggio Emilia, Froebel, key family groups, reflective practice, nursery leadership.