Atelier Nursery

Little moments. Big learning. 🍎

At Atelier, we believe some of the most valuable learning happens during the everyday moments of nursery life.

Mealtimes are about much more than eating. They are opportunities for children to develop independence, confidence and social skills in a relaxed and meaningful way.

Children are encouraged to be active participants - helping to prepare and serve food, pouring their own drinks, making choices about what they eat and taking responsibility for their space. As they sit together and chat, they practise listening, taking turns and sharing ideas, while naturally developing their communication and language.

There are opportunities to explore healthy choices, learn about caring for our bodies and develop good hygiene habits too. And, of course, sitting down together makes mealtimes a wonderful opportunity to build friendships and a sense of belonging. 💛

This is what we mean when we talk about learning through everyday experiences. At Atelier, learning isn't confined to a particular activity or time of day. It is woven naturally into children's lives, allowing them to learn through doing, discovering and being part of a community.

It's these small, meaningful moments that help children become confident, capable and independent learners.

If you're looking for a nursery in Chippenham where your child can learn through play, relationships and real-life experiences, we'd love to welcome you to Atelier.

We currently have a small number of places available at our Chippenham nursery. 🌱

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Learning outdoors - another opportunity to explore🌿

At Atelier, the outdoors isn't an occasional destination. It's an important part of everyday life.

Whenever the weather and conditions are safe and suitable, we encourage children to spend time outside, giving them the freedom and space to explore, experiment and follow their own ideas.

Rain, wind, sunshine, frost and the changing seasons can all offer something different to discover. A puddle becomes an invitation to investigate. Mud can inspire creative play. A fallen leaf might lead to questions about colour, texture and change. Even a rainy day can open up a world of possibilities.

Being outdoors gives children opportunities to develop:

🌱 Curiosity – observing the natural world and asking questions
🧠 Problem-solving – discovering how things move, change and work
💪 Confidence and resilience – taking on challenges and discovering what they can do
🤝 Communication and collaboration – creating, exploring and making discoveries together
🎨 Creativity – finding inspiration in natural materials and the changing environment
❤️ Connection – developing an appreciation and respect for the world around them

And, of course, outdoor learning should be joyful. Children can run, climb, dig, splash, build, investigate, imagine and simply enjoy being children.

At Atelier, we believe some of the richest learning happens when children have the freedom to explore the world around them - whether that's discovering a tiny insect, planting seeds, creating with natural materials or simply enjoying the feeling of rain on their wellies. 💚

Our Chippenham nursery currently has a small number of places available. If you're looking for a nursery with a difference, where outdoor exploration, creativity, play and curiosity are part of everyday life, we'd love to welcome you for a visit.

Come and discover Atelier for yourself.

Growing together. Learning from one another. 💛

At Atelier, we believe some of the most meaningful learning happens through relationships and that children of different ages have so much to learn from each other.

Our Key Family approach brings babies, toddlers and preschoolers together, alongside their 'Key Person', within the same consistent group, creating a familiar community where children can develop authentic, lasting relationships with both their educators and one another.

For younger children, being part of a mixed-age group provides opportunities to learn from older children. They see new skills in action, hear richer language and gain confidence as they explore their environment alongside children who are a little further along in their development.

And the benefits work both ways. Older children have opportunities to develop empathy, patience, leadership and a sense of responsibility as they naturally support and encourage their younger friends.

The result is a community where children feel a strong sense of familiarity, security and belonging - and where everyone has something to contribute.

This approach recognises that children don't need to learn only from adults. They are powerful teachers for one another too.

Our Outstanding nursery at Chippenham currently has a small number of places available. If you're looking for a nursery where relationships, play, curiosity and a genuine sense of community are at the heart of your child's early years, we'd love to welcome you for a visit.

The Magic of Atelier ✨

What makes Atelier special? We believe it's the magic that happens when children are given the freedom to explore, create, play and discover in their own way.

At Atelier Chippenham, learning is woven into every part of the day. From getting messy and creative in our inspiring spaces, to spending time outdoors in all weathers, children are encouraged to follow their curiosity, ask questions and find joy in discovering something new.

🌿 Outside all day - because nature is one of the greatest teachers.

🎨 Creativity at the heart of learning - with open-ended experiences that allow children to express their ideas and imagination.

🧡 Key Families - nurturing secure, meaningful relationships so every child feels known, valued and truly belongs.

🧩 Learning through play - because when children are having fun, they are busy developing confidence, independence, problem-solving skills and a lifelong love of learning.

👶 Exceptional care for our youngest children - with the same thoughtful, nurturing approach from the very beginning of their Atelier journey.

It's this combination of fun, freedom, connection and learning that makes Atelier such a special place to grow.

We currently have a small number of places available at our Chippenham nursery. If you're looking for an Outstanding nursery in Chippenham where your child can learn, explore and flourish, we'd love to show you what makes Atelier different. 💛

Please get in touch to arrange a visit and discover the magic for yourself.

Growing Plants Grows Curious Minds 🌱

The children have been investigating the nasturtiums that they have carefully nurtured from tiny seeds into thriving plants.

With great excitement, they explored the different parts of the plants, taking a closer look at the roots hidden beneath the soil. Together, they discussed what plants need to grow and discovered how roots absorb water and nutrients while helping to keep the plant strong and healthy.

Using rich descriptive language, the children compared the sizes of the plants, observed the long stems, vibrant leaves and delicate roots, and shared their own ideas and theories about how plants grow.

This hands-on exploration sparked curiosity about the natural world while developing scientific thinking, observation skills and communication and language.

Most of all, it was wonderful to see the children's pride as they explored the plants they had lovingly grown themselves 💚

Key Family Groupings - Supporting School Readiness

At Atelier, our Key Families play an important part in building confidence and independence in young children. Our ‘Key Person Approach’, based on attachment theory, values children having strong bonds with key people at nursery for their well-being and development.

Each of our practitioners has a mixed age Key Family of children, which benefits each child in many different ways as they learn from their peers; whether they are younger or older than them.

Our confident, capable babies grow more independent through observing their older peers, and our older children develop key social skills through supporting their younger peers. In turn, our ‘Key Person Approach’ is fundamental to supporting each child with their School Readiness from day one.

📷 Bristol Brand Photographer | Visual Storyteller

Exploring colour theory with spin painting 🎨

Colour is always a source inspiration at Atelier, and we often explore colour theory and how colours mix to make new ones.

Spin painting is a perfect way to have some fun while studing how the paint behaves while in motion. Using the pottery wheel, and squeezy bottles filled with paint, the children took turns to spin the wheel. Those that have tried the activity before showed the younger children how it’s important to only use a little paint, and together they explored the results of changing the speed of the pottery wheel and what happens to the colours as the wheel spins the paint.

Spin painting is such a fun, messy experience, sparking curiosity and leading to questions such as “will the paint go flying?”, “will the paint stay on the paper?” or “will the colours change?”.