Having followed the global progressive school movement very closely for a decade, Hayley wanted to bring all of her learning from the best schools in the world together to create a curriculum that fits with the way children in the UK will grow up. So they are ready to take exams eventually but have a far more joyful and self motivating learning experience and gain transferable skills to apply in all areas of their future lives.
“I’m so excited about giving back children their voice at school through our democratic approach and endless opportunities for agency and self-direction in our project based learning.. Our model means children’s educational experience is curated with them as co-pilots, rather than education being something that’s done TO them. To be honest, every part of what we are doing excites me!
I’m honoured to be working alongside the incredible, creative minds of my colleagues who never cease to impress me with their heart, expertise and motivation for what we do.”
My journey to Atelier 21 began with my children, both of whom attended Little Barn Owls Nursery (Atelier 21’s sister company) where they thrived – discovering and exploring their creativity and love for the outdoors. When I saw that Hayley was opening a school, I knew that not only did I want both of my children to go – I wanted to work there too!
The incredible teaching team at Atelier have the ability to work out what makes a child curious and fascinated about the world around them, and use this to drive their learning. Children here develop an awareness of what it means to be a global citizen and learn financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills from the age of five. Being able to do this in a small, nurturing environment means that the relationships established between the adults and pupils are incredibly close – a place where everybody truly knows your name! Leading such a revolutionary vision in education is an incredibly exciting opportunity and having been at the forefront of the school’s inception and continued development, I can’t wait to see what the Atelier alumni achieve in the future.
Guider of the ship. Richard has many years of teaching experience. It is his job to make sure the children are safe, happy and achieving well whilst at school, to give them the best learning experience possible.
“I’m very excited to see how children translate what I am sharing with them into their own expressions. I love the idea that children explore and investigate their own learning pathways both in the classroom and the wild outdoors and that I can be a part of the experiences they are going to enjoy.
Learning doesn’t stop when you leave school and so I am looking forward to working alongside a team that is not only passionate about the children in the now, but also in the journey they have ahead of them. Atelier 21 offers an incredible learning experience and I am looking forward to being a part of something special that gives your children the very best opportunities to secure a future of their choosing.”
I can’t wait to get to know you all and embark on our Atelier21 journey together – I am also new to the school. I have taught abroad for the past ten years, in Singapore and California, but am finally returning home. I’m looking forward to being creative and innovative with you, taking risks and deepening our learning. I have three children who keep me on my toes, and am a huge Tottenham Hotspur fan (which is mostly a painful experience). See you soon.
My career started in the Early Years where I taught for 10 years before training for the role of SENDCo, which has been my passion for the past 11 years.
To be able to work alongside children and young people, empowering them through coaching and guiding them through their learning is central to how I believe learning and teaching should work. I believe it is essential to provide irresistible learning opportunities that are exciting, engaging, worthwhile and meaningful. We need to prepare all children and young people for the demanding and challenging future that they face and to have the essential learning habits, behaviours and skills that will see the flourish in today’s society.
My personal values of honesty, respect and trust, guide and support me in my work with families. Successful work, be it with children, young people or adults, depends upon a reciprocal trusting relationship and in my role as SENDCo, I strive to be an advocate for the families that I work with.
