Nursery by Design – A Book Born from Small Steps

The idea for this book began many years ago with my own daughter. Like many young children, she found saying goodbye in the morning difficult. She wanted one last wave as I left. So, we built a small set of wooden steps beneath a window. She could climb up, wave goodbye and watch until I disappeared from view. It lasted only a few moments, but it changed everything. Her anxiety eased, our goodbyes became calmer and she began her day feeling safe and secure.

At the time, I wasn’t thinking about architecture or pedagogy. I was simply trying to help my daughter. Later, I realised that those little steps had taught me something much bigger. The environment had changed the experience.

It hadn’t solved the problem on its own, but it had supported a relationship, eased a transition and given a child greater confidence and control. It was my first real lesson that Early Years environments are never passive. They shape behaviour, emotions, relationships and learning every single day.

That simple idea has stayed with me throughout my career and eventually became the foundation of Nursery by Design: Creating Spaces for Learning and Belonging, published today.

The book draws on more than twenty years of learning across London Early Years Foundation, where colleagues have continually shown that thoughtful environments can transform children’s experiences. Sometimes the changes are remarkably simple. A window seat that invites conversation. A quiet nook where a child can regulate after conflict. A sink where two toddlers naturally negotiate space together. A family photograph at child height. Small design decisions that quietly communicate, “You belong here”.

The timing feels particularly significant because this week the Department for Education published its new Early Years Design Guidance for school-based nurseries. I warmly welcome it. For too long, nursery design has been treated as an afterthought, particularly when existing school buildings are adapted for younger children. The new guidance rightly recognises that lighting, acoustics, outdoor access, movement, family engagement and thoughtful layouts all influence children’s learning and development.

You can read the guidance here: Department for Education: Early Years Design Guidance

My book begins where guidance inevitably has to stop. It asks not simply how we should design nurseries, but why those decisions matter. It explores how environments can reduce inequality, support inclusion, strengthen children’s wellbeing, enable sustainability and build genuine belonging. It argues that good nursery design is not about fashionable interiors. It is about creating the conditions in which every child can flourish.

As government expands early childhood education, we have an opportunity to think differently. We must not simply create more nursery places. We must create places that respect childhood, value relationships and give every child the strongest possible start.

Looking back, it still amazes me that a small set of wooden steps beside a nursery window could spark a conversation that has lasted for decades. Sometimes changing children’s lives begins by changing what we build around them.

Nursery by Design: Creating spaces for learning and belonging by Dr June O’Sullivan is available from Amazon.co.uk, priced £24.99 out now

To access a FREE preview chapter of the book, please click here: https://mailchi.mp/leyf/liey-nursery-by-design