Early Years Leadership in Challenging Times

In my opinion, being a leader in the early years has always been the best job in the education sector. For me, it’s the most rewarding in terms of seeing how we can make a difference as we watch young children grow and develop. The delight of working with young children reminds us of the awe and wonder of the world every day. No two days are the same, and we are always learning from the children around us.  However, it’s not for the faint hearted. Long hours, year round care, undervalued within the education sector both in terms of pay and status, leading an early years team is certainly not to be seen as an easy option. To be successful as an early years leader, practitioners really need to have a passion and a belief in the essential nature of the education they enable young children to have, to underpin their knowledge and expertise in early years which is vital to promoting the best outcomes for every child.

This past year has of course been particularly challenging across the world. Perhaps one of the hardest things has been the way that the pandemic has forced early years practitioners to work in a way that they knew wasn’t most beneficial to young children. The best early years enabling environments allow children freedom to choose, the liberty to move around, investigate the world, ask questions and satisfy their curiosity by trying and testing in a hands on way. Being with knowledgeable adults that are able to respond to their needs, supporting and scaffolding their learning within trusting relationships, has always allowed children to have the best early learning experiences. When asked ‘ what is it like for a child in this setting?’ the confident knowledgeable leader knows that they have enabled their staff to provide the best learning environment, and the answer to that question reflects their values and beliefs about the nature of best early years practice. The last year it has been much more challenging for all early years practitioners but especially for leaders as they try to support children, families and staff while providing an environment that has been restricted by the need to be Covid secure.