Management of Early Years Setting in Education - Assignment Example

Leadership and Management of Early Years Setting in Education By + Introduction The management of quality early years practice involves the contribution of various practitioners in the education sector in the UK. The contextualisation of quality early education and care in the schools in the UK requires that the aspects of leadership and management, as applied to ensuring effective practice, are used to equip the practitioners with the requisite knowledge and skills they require to manage quality practice in the early years’ settings. Subsequently, the contextualisation of the quality of early education and care requires that the roles and responsibilities of the early years’ practitioners are identified and discussed in relation to the leadership and management theory (Bullock & Brownhill 2011.p.201-207). The government, educators, teachers, parents, and other education practitioners in the field of early education and care have over the past years been faced with the question of realization of quality formal education in the early years setting. Therefore, in consideration of these necessity factors, this study has been organized in the context of evaluating two early years setting education scenarios in reference to the leadership and management theory. This is through the search for the understanding of the roles and responsibilities that various practitioners play in relation to the same. The two scenarios are the support for a child who has a significant medical condition and the support for a child who has additional educational needs (Jones & Pound 2008). The successful critique and evaluation of the leadership and management concepts in relation to the early years setting involved the conducting of a wide-ranging research from detailing sources such as electronic databases, government legislations, search engines like Google Scholar and ERIC. Leadership as crucial to effective practice In the recent past, there has been an increasing concern for embracing leadership in the management of schools and attainment of the set goals and visions for a particular institution. For effective practice in the early years setting of early education and care, it is important for the practitioners to recognise the link that exists between effective management, development of leadership in early education centers and the success of children in such centers (Jones & Pound 2008). By equipping practitioners in early education sector with requisite knowledge and skills that can be used to lead and manage quality practice in the early education years setting will enable them to develop the capacities of children under their care successfully; thus, making them responsible and effective contributors to societal projects. The understanding of leadership is made possible through the understanding of theories such as behavioural, transformational, trait and situational theories (Koza & Smith 2010.p.135). Leadership in the early years setting assumes a greater importance in the context that it focuses early education practitioners into the embracing of team approaches to addressing early childhood practices. High-quality early education and care can potentially make an important positive impact on the wellbeing, learning and development of young children for the long term in their lives (Broadfoot & Black 2004.p.7-26). This is in contemplation of the circumstance that different children have different learning and development paces and capabilities; hence, would undergo divergent learning processes as provided to them by their practitioners. For the practitioners, five main outcomes can be used as measures of the well-being and achievements of the children, which includes safety of the children, their health, making a positive contribution to the society, enjoying and achievement, and economic security. It is the role and responsibilities of the practitioners to guide and empower the children to attain these outcomes, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Furthermore, considering the diversity in character, quality and effectiveness of the early years’ settings, the leaders are required to manage the related areas of health, care and family support of the children by integrating these with the education of the children. Subsequently, the leaders need to effectively continue to manage, develop and deploy qualified staff members with the necessary skills, understanding and knowledge as crucial elements for attaining the quality in the education of young children (Allen & Whalley 2011). Failing to recognise the manifold magnitudes of leadership in early years’ settings as part of the numerous paradigms of leadership would imply that leadership is viewed exceptionally than as a daily practice essential for the success of early years’ education settings. Therefore, the drive to equip practitioners in the UK with the requisite skills and knowledge essential for their management of early years’ education settings requires that a strong sense of leadership identity be developed by the educators and practitioners of early childhood education. This should be done to the extent that the practitioners are well equipped to handle policy changes that would have inevitable effects on the practice and profession of early childhood education. This is because effective leadership is a key element for the effectiveness of early years’ education programs. Traditionally, leadership in the setting of early years’ education has been affiliated to the individual skills, personal qualities and characteristics of the practitioners as leaders. However, a more recent view of this perspective would be that leadership is not an isolated activity of one individual, but that effective leadership is a collective responsibility of different people and is distributed. Therefore, a practitioner seeking to support in either of the study’s scenarios should be ready and willing to go beyond their individual management training in order to gain from the wider leadership qualities attainable from a team. This team would compose of the parents of the children, teachers, educators and the respective government agencies. In consideration of the above aspect, it would be easier for the practitioners to recognise that effective leadership in the early years’ setting would provide a distinctive focus on the delivery of integrated services in early childhood education. Practitioners when applying effective leadership in supporting a child having a significant medical condition or one who has additional educational needs will need to apply the Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) project to assess the leadership patterns evident in the early years’ settings for early childhood education and care. Subsequently, the use of the EPPE project in conjunction with the Researching Effective Pedagogy in the Early Years (REPEY) project shall enable the exploration of the impacts of the pre-school experience on the cognitive development of the children (Jones & Pound 2008). Additionally, the exploration would be on the effects of the pre-school experience on the social or behavioural development of the children. In that regard, it could be contended that the leadership of the practitioners would be critical in the establishment of the outcomes for children in formal early learning of the cognitive and social developments (Jones, & Pound 2008). Nonetheless, to be able to make certain that the effectiveness of the practice of early years education settings through formal learning, the practitioners would be required to establish the core characteristics of effective early years’ settings and caring through the use of REPEY and EPPE projects. Pre-school experience has the benefit of helping all children through key learning stages, and a good quality provision of early years’ education as evidenced by the great variation in the types of settings used for integrating education and care in the early years. Practitioners also need to recognize that there is varied effectiveness in the influence of pre-schools on the development of children. For better all-round progress in all the early years’ settings, the REPEY and EPPE projects suggest that strong leadership and little staff turnover should be recorded in the pre-schools. Subsequently, parents of the children with mental conditions, as well as those with additional educational needs should form interactive relations with their children so as to boost the reception of their teachers of their conditions. Furthermore, the practitioners should view the social development and educational settings as complementary ones in which there is encouraged sustained shared thinking among the parents and the teachers in their respective categories (Daly, Byers & Taylor 2004.p.53-56). The projects also associate role definition as a core issue that needs to be addressed by early years’ practitioners to the extent that it does not become problematic in the advancement of leadership in the early years’ settings. According to the EPPE project, there is a strong correlation between service provision quality in an early childhood setting and the qualification of the manager to the center. As such, any diversity in the workforce would make it hard for the leadership to be developed around an easy to manage arena (Allen & Whalley 2011). This is because of the seriously existent inadequacy of leadership training for the early childhood practitioners or managers; thus, with possibilities of likely to result in under-preparation of the practitioners for the role of handling and addressing the needs of children with special needs such as highlighted in the chosen scenarios. Such situations arise when the leadership positions in the early years’ settings are held by ‘accidental leaders’ who are unaware of the responsibilities required of them with regard to the protection of the early childhood education practices and support needs of the special needs children (Brock 2006). Both projects also recommend to practitioners that they should seek to achieve a balance in the activities given to the children in that a formative assessment should be conducted with the aim of differentiating the curriculum needs of each of the children with either of the two scenarios mentioned above (Klein, Cook & Richardson-Gibbs 2001). This can be best done when the early childhood education practitioners are made to realize that they are leaders and change their attitudes on the same. This is because often most people have confused the general form of leadership in the corporate world that integrates leadership with management and administration. However, for the case of early childhood education, the understanding of leadership and its impact on the practice should be viewed from an ethical point of view given that it entails the collaborative and relational dimensions of early childhood practice (Hadfield, Jopling, Royle & Waller 2011). Critical evaluation of legislation and policy surrounding professionalism in early years’ workforce Policy applications matter a great deal in any field, and so the professionalism of early years’ education is critically being guided by appropriate legislation and policies that have been put in place by the government (Drifte 2008). These legislations and policies are essential in the sense that they influence the decision by the early years’ practitioners, parents and other stakeholders to make adequate considerations for the pre-school children. Subsequently, legislation and policy are critical to the early years’ setting in the context of the two scenarios in that they influence the support mechanisms that early childhood education stakeholders will take in addressing the same (Robins & Callan 2008). The determination of the policy matters in relation to early years’ settings would not be achieved without the understanding of the elements of health, social welfare/care, and education as a link to the dynamic responsibilities that are presented at the national levels in the UK (Simpson 2010). Often, national legislation and policy as significant to early years’ setting, has always been remote to the practitioners and other professional stakeholders who are working with the pre-school children and their families. There is never full recognition of the early years’ setting as affecting the lives and services of individuals as national policy on the same tend to only provide a framework for working within which cannot be easily challenged (Smith & Dukes 2009). Policy initiatives in the UK with regard to early years’ setting are increasingly being supported by the training and guidelines that are given to practitioners to enable them provide the early education services effectively (Kay 2006). As such, the policy initiatives and legislation act as a method for legitimising and communicating the best practices to be applied. A key legislation that has been passed in the UK and has successfully managed to set the pace for early education practice for the practitioners is the Children Act 2004 that aimed at radically reforming the services that the government, parents, teachers and other stakeholders are offering to the support required by needy children and those that are mentally challenged (Ebbeck & Waniganayake 2003). Considering the diverse nature of early education settings, legislation and policy developments in relation to these settings should be done in line with the recognition of the contrasting philosophies, quality assurances and structures of education models. In Scotland, for instance, the integration of Care Commission and legislations are responsible for the joint inspection processes used to enhance the settings of early years’ education (Moyles 2006). There has also been an increasing attention to a policy that is derived from the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) towards the services of early childhood education. According to policy makers, this policy has had fundamental impacts on the equitable access to high-quality provision and services that can support the social development and educational needs of the children with special needs. Subsequently, the policy recognises the need for better functioning of families and the consolidation of the lifelong learning foundations. UNCRC’s main aim in this perspective of early years’ settings is to provide services that are built around the professional boundaries in order to assess the rationale and policy objectives that can enhance the success of the support services given to the children with special education needs and mental challenges. This legislation is essential as it points to the human rights of children too who have often been perceived passively as objects of charity and care. Coupled with adequate leadership from the practitioners, the legislation shall enable the attainment of the needs of survival growth and potentiality of challenged children such as those with additional educational needs and those who are mentally challenged (Bilton 2003.p.89-93). This is in ensuring that all children live up to their full potentials in education. In the UK, the UNCRC is recognised after the UN Convention was signed into law in 1992. Professionalism in the early years’ settings can also be understood from the perspective of the policy relating to the four principles of Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) as an influence on the daily practice with the children and their families. The EYFS being a framework for registered practitioners that supports their improvements in care and education offering, as well as the provision of services to young children, it is essential in providing statutory guidance on the ways in which learning and development are to be supported by the schools and early years’ settings (Siraj & Manni 2007.p.96-102). Subsequently, the EYFS statutory framework is used to support the establishment of adequate relationships with families in support of the goals (Miller, Dalli & Urban 2012). Therefore, in support of policies necessary for the successful achievement of early years’ settings goals by the practitioners, the EYFS framework of 2008 helps outlining the development, care, welfare, wellbeing and learning of the two groups of children highlighted in this study as requiring support from their practitioners. For instance, the EYFS framework through its thematic principles of the unique child, positive relationships, enabling environments and development and learning helps in informing the broad strand of practice guidance as evidenced by the early development. The four themes of EYFS are interrelated to the magnitude that it would be impossible for a practitioner to adhere to one of the principles without recognizing the other three. This is because, in the case of a child requiring additional educational needs or one who has a significant medical condition, the EYFS framework would acknowledge that the ‘unique child’ would need an enabling environment for learning and growth, and positive relationships with the parents and practitioners in order for them to attain their potential as highlighted by the goals for development and learning (Garvey & Lancaster 2010.p.412-416). Consequently, the EYFS is essential to early years’ setting practitioners in the sense that it combines an overview of the typical developmental progress for the children on development matters by itemising the learning areas for the children and the goals to be used in assessing the children upon the completion of the year (Reardon 2009). The EYFS framework is also significant to the practitioners in addressing the support needs of children with medical conditions and additional educational needs in the sense that it would enable them to describe in detail the ways in which practical necessities like assessments can be implemented through the principles and in partnership with the parents of the children in early years’ settings. Through the framework, it is demonstrated that the ‘unique children’ are entitled to play as the medium and foundation for achieving early learning (Kaufman 2008.p.175-179). Ultimately, the policy requirements according to the EYFS framework requires that the practitioners engage with the complexity of the children from different entry-points since the decision of where to begin with its implementation depends on the professional role and experience of the practitioners, as well as the contextual opportunities and constraints presented by the early years’ setting (Pugh & Duffy 2013). EYFS framework as practiced among pre-schools in the UK also requires that an emphasis be made on the early learning concerns through outdoor learning as an entitlement promoting the development of the category of children with special needs across all learning styles available. Subsequently, the EYFS framework to a child with additional educational needs and one with a significant medical condition, would be beneficial in the context that it would provide for the smoother transition of the children from pre-school learning setting to formal schooling settings (Anning & Edwards 2006.p.156-159). Another policy that surrounds the professionalism of the early years setting workforce is the Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) that is an accreditation endorsed by the government to the graduate practitioners for their demonstration of leading and excellent delivery of professional practice in the early years’ settings. This policy when carried out in the realms of national standards will be effective towards the demonstration of their working capabilities with the children below five years and those having significant medical conditions or having additional educational needs. In seeking to achieve the goals as presented by different scenarios in the early years’ settings, the EYPS employs a set of professional standards that relate to the working with the children in early years’ settings. These standards include the support of the healthy growth and development of the children, directly working with the children in partnership with their parents; thus facilitating development and learning support (Gasper 2010.p.208-211). Subsequently, the EYPS allows for the safeguarding and promotion of the children’s welfare, and it sets high expectations that inspires, motivates and challenges the children as identified in the two scenarios of study. Another standard for the framework is that employs observation and assessment as means of meeting the individual needs of the children identified in the scenario, as well as planning for the provision that will take into account the individual needs of the children; thus, fulfilling their wider development and learning needs (McGillivray 2008). The framework also serves in meeting the needs of the children in the early years’ setting by fulfilling the wider professional responsibilities of the pre-school sector through the practitioners’ promotion of the positive relationships required to support each child with a special need (Clark & Murray 2012). Subsequently, the framework allows the practitioners to foster and lead a culture of continuity in the improvement of learning and development stages of the children. Ultimately, the UK has an effective legislation, the Equality Act of 2010 that provides a modern legal framework that can be applied by the practitioners in the early years’ settings to streamline and effectively tackle discrimination of disadvantaged children in the society (Ortlipp, Arthur & Woodrow 2011). By ensuring the establishment of fair environments for learning and development by all children, irrespective of their medical or educational needs, the Equality Act 2010 as applied in the UK also supports the practitioners engaged in early years’ settings to make good decisions relating to the support of the learning and growth of the children in all public institutions (OSullivan 2009). Quality Assurance in Early Years settings References List Allen, S. F., & Whalley, M. E. (2011). Leading practice in early years settings. Exeter, Learning Matters. Anning, A., & Edwards, A. (2006). Promoting childrens learning from birth to five: Developing the new early years professional. 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