The younger generation ought to have the best foundation in their early years’ experience in order to prepare them for the challenges they will face when they grow up. Therefore, the quality of early year’s education has a significant impact on children’s development. Who can influence the quality of the early years setting? Leader plays a vital role in establishing a positive relationship and team culture among staff in order to provide a meaningful learning environment for children. There is a large volume of published studies describing that an effective leader is essential to the high quality of early years setting (Lewis and Hill, 2012). The type of leadership that a leader adopts is important in improving the quality of service delivery in early childhood. This argumentative essay aims to provide the view that distributed leadership is the most effective leadership styles in early childhood settings. The essay will begin with providing definitions of distributed leadership.
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Show MoreThe EYFS is a background for all young children from birth right through the end of reception year in all types of early year’s provision. For example, a nursey, childminders and reception class in schools. This is by bringing together the welfare, learning and development needs also the EYFS was planned to raise the standards and to improve more access and positive experiences for all children in the early year’s sector. Hughes and Doherty (2009) explain that the EYFS was intended to promote standards and increase access to confident involvements for all children. It includes children’s safety and welfare desires, learning and development requirements.
There were two types of interventions in this study the first intervention was a booklet provided by child health services on group leadership. The second intervention was a training session that was also accompanied with a training manual. Almost eighty percent of the nurses attended the training session. The nurses as I clearly stated earlier chose to take advantage of the training sessions over the booklet.
Over the past 20 years, the workforce identity of the early years setting has changed dramatically. Policy and governmental changes have inspired children led improvements and this has affected the identity of the Early Years Teacher. In 1997 the Labour Government outlined their commitment to improving quality within the early years setting and one of the main areas they concentrated on was the quality of staff within the settings. This resulted in the view that 'quality' was qualified. In 2007, Labour introduced the graduate role of the Early Years Practitioner, which aimed to raise the falling standards within the early year’s settings.
Within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) it is enormously important for relationships to be formed and maintained. Relationships should be formed between teachers and their pupils, teachers and parents and between teachers themselves. It is important for relationships to be maintained throughout the EYFS so that the child’s learning and development is effectively taught, so parents and carers knows they can trust the teachers and so teachers can work together successfully. Teachers and their pupils need to have a positive relationship.
2.1. Government influences and initiatives demonstrate application to early year’s sector: In 1997, pre-school education and childcare have increased by government spending with the aims of enhancing the affordability, convenience and quality of childcare and encouraged mothers to return to work. Sure Start and Children’s Centre Programs has undergone with the extensive changes in Early Childhood education. Accountability placed as a greater emphasis upon the attainment of excellence.
This essay aims to explore leadership and management within the Early Years and what they mean within the sector. It will critically analyse how these roles impact early years settings, the staff and the children. Early years framework and legislation is forever changing and there is a need for experienced and knowledgeable staff to lead the way for young children’s education. The Oxford Dictionary describes ‘management’ as a process of manging and dealing with situations and people (Oxford Dictionary, 2015). The manager in early years would manage practitioners working below them as well as dealing with situations that arise from children and families.
Early Years teachers have independence in the activities which they plan for nursery classes, they ‘plan and prepare activities and materials’ (nationalcareersservice.direct.gov) such as, colouring or singing/dancing activities and pick what type of resources used on a day to day basis, meaning they are able to make professional decisions about their actions to an extent. However, Early Years teachers are still required to follow the National Curriculum and have managers such as Headteachers therefore, they do not have full independence within what they can teach, which restricts the level of which they are autonomous practitioners. Autonomy comes with accountability and responsibility, although Early Years Teachers have little autonomy, they still have responsibility and can be held to account because they have responsibilities detailed within their job role. For example, they are responsible for safeguarding children in their care. They also have a responsibility to follow the Policies and procedures of the school, which are outlined in their contract of employment and in their professional codes of practice.
Ch. 3 Major Concepts We find in our reading the essence of being a school principal and the many characteristics a principal must possess in order to be effective. This chapter speaks about school leaders managing every aspect of the school in order to ensure student success. Managing a learning facility that operates in an organized and safe environment can play a major role in the potential success of students.
If the leadership is not effective the school will not be successful. I realize that leadership can be shared. As an administrator, I can distribute leadership to others in the school that are a part of the leadership team, such as the academic coach, counselor or lead teachers. I have learned that an administrative should always be honest, fair, trust worthy, open minded, and lead by example.
In this essay I will be considering how innovations in theory, policy and research have influenced the development of coordination, partnership and integration in childhood practice in my childcare setting in Scotland. I will analyse the development of policies concerning children and young people in relation to my setting and the professional groups involved within my setting. This will include the introduction of building the ambition and the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, which from 2016 will enforce the need for the named person to take any concerns seriously and report as required. It will also increase provision to 600 hours which in turn will help to safeguard vulnerable two year olds by placing them into early year’s
In developing this paper on leadership, I examined what was most important to me as a leader. As I reflected on my leadership philosophy, I thought about my experiences and the principals that I have learned through my own self-discovery and the observation of other leaders that I have had throughout my life. My leadership philosophy paper will focus on what leadership is to me, core values, and knowledge of others. In thinking about my definition of leadership, I thought of what was most important to me in and as a leader.
Effective leader build a strong and successful setting for children. Strong leadership, ethical practices and professional knowledge provides high quality educational outcome. I have strong leadership in my program and it builds respect, parent, teacher and community collaboration and a trusting and well nurtured relationship between teacher and students. Challenges and expectations are provided to help develop the highest outcome of education possible for all children. How do you envision this issue impacting your future work with children?
Leadership Thought Prior to 1900 The earliest study of leadership thought would be the “Great Man Theory. This theory conceptualized leaders as a single “Great Man” who knew everything and influenced others to follow him. In leadership discourse, the Great Man theory—an assertion that certain individuals, certain men, are gifts from God placed on earth to provide the lightening needed to uplift human existence—is associated mainly with Thomas Carlyle (Spector, 2015, p.250). The focal-point of this theory is that leaders’ skills are inherent and set that them apart from those around them and that these traits enable them to assume roles of power and authority.
Quality in the Early Years is based on the respected educational goals and practice of the cultural communities making up a society. A definition of quality in the early years differs by the perspectives of each of the settings stakeholders (Huntsman, 2008). It comprises of a range of things that change between and depends entirely on the needs of each individual. Today in Ireland early year’s educators in settings throughout the country are increasingly more challenged to provide quality services that meet both the requirements and expectations of each child attending their settings and also their families (CECDE, 2006). Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) has in many countries become a policy priority.
(2010: 16) claim, ‘There is a connection between the increased distribution of leadership roles and responsibilities and the improvement of pupil outcomes.’ Distributed leadership has become an intentional practice and one that is promoted to improve schools. (Lumby, 2013, 583). Distributed leadership creates broader opportunities for everyone. This implies that the opportunities are open to all.