This book provides an introduction to the theory and practice of mentoring, coaching and supervision in the context of early childhood education and care. Written by a team of scholars from the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and the USA the book includes a range of annotated case studies to exemplify important issues from around the world. The chapters are organized around four key principles: * Embedding professional one to one support within the setting * Maximising performance and professional development * Self and collaborative reflection for leadership * Managing and leading change Topics covered include discussion of the differences and similarities between mentoring, coaching and supervision; management and leadership in early childhood settings; safeguarding and child protection. Alongside the annotated case studies each chapter also includes a summary of key points and questions for further discussion.

If young children are to flourish and become happy, confident and motivated learners, they need to develop in an environment that gives them the opportunities and freedom to play and learn, along with the support of parents and practitioners who are flourishing themselves. This invaluable text looks at the conditions that enable all those engaged in the early years sector to flourish, covering themes such as the outdoor environment, the curriculum, parent partnership, equality and ethical practice. Divided into three sections, each part covers: Concepts: A consideration of how flourishing is framed by political, historical and policy frameworks. Practices: Exploring the issues that early years practitioners are faced with when engaging with parents and multi-agent professionals within their setting. Futures: Examining some of the long-term issues that may need to be revisited on a regular basis to enable continual and flourishing development to occur. With key points and reflective tasks, this book will be valuable reading to all students and practitioners working in the early childhood education and care sector who want to ensure that the children in their care are given the best possible start in life.

Asking key questions about how policies and systems impact on children's early years and rethinking the ways in which young children's learning and development becomes integral to policy, this insightful text challenges the common misconception that policy development and pedagogical implementation are separate endeavours. Challenging the Intersection of Policy with Pedagogy explores symbiotic dynamics between policy and practice in the early years to consider the implications of policies relating to documentation, professional well-being, mentoring, the role of the family, language development and diversity. Written to provoke group discussion and extend thinking, opportunities for international comparison, points for reflection and editorial provocations will help students, educators, integrated service providers and policy makers engage critically with a variety of understandings of how policy and practice interact. Considering the role of learning environment, the practitioner, the wider community and policy, chapters are divided into four key sections which reflect major influences on practice and pedagogy: Being alongside children Those who educate Embedding families and communities Working with systems Considering diverse settings and contexts, perspectives, policies and systems, this text will enhance understanding, support self-directed learning and provoke and transform thinking at both graduate and postgraduate levels, particularly in the field of early childhood education and care.

Asking key questions about how policies and systems impact on children's early years and rethinking the ways in which young children's learning and development becomes integral to policy, this insightful text challenges the common misconception that policy development and pedagogical implementation are separate endeavours. Challenging the Intersection of Policy with Pedagogy explores symbiotic dynamics between policy and practice in the early years to consider the implications of policies relating to documentation, professional well-being, mentoring, the role of the family, language development and diversity. Written to provoke group discussion and extend thinking, opportunities for international comparison, points for reflection and editorial provocations will help students, educators, integrated service providers and policy makers engage critically with a variety of understandings of how policy and practice interact. Considering the role of learning environment, the practitioner, the wider community and policy, chapters are divided into four key sections which reflect major influences on practice and pedagogy: Being alongside children Those who educate Embedding families and communities Working with systems Considering diverse settings and contexts, perspectives, policies and systems, this text will enhance understanding, support self-directed learning and provoke and transform thinking at both graduate and postgraduate levels, particularly in the field of early childhood education and care.

This book provides an introduction to the theory and practice of mentoring, coaching and supervision in the context of early childhood education and care. Written by a team of scholars from the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and the USA the book includes a range of annotated case studies to exemplify important issues from around the world. The chapters are organized around four key principles: * Embedding professional one to one support within the setting * Maximising performance and professional development * Self and collaborative reflection for leadership * Managing and leading change Topics covered include discussion of the differences and similarities between mentoring, coaching and supervision; management and leadership in early childhood settings; safeguarding and child protection. Alongside the annotated case studies each chapter also includes a summary of key points and questions for further discussion.

What does working in partnership look like in practice? Getting multi-agency working right is an exciting but challenging goal in early years care and education; this book suggests ways to draw together the different professional ideas, methods and targets. Enhancing the delivery of services to children, parents and communities is essential if we are to address the detrimental effects of poverty and exclusion. Looking at the Birth to 8 age range and drawing on interviews with Children's Centre leaders, the book considers: - the benefits, and complexities, of multi-agency working; - what enables, and impedes, good practice; - examples of successful multi-agency working; - what the 'new professionals' look like; - international perspectives. Suitable for all pre-school and early years practitioners working in, or organizing, multi-agency practice at any level, this book is relevant to all those working in Children's Services and useful for anyone studying early childhood or multi-agency working in practice. Michael Gasper is an educational consultant and researcher. He has over 30 years of experience in early years education and research, including roles as a mentor, assessor and tutor on the National Professional Qualification in Integrated Centre Leadership (NPQICL).