Social Leadership in Early Childhood Education and Care

"Bravo! This book brilliantly meets the moment." - Julie Nicholson, Mills College and Co-Director, Center for Equity in Early Childhood, USA

"A lovely insightful exploration of leadership through a social justice lens." - Lord Victor Adebowale, UK

Across the world, organisations in early childhood education (ECE) face major organisational challenges, including staff recruitment, retention and wellbeing, in the context of sectoral fragmentation and under-investment. These issues impact negatively on the experience of children, staff, parents and the wider community. Social leadership is a new model of leadership that aims to address these challenges by refocusing leadership through a much stronger social justice lens and a community. It highlights the significance of warm and inclusive modes of leadership as a means of driving positive change.

Based on in-depth interviews with renowned global leaders in ECE, this book provides an introduction to the six-element model of social leadership and shows how it can be developed and implemented by organisations, training bodies and educational institutions. Written in accessible language and illustrated with original international case studies the book begins a much-needed dialogue about how we can work from within ECE to overcome the workforce and sectoral hurdles we face.

Auteur

June O'Sullivan MBE is CEO of the London Early Years Foundation, the UK's largest childcare social enterprise of 39 nurseries. She is a regular media commentator and the author of several books, including books in Bloomsbury's 50 Fantastic... series and Successful Leadership in the Early Years. You can read June's blog at leyf.org.uk.

Texte du rabat

Across the world, organisations in early childhood education (ECE) face major organisational challenges, including staff recruitment, retention and wellbeing, in the context of sectoral fragmentation and under-investment. These issues impact negatively on the experience of children, staff, parents and the wider community. Social leadership is a new model of leadership that aims to address these challenges by refocusing leadership through a much stronger social justice lens and a community. It highlights the significance of warm and inclusive modes of leadership as a means of driving positive change.
Based on in-depth interviews with renowned global leaders in ECE, this book provides an introduction to the six-element model of social leadership and shows how it can be developed and implemented by organisations, training bodies and educational institutions. Written in accessible language and illustrated with original international case studies the book begins a much-needed dialogue about how we can work from within ECE to overcome the workforce and sectoral hurdles we face.

Contenu

Introduction
Part I: What is Social Leadership in Early Childhood Education?
1. Community Building and Relational Logics

2. Prioritising Purpose
3. Connecting Purpose with Pedagogy
4. Organisations 'Addicted to Change'
   Part II: Why does Social Leadership Matter for Early Childhood Education?
5. Recruitment as Community Membership
6. Retention as Community Affinity
7. Retention as Community Connectedness
8. The Impact on Child-Adult Interactions
9. Developing Organisational Leadership
10. Fostering the Wider Community
    Part III: How Can We Support Social Leadership to Flourish?
11. Organisational Culture
12. Storytelling
13. Continuous Improvement
14. Distributed Pedagogical Leadership
15. Action Research
    Conclusion
    References
    Index