Quality and leadership in the early years: Research, theory and practice

Verity Campbell-Barr and Caroline Leeson’s book explores multiple understandings of two key concepts in early years services: quality and leadership. In their introduction, the authors suggest that ‘often leadership is seen as a feature of quality early years provision, but what this actually means theoretically or practically is not explored’ (p. 1). Drawing on post-structuralist perspectives and practitioner-based case studies, the authors argue that deconstructing concepts around leadership assists early years practitioners to develop meaningful approaches to leading for quality in their local contexts. The book contains six chapters that are divided into three substantive parts.
Each part discusses the key themes of the book: quality, leadership and reflecting on leading for quality in early years services. Together, these parts explore external forces that shape understandings of quality and leadership and suggest new ways for practitioners to respond to them.