Social Leadership in Early Childhood Education and Care: An Introduction

About the Author

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.

Mona Sakr is Senior Lecturer in Education and Early Childhood at Middlesex University, UK.

Product Description

"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.

Review

“This insightful, well-researched book makes a powerful case for considering early childhood education (ECE) as key to social leadership and the building of a fairer, better society. O'Sullivan and Sakr develop a compelling model of social pedagogy that, as a work in progress, is focused, timely and relevant well beyond ECE.” ―Dr Anne Douglas, Professor Emeritus, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland

“June and Mona explain the brilliant basics needed for a social leadership culture in the ECEC sector, and the impact this systems-change approach has on society. It says to people: “you matter, and you can contribute”. Not activating this model would mean digging the grave of our entire social fabric.” ―Servane Mouazan, Founder Conscious Innovation & Ogunte, UK

“Bravo! This book brilliantly meets the moment. June O'Sullivan and Mona Sakr introduce an inspired model of leadership that centers social purpose, employee well-being, collaborative innovation, and social and ecological sustainability. Scholarly, accessible, engaging and filled with concrete suggestions and global case examples, social leadership comes alive on every page.” ―Julie Nicholson, Ph.D., Professor of Practice, Mills College and Co-Director, Center for Equity in Early Childhood, USA

“Investing in the people who work in our early years sector will bring benefits to all children and their communities – but particularly the most disadvantaged – for years to come. The best examples show strong social leadership is at the core.” ―Laura Barbour, Early Years Lead, The Sutton Trust, Leading Social Mobility Charity, UK

“This provocative model should be used by all leaders to distil social justice and sustainability deep into their organisations - an approach like this, which prioritises long-term thinking, is increasingly vital to ensure humanity's survival.” ―Lord John Bird, UK

“This book captures the voice of June as a social entrepreneur, who challenges and provokes other ways of thinking about leadership for the benefit of children and the wider community. It is a lovely insightful exploration of leadership through a social justice lens. ” ―Lord Victor Adebowale, UK