Articles / Leadership Courses for Early Years: Sector Development Guide
Development, Training & CoachingExplore leadership courses for early years professionals. Learn about development options, qualifications, and how to build leadership in early childhood settings.
Written by Laura Bouttell • Thu 2nd October 2025
Leadership courses for early years address the distinctive challenges facing those who lead in early childhood education and care settings—where developing young children, supporting families, managing diverse teams, and navigating regulatory complexity create demands unlike any other sector. Research from the Education Policy Institute indicates that leadership quality in early years settings directly correlates with children's developmental outcomes and setting quality ratings. Yet early years professionals often receive extensive child development training whilst leadership development remains incidental.
Understanding early years leadership development—what it involves, how it differs from general leadership training, and what qualifications and options exist—enables practitioners to invest strategically in capability that serves children, families, and teams.
Early years leadership involves challenges that distinguish it from other sectors:
Child development focus: Leaders must understand child development deeply whilst building leadership capability. Technical expertise and leadership skill must coexist.
Family partnership: Early years settings partner with families in children's development. Family relationships require sensitivity and communication skill beyond typical stakeholder management.
Regulatory complexity: Ofsted requirements, safeguarding obligations, and sector regulations create compliance demands that affect daily operations.
Workforce challenges: The sector faces persistent recruitment, retention, and qualification challenges. Leading under staffing pressure requires particular capability.
Mixed funding models: Many settings navigate complex funding landscapes—government schemes, private fees, grants. Financial sustainability demands business acumen.
Emotional intensity: Working with young children and families involves emotional labour. Leaders must support teams whilst managing their own responses.
Multi-professional coordination: Early years leaders coordinate with health visitors, social workers, speech therapists, and other professionals. Cross-boundary working requires collaborative skill.
| Early Years Challenge | Leadership Implication | Required Capability |
|---|---|---|
| Child development focus | Dual expertise | Technical + leadership |
| Family partnership | Relationship management | Communication, empathy |
| Regulatory complexity | Compliance navigation | Quality systems |
| Workforce challenges | Team stability | Retention, development |
| Mixed funding | Financial viability | Business acumen |
| Emotional intensity | Team support | Emotional intelligence |
Research demonstrates leadership's impact:
Ofsted ratings: Settings with effective leadership consistently achieve higher quality ratings. Leadership predicts inspection outcomes.
Staff outcomes: Leadership quality affects retention, engagement, and professional development. Staff stay where they feel supported and developed.
Child outcomes: Studies link leadership quality to children's developmental progress. Effective leadership creates conditions for quality practice.
Family satisfaction: Leadership affects how families experience settings. Parent relationships reflect leadership culture.
Setting sustainability: Effective leadership enables financial and operational sustainability. Settings fail or thrive partly based on leadership quality.
Early years leadership qualifications include:
Level 3 qualifications: Foundation-level leadership content within practitioner qualifications. Introduces leadership concepts for those beginning their career.
Level 5 leadership programmes: Middle leadership qualifications for room leaders, deputies, and aspiring managers. Addresses leading teams within settings.
NPQEYL (National Professional Qualification for Early Years Leadership): Government-backed qualification for those leading early years settings or aspiring to do so. Comprehensive leadership development.
Level 6/7 leadership qualifications: Advanced qualifications for senior leaders. Often combined with broader management content.
Early Years Teacher Status with leadership focus: Graduate-level qualification with leadership components. Combines pedagogical expertise with leadership preparation.
Sector-specific leadership courses: Short programmes from sector organisations, providers, and training companies. Targeted skill development.
Programme types include:
National professional qualifications: NPQEYL and related NPQs provide structured, government-recognised development. Subsidised places available.
University programmes: Degree and postgraduate qualifications with early years leadership focus. Academic credential combined with practical application.
Awarding body qualifications: CACHE, NCFE, and other awarding organisations offer leadership qualifications. Recognised credentials with practical focus.
Local authority programmes: Many authorities provide leadership development for their early years workforce. Often subsidised or free.
Private training providers: Commercial organisations offering leadership courses. Variable quality; research providers carefully.
Professional body development: Organisations like Early Years Alliance and NDNA offer member development. Sector-focused content.
| Programme Type | Typical Level | Duration | Recognition |
|---|---|---|---|
| NPQEYL | 5-6 | 18 months | DfE recognised |
| University | 6-7 | 1-3 years | Academic qualification |
| Awarding body | 3-6 | Variable | Industry recognised |
| Local authority | Various | Variable | Local recognition |
| Private provider | Various | Variable | Variable |
Quality programmes address:
Leading practice: Ensuring quality pedagogy, implementing curriculum frameworks, and driving practice improvement.
Managing people: Team leadership, performance management, supervision, and professional development.
Working with families: Partnership approaches, difficult conversations, and family engagement strategies.
Quality and compliance: Self-evaluation, continuous improvement, Ofsted preparation, and regulatory compliance.
Business management: Financial planning, sustainability, marketing, and operational efficiency.
Safeguarding leadership: Creating safeguarding cultures, designated safeguarding lead responsibilities, and managing concerns.
Change and improvement: Leading change initiatives, overcoming resistance, and sustaining improvement.
Personal leadership: Self-awareness, resilience, work-life balance, and authentic leadership.
Effective approaches include:
Practice-based learning: Applying concepts to real setting challenges. Early years leaders value practical application.
Peer learning: Learning alongside other early years leaders facing similar challenges. Peer support proves valuable.
Coaching and mentoring: Individual support translating general learning to specific contexts.
Workplace projects: Improvement initiatives providing development through application.
Reflection: Structured reflection on leadership experience. Reflective practice aligns with early years culture.
Visits and observations: Learning from other settings. Seeing practice elsewhere expands perspectives.
Early years leadership positions include:
Room leader: Leading a specific room or age group within a setting. First leadership responsibility for many practitioners.
Deputy manager: Supporting the manager with setting leadership. Stepping stone to manager role.
Setting manager: Overall leadership responsibility for a single setting. Primary leadership role in most contexts.
Area/regional manager: Leading multiple settings for larger providers. Strategic and operational leadership across sites.
Owner/director: Combining ownership with leadership. Business and leadership responsibilities intersect.
Specialist leaders: SENCO, safeguarding lead, or curriculum specialists with leadership dimensions.
Quality improvement roles: Supporting leadership across multiple settings. Often local authority or provider positions.
Typical progression:
1. Practitioner to room leader: Taking responsibility for specific areas or age groups. First leadership experience.
2. Room leader to deputy: Expanding responsibility across the setting. Supporting manager functions.
3. Deputy to manager: Assuming overall setting responsibility. Full leadership accountability.
4. Manager to multi-site or strategic roles: Leadership across multiple settings or strategic functions.
Development combines qualification achievement, experience accumulation, and deliberate capability building.
Development strategies include:
Seek formal qualifications: Pursue relevant leadership qualifications. NPQEYL provides structured pathway.
Take on leadership responsibilities: Volunteer for projects, lead initiatives, take on coordination roles. Experience develops capability.
Find mentors: Connect with experienced early years leaders. Mentors provide guidance and support.
Engage in reflection: Process leadership experiences systematically. Reflection enables learning from experience.
Learn from peers: Join networks, attend conferences, participate in forums. Peers provide perspective and support.
Read and study: Engage with leadership literature and sector research. Self-directed learning sustains development.
Seek feedback: Request input on leadership practice. Feedback illuminates blind spots.
Settings enable development through:
Protected time: Allowing time for development activities. Time is the scarcest resource.
Financial support: Funding qualifications and training. Investment signals commitment.
Mentoring structures: Connecting developing leaders with experienced practitioners.
Developmental responsibilities: Creating opportunities to lead projects and initiatives.
Feedback cultures: Providing regular, honest feedback on leadership practice.
Career discussions: Helping practitioners plan their development pathway.
Sources include:
DfE/Education and Training Foundation: NPQEYL and related national qualifications. Visit government websites for approved providers.
Local authorities: Many authorities offer early years workforce development. Contact your local authority early years team.
Universities: Search for early years or education leadership programmes at regional universities.
Sector organisations: Early Years Alliance, NDNA, Pre-school Learning Alliance, and others offer member development.
Training providers: Companies specialising in early years training. Research quality and recognition carefully.
Employers: Larger providers often offer internal leadership development. Ask about development opportunities.
Funding sources include:
Government subsidies: NPQEYL is often fully or partially funded. Check current funding arrangements.
Apprenticeship levy: Leadership qualifications may be funded through apprenticeship routes.
Local authority funding: Some authorities fund workforce development. Check local availability.
Employer investment: Many employers fund staff development. Negotiate support.
Charitable grants: Some charities support early years professional development. Research sector-specific options.
Personal investment: Self-funding may be necessary for some programmes. Consider investment against career value.
Early years leadership is the capacity to lead in early childhood education and care settings—guiding teams, ensuring quality practice, partnering with families, managing operations, and creating conditions for children's development. It combines understanding of child development with leadership capability, addressing the distinctive challenges of the early years sector.
Managing an early years setting typically requires Level 3 childcare qualifications minimum, with Level 5 or 6 qualifications increasingly expected for management roles. NPQEYL is becoming the recognised leadership qualification for the sector. Requirements vary by provider and authority; check specific expectations in your context.
NPQEYL is the National Professional Qualification for Early Years Leadership—a government-backed qualification for those leading or aspiring to lead early years settings. It covers leading practice, people management, quality improvement, business management, and personal leadership. Duration is typically 18 months; funding support is often available.
Early years leadership training duration varies by programme. Short courses run days to weeks; certificate qualifications take months; NPQEYL requires approximately 18 months; degree programmes take one to three years. Choose duration matching your development needs and available commitment.
Improve early years leadership by: pursuing relevant qualifications (NPQEYL, leadership certificates), taking on leadership responsibilities in your setting, finding mentors who can guide your development, reflecting systematically on leadership experiences, networking with other early years leaders, and engaging with leadership literature and research.
Funding for early years leadership training is available through several sources: government subsidies for NPQEYL, apprenticeship levy funding, local authority workforce development budgets, employer investment, and charitable grants. Funding availability changes; research current options when planning development.
Good early years leaders demonstrate: deep understanding of child development and pedagogy, skill in leading and developing teams, ability to partner effectively with families, competence in managing operations and compliance, emotional intelligence and resilience, and commitment to continuous improvement. Effective leaders combine sector expertise with leadership capability.
Leadership courses for early years address the distinctive challenges facing those who lead in early childhood settings. Quality leadership directly affects children's developmental outcomes, staff experience, family relationships, and setting sustainability.
Invest in leadership development deliberately. Pursue qualifications that the sector recognises. Build capability through experience combined with formal learning. Seek support from mentors and peers.
The children in early years settings deserve leaders who combine pedagogical expertise with leadership excellence. Their futures depend partly on the quality of leadership in their earliest educational experiences.
Develop deliberately. Lead with purpose. Serve children by leading teams effectively.