ABSTRACT
This chapter explores an innovative Communication Project carried out in a large university-based nursery offering care and early education to university staff and students’ children aged from three months to five years old. It considers the aspects of leadership and pedagogical approaches which supported the development of a learning community and which facilitated an enabling communication environment for both children and staff within this context. The nursery catchment is diverse both culturally and socially with many children learning English as an additional language. There was a lack of clarity in how managers and practitioners knew how to respond if an adult or child experienced difficulty in learning and staff were often uncertain about what they could do to contribute to the provision of a communication–rich environment. Practitioners demonstrate greater willingness and creativity in their approach planning for children’s learning and provided richer learning opportunities for all.
