ABSTRACT
The growth in the number of infants attending Early Childhood, Education and Care (ECEC) settings in England has been relatively new compared to the long history of provision for three- and four-year olds. This chapter introduces some of the complexities of the role and unpicks the challenges. In England, ECEC settings including home-based childminders, creches, family centres, home and purpose-built day nursery settings are regulated by the education authority, following an Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. Fundamental to an infant’s healthy development in ECEC settings are the positive and close relationships between their practitioner as key person. Familiarity, pattern and predictability of care responses give infants a sense of self. Communities of learning potentially offer the opportunities to make learning happen, by creating enhanced learning environments for students in education. Supervision support normally occurs every four to six weeks and is carried out by the supervisor and practitioner for an ideal duration of approximately one to two hours.
