Trust is central to high-quality early years practice and pedagogy. ‘Trust children,’ urged American author and educator John Holt, adding, knowingly, ‘Nothing could be more simple, or more difficult’ (1967).
Only by trusting a child, can they learn to become trusting. Only by trusting children’s innate curiosity to direct their own learning can we provide them with the freedom to follow their own interests and embark on new challenges. And only by trusting children’s judgement can we support their ability to assess and take risks.
Trust within the early years is not limited to that between practitioner and child. As an early years workforce, we need the trust of Government to deliver best practice with confidence. And we need to trust parents – and they us – to build a holistic picture of the child and their needs, and pass on key messages about early learning and development.
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