What Does Quality Really Mean in Early Years? A Conversation with Chris Pascal OBE and Tony Bertram

Quality in Early Years education is a term used constantly by policymakers, inspectors, leaders and teachers. But what does quality actually mean for children, families and educators?

In this conversation, Professor Chris Pascal OBE and Professor Tony Bertram share decades of research, experience and practical wisdom to explore the foundations of high-quality Early Years provision. Together, we discuss pedagogy, leadership, workforce development, community, inequality, outdoor play, screen time, AI and what it means to help children live well in today’s world.

From Birmingham to Europe: Building Communities of Practice

Chris and Tony’s life’s work is etched into two institutions many of us cherish.

First, CREC (Centre for Research in Early Childhood) has, for 30 years, anchored world-class research, professional development and advocacy in the heart of Birmingham. It’s a place set up with purpose: to connect academic rigour to lived practice, policy and the daily realities of early learning and care.

Second, there’s EECERA (European Early Childhood Education Research Association), now one of the largest and most vibrant Early Years research and networking organisations in the world, with the highly regarded EECERJ journal to match.

Its origin story is pure serendipity: a talk in the Netherlands about school starting ages led to a chance conversation with Ferre Laevers, then to Belgium, then to Greece, and quickly to the insight that Europe needed a roaming, city-hosted conference dedicated to Early Years.

It was a brave idea. Now it’s a movement.

What Do We Mean by Quality in Early Years?

The question sounds simple. It is anything but.

Chris and Tony’s response is refreshingly clear: quality starts with the process, the interactions and relationships between children and the adults (and peers) around them.

Begin there, build out to the environment, and outcomes will follow. Reverse-engineer from tests and targets and you will miss the living heart of learning.

They refer to the Effective Early Learning (EEL) Programme, which identifies ten dimensions of quality, including one of the most neglected: leadership.

Too often, schools lack senior leaders with strong Early Years expertise. Leadership determines the climate for practice, the value placed on pedagogy, and whether staff are supported to do the real work of quality: being with children in ways that are skilled, intentional and joyful.

The Three Essential Elements of Early Years Pedagogy

Chris and Tony describe pedagogy through three deceptively simple pillars:

1. Sensitivity

How we engage with children: our grasp of development, our attunement, and the sheer delight of being with them.

If you don’t genuinely like children, this work isn’t for you.

2. Stimulation

Knowing when and how to spark curiosity, follow the child’s lead and “walk hand in hand” while discovering the world together.

3. Autonomy and Agency

Perhaps the most overlooked element.

Children need opportunities to follow their own fascinations, enter states of flow, and encounter surprises that prompt them to reorganise their understanding.

Offer a child a stone and water, then switch the stone for pumice. When it floats, their theories must shift. That reconstruction of knowledge is learning at its best.

Quality, then, is an ecosystem: skilled adults, rich relationships, and environments dense with possibility, serendipity, surprises, provocations and the space for children to think, test and thrive.

With those in place, outcomes don’t need to be forced; they arise.

Why the Early Years Workforce Matters

If quality is built in interactions, then the workforce is the engine room.

Yet we know the sector isn’t currently seen as an attractive place to be. That must change.

Quality is a collective endeavour. We don’t create it with slogans or inspection templates but by investing in people, pay, status, training, time, and leadership that understands Early Years as a whole-child, whole-community mission.

Crucially, quality is perspective-dependent.

A child’s sense of quality may focus on friends, outdoor play, family and agency. Parents may prioritise safety, trust and communication. Apprentices may value coaching and progression. Teachers may need time, ratios and professional autonomy.

A high-quality Early Years system honours all these perspectives while keeping the child’s lived experience at the centre.

Community Anchors in a Fragmented World

Many Early Years settings act as what Peter Moss calls “community anchors.”

And we need them.

Today’s algorithmic world can isolate us, fracture solidarity and pull attention away from place. Add to this the reality of inequality and poverty, with one in three children in the UK living in poverty, and we see how the current system fails too many families.

The answer is not to single out children as problems to fix. It is to include them fully in the best of what we offer and design services and public spaces that foster belonging.

Recent initiatives such as the Child Poverty Strategy and Best Start in Life agenda are encouraging if they rebuild integrated services around young children and families.

Screens, AI and the Future of Childhood

We also talked about screen time, technology and AI in Early Years.

This is not a simplistic good-versus-bad debate.

There is room for empathy for an overwhelmed parent who needs a moment to breathe and for tools that help people connect.

But we must also acknowledge the costs: reduced movement, reduced interaction and the narrowing of imagination when toys talk back and solve the mystery for us.

One image stayed with me: the traditional corn dolly. Beautifully crafted, yet faceless, leaving room for the child to imagine the expression.

That is the gift of analogue experiences.

Technology has a place, but real-world, face-to-face and open-ended experiences must lead. Childhood needs depth, texture and the productive boredom from which creativity grows.

Why Outdoor Play Matters

Play is not a luxury. It is the medium through which children learn.

Children operate differently outdoors. They need space for movement, risk, collaboration and wonder.

Too many settings lack adequate outdoor provision, and it shows in children’s physical and mental health.

Chris and Tony advocate for slow pedagogy: deep time together, fewer targets and more presence in the moment.

Belonging is a condition for learning. And belonging is built slowly through trust, warmth, humour and continuity.

Leadership That Builds Systems, Not Silos

If we want quality at scale, we need leaders who understand Early Years, work across disciplines and help parents feel they truly belong.

Quality is not individual heroism.

It is a system that helps children live well now physically, emotionally and socially while preparing them to contribute positively to society in the future.

Mental health, physical health and sustainability are not extras. They are outcomes of quality childhoods.

Ultimately, our conversation kept circling back to one question:

What does it mean to live well together in today’s world?

When we take that seriously, quality stops being an elusive concept and becomes a daily practice: sensitive, stimulating, agentic, relationship-rich and community-anchored.

That’s a definition worth working for.

Key Takeaways

1. Start with interactions, not outcomes

Quality grows from sensitive, stimulating relationships that honour children’s autonomy and agency. Outcomes follow from strong foundations.

2. Invest in workforce and leadership

Skilled educators and Early Years-literate leaders create the conditions for quality through trust, coaching, integration and strong partnerships with families.

3. Protect the texture of childhood

Prioritise play, outdoor learning, imagination and belonging in a screen-saturated world so children develop resilience, creativity and agency.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is quality in Early Years education?

Quality in Early Years education refers to the interactions, relationships, environments and leadership that support children’s learning, wellbeing and development. It goes beyond outcomes and focuses on children’s lived experiences.

Why are relationships important in Early Years?

Research consistently shows that warm, responsive relationships are central to children’s emotional security, learning and development. High-quality interactions form the foundation of effective Early Years practice.

What are the key elements of Early Years pedagogy?

Chris Pascal OBE and Tony Bertram identify three core elements: sensitivity, stimulation, and autonomy and agency. Together, these create conditions where children can thrive.

How does leadership influence quality in Early Years settings?

Leadership shapes culture, professional development, staff wellbeing and the overall quality of provision. Strong Early Years leadership creates environments where children and educators flourish.

What role does play have in child development?

Play is the primary way young children learn. Through play, children develop social, emotional, physical and cognitive skills while building creativity, confidence and resilience.

How should Early Years settings approach screens and AI?

Technology can support learning and connection, but it should not replace real-world experiences. Face-to-face interaction, outdoor play and open-ended exploration should remain central to childhood.

Listen to the Full Conversation

If you’re interested in Early Years quality, pedagogy, leadership, play, child development and the future of Early Childhood Education, this conversation is packed with practical insights and thought-provoking ideas.

Listen to the full podcast with Chris Pascal OBE and Tony Bertram here