Early Education is a charity registered in England and Scotland and a company limited by guarantee. Its governance is set out in its constitution. The charity’s strategic direction and compliance with its legal obligations are overseen by its Board of Trustees.
Trustees are appointed for a three-year term and have the option of standing for re-election for one further three year term at the end of their first term of office. Trustees must not serve for more than six consecutive years. Nine places are elected by the membership and six places are filled by co-option based on the skills needed by the organisation.
The Board of Trustees meets four times a year and trustees are responsible for ensuring that the charity is well-managed in line with the organisation’s overall strategic direction and its charitable objectives.
The Board of Trustees also delegates some of its work to the Finance and General Purposes Committee and ad hoc working groups as required.
All Trustees give their time voluntarily and are not remunerated.
There are six trustees vacancies to be filled by election this autumn at least one of which must be filled by someone from Wales and one by someone from Northern Ireland. For further details read our Trustee nomination form 2026 and the Trustee role description above. The deadline for nominations for elected trustees is noon on 5 November 2026.
The work of Early Education is guided by a set of principles and a Code of Ethics.
We believe:
Early Education supports families and early childhood practitioners across all early childhood education settings in order to deliver effective learning and care that is underpinned with a robust understanding of the development of young children.
Early Education believes every child deserves the best possible start in life and support to fulfil their potential. A child’s experience in the early years has a major impact on their future life chances. A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right, and provides the foundation for children to make the most of their own abilities and talents as they grow up.
Our next AGM will take place on Wednesday 18 November 2026, from 6.00-7.00pm including a farewell Presidential Address from Professor Dame Cathy Nutbrown.
