Successful personal, social and emotional development is critical for very young children in all aspects of their lives and gives them the best opportunity for success in all other areas of learning. It is crucial that settings provide the experiences and support to enable children to develop a positive sense of themselves.

To give all children the best opportunities for personal, social and emotional development, we will give particular attention to:

• establishing constructive relationships with children, with other adults, between adults and children, with parents and with workers from other agencies, that take account of differences and different needs and expectations
• finding opportunities to give positive encouragement to children, with adults acting as positive role models
• planning opportunities for children to work alone and in small and large groups
• ensuring that there is time and space for children to focus on activities and experiences and develop their own interests
• planning activities that promote emotional, moral, spiritual and social development alongside intellectual development
• planning experiences that help children develop autonomy and the disposition to learn
• providing positive images in, for example, books and displays that challenge children's thinking and help them to embrace differences in gender, ethnicity, religion, special educational needs and disabilities
• providing opportunities for play and learning that acknowledge children's particular religious beliefs and cultural backgrounds
• planning for the development of independence skills, particularly for children who are highly dependent upon adult support for personal care
• providing support and a structured approach to achieve the successful social and emotional development of vulnerable children and those with particular behavioural or communication difficulties