Key persons are the lynchpins of any early years setting, as they shoulder the responsibility for creating the family atmosphere in which children can thrive.
Effective delivery of the Early Years Foundation Stage, with its emphasis on meeting the needs of the individual child, will depend largely on key persons fulfilling this role (see box below).
'The main purpose of a key person system is to create a "family" atmosphere,' says Jo Lea, manager of Charlie Caterpillars Day Nursery in Bloxwich. 'When looking at setting up the key person system, we have to take into account the sessions that the child attends, the hours the team member works and the compatibility between the child, parent/carer and the team member. We encourage the child to choose their own key person and allow up to two weeks for this to happen.'
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