Teresa Porter, headteacher at Riccarton Early Childhood Centre Years, in Kilmarnock, was made an MBE in 2020 after many years of outstanding service in the sector. A few months later that same year, Riccarton ECC won the early years category at the Tes Schools Awards, beating off competition from throughout the UK.

She tells us why leaders should also be learners, why every primary teacher should get experience in a nursery, and how to stay enthusiastic about a career you’ve been in for 30 years.

1. What I wish I’d known when I started teaching

When I started my career as a primary teacher (a few years ago), I didn’t fully appreciate the value of nursery schools and the vast array of skills that children learn in the early years. When I started a job as a nursery teacher, I quickly realised the power of early childhood education as well as the importance of children learning through play and their ability to lead their own learning. I would urge all primary teachers to spend time in an early years setting to fully appreciate the importance of play pedagogy.  

2. The most important qualities an early years leader needs are...

The most important quality of any leader is someone who is dedicated to making a difference within their setting. You should have a clear vision, good communication and not be afraid to take risks. This takes a lot of hard work, determination and courage. A successful leader will be a kind, compassionate person and work hard at building respectful relationships with everyone involved in the life of their school. By truly listening to others and seeking their views, you will inspire and empower others to be successful leaders and drive forward improvements.   

3. The most important lessons I’ve learned from doing this job are...

I started my teaching career with passion and enthusiasm, with the aim of making a difference to children’s lives. Along the way, you can at times be caught up in pressures of the job and bureaucratic demands. It is important to make time every day to spend it with children and staff. When you are fully involved in the life of the school or centre, you appreciate what works well, what needs to be improved and you build those all-important relationships.

Thirty years on, I feel I have as much passion and enthusiasm for the job. There is no better feeling than seeing a child flourish or supporting a family and making a real difference to their life.

4. The best change I ever made in my nursery to my practice was...

I was fortunate to participate in a one-year international exchange to Australia. I worked in an early childhood centre and studied outdoor learning. On returning to Scotland, I decided to put into practice what I had learned. With the support of parents and local businesses, we went about creating a woodland area in our outdoor space. Staff participated in valuable training and the children gained free-flow access to a natural woodland space every day, in all weathers.

5. If I could change something about Scottish education it would be...

I am so passionate about the early years sector and the difference it makes to children’s lives. However, I feel the sector is under too much scrutiny. All early years establishments are inspected by two different bodies, both overseen by the Scottish government. Not only is this a huge drain on government finances but it is also huge pressure on the sector. Like primary and secondary sectors, I would like to see one inspection body inspecting early childhood centres.  

6. My most memorable moment as a leader was...

I feel very fortunate and proud to have had many such moments in my career but the most memorable was in 2018 when the centre was inspected by Education Scotland. My vision over the years has always been to strive for excellence and be sector leading but I knew how difficult it was to achieve one “excellent” grade for the quality indicators - I never expected us to receive that for all four indicators. I was totally shocked and rather emotional. To this date, I still cannot quite believe it was the best inspection report ever within this model. The difficult part now is maintaining the high quality and standards every day.

7. The worst mistake I ever made was...

This is a tough question. I know I have made plenty of mistakes over the years but I honestly can’t think of the worst mistake. There have been times of miscommunication or not keeping accurate records that come to mind, but I think the positive thing about making mistakes is that we learn from them and improve in the future. 

8. My top tip for aspiring leaders is...

Don’t try to do everything on your own. I love to learn from others. If I find something good happening elsewhere or a better way of working, I need to find out about it and go about adapting it to make improvements in my own centre.

I also love to share with others our own practice and ideas. Sometimes the best ideas come from the people you work with. Recently we had an unannounced inspection by the Care Inspectorate and the inspector said she loved how the team felt nurtured and empowered.

My other top tip would be to always lead by example, and make yourself visible and approachable.

9. When dealing with challenging children, my go-to strategy is...

To treat every child as if they were your own. Having my own children has definitely made me a more compassionate teacher. I like to think of misbehaviour as stress behaviour, and what the child needs most is a feeling of safety. We need to remember that all behaviour is communication. The adult should remain calm, smile and have kind words. When the child is calm, you can give them some strategies and a nurturing base to support them in regulating their feelings. It is wonderful to see children make progress in regulating their emotions.

10. The best CPD I ever did was...

After the successful Education Scotland inspection in 2018, I completed training to be an associate assessor. I thoroughly enjoyed this training but also found aspects of it challenging and it took me out my comfort zone. I have had the privilege of visiting schools and centres across Scotland, sharing my knowledge and experience to help early years establishments improve. But it works both ways - these visits also inspire and motivate me as a leader.

*More educators answer Tes Scotland’s 10 questions:

• Additional support needs teacher Aidan Miller.
• Early years leader Lynn McNair.
• Primary headteacher Jenny Watson.
• Secondary headteacher Bruce Robertson.
• Independent school head Melvyn Roffe.