Students
ECHE8260 – Leading and Managing Early Childhood Settings
2026 – Session 1, Online-scheduled-weekday
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Convenor
Carolyn Palmer
Contact via Online
WW25B L6 121
By appointment
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| Credit points |
Credit points
10
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
[Admission to MTeach(0-5) and (40cp from ECED or ECHE units at 6000 level) and (40cp from ECED or ECHE units at 8000 level)] or [admission to MEd or GradCertIndigenousEd or MIndigenousEd or MSpecEd or GradCertEdS]
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
This unit aims to build students' capacity to lead and manage quality early childhood education settings. The unit critically examines the social, political and legal contexts within which early childhood education settings in Australia operate, and explores early childhood leadership theory. Students will investigate diverse management structures, regulatory and legislative frameworks, and the ethical and professional roles and responsibilities of early childhood teachers as leaders and managers.
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Important Academic Dates
Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
- ULO1: Understand and critically engage with the ever changing socio-political and legal contexts within which early childhood settings operate.
- ULO2: Identify key differences between the managing and leading of an early childhood setting, and the range of management structures under which early childhood settings operate.
- ULO3: Demonstrate a strong understanding of leadership theories.
- ULO4: Demonstrate knowledge and foundational skills that they, as future managers and leaders of early childhood settings require.
- ULO5: Apply high order analytical and integrative thinking skills through critique of practice and theory to understand the complexities of early childhood management and leadership.
- ULO6: Demonstrate a commitment to managing and leading ethically and professionally.
- ULO7: Develop professional judgement and vision in relation to leading and managing early childhood settings.
- ULO8: Reflect on their own knowledge and skill base and consider professional development priorities that will enable them to, as a future leader of an early childhood setting, play a critical role in that centre's provision of quality early childhood education for young children.
General Assessment Information
General Submission Information
Please format assessments using 12-point font and 1.5 spacing.
All assessments must be submitted electronically. Turnitin plagiarism detection software is used to check all written assessments. It is the responsibility of all students to ensure that their submitted work is in a format compatible with Turnitin software for plagiarism checking. Submissions must meet the required file type and formatting specifications outlined in the assessment guidelines. Failure to submit work in an acceptable format may result in delays in processing your submission and potential penalties for non-compliance with assessment requirements. If you are unsure about the file format or have technical difficulties, it is your responsibility to seek assistance before the submission deadline. Students should be careful to check that they submit the correct file for an assessment as no re-submissions will be accepted after the due date and time, including instances where students upload an incorrect file. It is not the responsibility of unit staff to contact students who have failed to submit assessments. If you have any missing items of assessment, it is your responsibility to contact the unit convenor.
Students can use Turnitin’s Originality Report as a learning tool to improve their academic writing if this option is made available in the unit.
Word limits are strictly applied. Work above the word limit will not be marked.
Students should be aware of and apply the University policy on academic integrity (see: https://policies.mq.edu.au/document/view.php?id=3).
Special Consideration / Late Penalties
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day to late submissions, up until the 7th calendar day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue.
Important to note:
- Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs) will be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application.
- Students should not request an informal arrangement from their tutor, lecturer or Unit Convenor (or equivalent).
- Where an application for Special Consideration is approved and the outcome is an extension to the due date of a task, submissions that are received after the new due date will be subject to late penalties that are calculated from the new due date. This only applies where the outcome is an extension to the due date – see the Special Consideration Policy for a schedule of all possible outcomes.
- A Special Consideration outcome may result in a new question or topic.
Applications must be made via Service Connect.
Marking
All assessments are marked using a rubric.
Marking of all assessments is moderated by the Unit Convenor.
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General Submission Information Please format assessments using 12-point font and 1.5 spacing. All assessments must be submitted electronically. Turnitin plagiarism detection software is used to check all written assessments. It is the responsibility of all students to ensure that their submitted work is in a format compatible with Turnitin software for plagiarism checking. Submissions must meet the required file type and formatting specifications outlined in the assessment guidelines. Failure to submit work in an acceptable format may result in delays in processing your submission and potential penalties for non-compliance with assessment requirements. If you are unsure about the file format or have technical difficulties, it is your responsibility to seek assistance before the submission deadline. Students should be careful to check that they submit the correct file for an assessment as no re-submissions will be accepted after the due date and time, including instances where students upload an incorrect file. It is not the responsibility of unit staff to contact students who have failed to submit assessments. If you have any missing items of assessment, it is your responsibility to contact the unit convenor. Students can use Turnitin’s Originality Report as a learning tool to improve their academic writing if this option is made available in the unit. Word limits are strictly applied. Work above the word limit will not be marked. Students should be aware of and apply the University policy on academic integrity (see: https://policies.mq.edu.au/document/view.php?id=3).
Special Consideration / Late Penalties Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day to late submissions, up until the 7th calendar day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. Important to note:
Applications must be made via Service Connect.
Marking All assessments are marked using a rubric. Marking of all assessments is moderated by the Unit Convenor.
University Policy on Grading Assignments will be awarded grades ranging from HD to F according to guidelines set out in the University's Grading System and University Assessment Policy. To attain a pass or higher grade in Professional Experience a student must obtain a satisfactory in both the Professional Experience component and a pass or higher grade in the academic component. For Professional Experience units the Professional Experience Evaluation Report is marked as Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. The Macquarie Teaching Performance Assessment (MQTPA - in final WIL/PEx units) is marked as Not met, Met or Exceeds.
Results Results shown in iLearn, or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed because they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit Service Connect.
Withdrawing from this unit If you are considering withdrawing from this unit, please seek academic advice via Service Connect before doing so as this unit may be a co-requisite or prerequisite for units in the following sessions and may impact your course progression.
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Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due | Groupwork/Individual | Short Extension | AI assisted? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Task 1: Leadership and the NQF | 30% | No | 23:55 24/03/2026 | Individual | No | Open AI |
| Assessment Task 2: Reflecting on leading | 20% | No | 23:55 10/04/2026 | Individual | No | Open AI |
| Assessment Task 3: Leadership in action | 50% | No | 23:55 31/05/2026 | Individual | No | Open AI |
Assessment Task 1: Leadership and the NQF
Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 23:55 24/03/2026
Weighting: 30%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Open
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Understand and critically engage with the ever changing socio-political and legal contexts within which early childhood settings operate.
- Demonstrate knowledge and foundational skills that they, as future managers and leaders of early childhood settings require.
- Demonstrate a commitment to managing and leading ethically and professionally.
- Reflect on their own knowledge and skill base and consider professional development priorities that will enable them to, as a future leader of an early childhood setting, play a critical role in that centre's provision of quality early childhood education for young children.
Assessment Task 2: Reflecting on leading
Assessment Type 1: Reflection task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 23:55 10/04/2026
Weighting: 20%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Open
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Understand and critically engage with the ever changing socio-political and legal contexts within which early childhood settings operate.
- Apply high order analytical and integrative thinking skills through critique of practice and theory to understand the complexities of early childhood management and leadership.
- Develop professional judgement and vision in relation to leading and managing early childhood settings.
- Reflect on their own knowledge and skill base and consider professional development priorities that will enable them to, as a future leader of an early childhood setting, play a critical role in that centre's provision of quality early childhood education for young children.
Assessment Task 3: Leadership in action
Assessment Type 1: Written Submission
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: 23:55 31/05/2026
Weighting: 50%
Groupwork/Individual: Individual
Short extension 3: No
AI assisted?: Open
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Understand and critically engage with the ever changing socio-political and legal contexts within which early childhood settings operate.
- Identify key differences between the managing and leading of an early childhood setting, and the range of management structures under which early childhood settings operate.
- Demonstrate a strong understanding of leadership theories.
- Demonstrate knowledge and foundational skills that they, as future managers and leaders of early childhood settings require.
- Apply high order analytical and integrative thinking skills through critique of practice and theory to understand the complexities of early childhood management and leadership.
- Demonstrate a commitment to managing and leading ethically and professionally.
- Develop professional judgement and vision in relation to leading and managing early childhood settings.
- Reflect on their own knowledge and skill base and consider professional development priorities that will enable them to, as a future leader of an early childhood setting, play a critical role in that centre's provision of quality early childhood education for young children.
1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:
- the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
- the Writing Centre for academic skills support.
2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation.
3 An automatic short extension is available for some assessments. Apply through the Service Connect Portal.
Delivery and Resources
Required and recommended texts
Waniganayake, M., Cheeseman, S., Fenech, M., Hadley, F., & Shepherd, S. (2024). Leadership: contexts and complexities in early childhood education (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press.
OR the previous edition (2017) which can be found second hand. Older editions are not suitable.
Highly recommended as there is limited access via the library
Kearns, K. (2021). The business of childcare. (5th ed.). Cengage
Information about the unit iLearn site
This unit has a full web presence through iLearn. Information for students about access to the online component of this unit is available at https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/index.php. You will need to enter your student username and password.
Please do NOT contact the Unit Convenor regarding iLearn technical help. Assistance is available from IT Helpdesk: via email onehelp@mq.edu.au or Ph: 9850 4357 or 1800 67 4357. On Campus: Ground floor at 18 Wally’s Walk.
Online delivery
Students enrolled in the online tutorials will require a working camera on their computer. All students are required to have their cameras on during the ZOOM tutorial as this supports engagement and learning. Students who do not have access to a camera, or who do not wish to have their camera on during online classes must enrol in the face to face tutorials.
Unit Schedule
The following topics will be explored over 10 teaching weeks.
| Date | Topic |
| 23 February | Social and Political Contexts of ECEC Settings |
| 2 March | Theorising Leadership & Management in ECEC |
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9 March |
Leading for Quality |
| 16 March | Leading and Managing in Different ECEC Management Structures |
| 23 March | Communication and Decision-making as ECEC Leaders |
| 30 March | Organisational Change and Policy |
| 9th-19th April | Recess |
| 20 April |
Business Planning and Financial Management |
| 27 April | Risk Management |
| 4th-24th May | PRAC- No classes |
| 25 May | Building Staff Teams & Networking |
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1 Jun |
Advocacy and Activism |
Policies and Procedures
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Complaints Resolution Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy
Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.
Student Code of Conduct
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct
Results
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
Academic Integrity
At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.
School of Education Procedures
In addition, the following policies and procedures for the Macquarie School of Education apply to this unit.
Academic Progression Policy
This unit is a part of a professional course listed on Schedules 2 and 3 of the Academic Progression Policy. This course has additional requirements that are applicable for the full duration of the course, including course-specific Inherent Requirements, Fitness to Practice requirements and other compulsory course requirements. It also has rigorous academic progression standards. Inability to meet these requirements may result in a withdrawal of offer of admission and/or permanent exclusion from the course in accordance with the General Coursework Rules.
Communication
It is the student’s responsibility to check all electronic communication on a weekly basis. Communication may occur via:
- Official MQ Student Email Address
- The Dialogue function on iLearn
- Other iLearn communication functions
Attendance and Participation
See the University timetable for information about when classes begin in this unit. Creating your timetable - Enrolling | Macquarie University, Sydney (mq.edu.au)
Attendance at all synchronous activities, completion of non-synchronous formative/diagnostic class tasks and involvement in professional forums is expected as the Master of Teaching/ Early Childhood is a professional qualification. Activities completed during weekly tutorials (DAY or ONLINE DAY mode) are essential for building the core knowledge and/or skills required to demonstrate the learning outcomes of this unit and to meet the AITSL Graduate Teacher Standards and/or ACECQA requirements. Attendance at all tutorials and/or on campus days is expected. Make up tasks may be given if attendance is missed to ensure all content is covered to meet accreditation requirements.
Students are required to attend the tutorial in which they are enrolled. Any changes to tutorial enrolments must be completed officially through e-Student. Please do not contact the unit convenor to request a change.
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Academic Success
Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.
- Workshops
- Chat with a WriteWISE peer writing leader
- Access StudyWISE
- Upload an assignment to Studiosity
- Complete the Academic Integrity Module
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Student Services and Support
Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:
- IT Support
- Accessibility and disability support with study
- Mental health support
- Safety support to respond to bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual assault
- Social support including information about finances, tenancy and legal issues
- Student Advocacy provides independent advice on MQ policies, procedures, and processes
Student Enquiries
Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.
IT Help
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
Unit information based on version 2026.02 of the Handbook