This publication takes as its background the radical reforms that have taken place in the field of services for children following the passing of the Children Act of 2004 and the subsequent Government white paper, Every Child Matters: Change for children. It argues that the fundamental requirements for leadership for learning in the early years should be provided by considering social contexts, adopting a commitment to collective working and focusing on improving children's learning outcomes. Effective Leadership in the Early Years Sector is based on the analysis of a wide range of literature on leadership in the early years and is simultaneously grounded in information taken from effective early years settings, as identified in studies funded by the Department for Education and Skills. It identifies a range of `categories of effective leadership practice' in the effective settings that will be valuable in the development of leadership training.