Leading and implementing change in Childhood Education: the case study of the EYFS 2012 framework principles implementation and student increase at Brilliance International School in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

This study aims to present an analysis of a leadership movement in Childhood Education initiated in the first 6 months of the year 2014 implementing the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework 2012 principles in a foreign country (in this case, Cambodia) and the significant student increase (over 25% new subscriptions in a four months period) that happened at Brilliance International School, a for profit organisation located in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Brilliance International School is a private owned school located in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, created in the year 2013. Its target audience are children from 3 months to 6 years old, with an initial group of less than 30 students. The change was initiated in January 2014 and the implementation process will be analysed until the middle of May during the same year.

The study discusses firstly explains the principles of the EYFS framework 2012 principles. It consists of a series of standards for Early Childhood Care and Education providers explained in the first part, followed by theories about change management and leadership that are later compared with the case study of the leadership in case. The case study was based on the perspective of the headteacher.

The key findings relate to the fact that general change models, especially the ones related to the management of for profit organisations, tend to over-complexify the management of small schools, even with similarities present. Other key findings include the observance of cultural aspects whilst implementing a pre-set framework from one country to another.