Carol Aubrey is Emeritus Professor of Early Childhood at the Centre for Educational Studies, University of Warwick where she was previously Director of Research. She trained as an early years and primary teacher and then as an educational psychologist. Later she spent a number of years in primary teacher education with a particular focus on the early years, first at University College Cardiff and then at the University of Durham where she directed the postgraduate Certificate of Education (Primary) and, for a time, was Deputy and Acting Director of the School of Education. Thereafter she led the Centre for International Studies in Early Childhood at Christ Church University for a while. Her research interests lie in the area of the policy-to-practice context of early childhood care and education, nationally and internationally, and early learning and development, with a special interest in early mathematics and ICT, creativity and inclusion/special needs. She has had long-term interest in the development of children’s centres from evaluation of Sure Start Local Programmes, through the challenges of children’s centre leadership to the capture of children’s voices and thoughts on the services that they receive.