<i>‘There is something special between us’</i> : reimagining assessment through CARIÑO

This paper critiques the limitations of current standardised assessment practices for young children and introduces the CASEC model (CARIÑO in Assessment impacts Emotional Competence) as an alternative. Grounded in relational pedagogy, the model integrates CARIÑO -spontaneous, immediate, and intense demonstrations of love- to support the development of emotional competence in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings. The paper also explores the ongoing debate around assessing 4-year-olds, arguing that such approaches often prioritise numerical data for global comparisons over children's individual developmental needs. In England, children aged 4 to 5 are typically assessed under the Early Years Foundation Stage framework (EYFSF) shaped by neoliberal policy agendas. Drawing on a single case study from an English setting, the paper examines how relational interactions informed by CARIÑO impact emotional development and presents the CASEC model as an approach that captures these relational moments. The findings demonstrate the significance of immediate emotional exchanges in the face of policy pressures and position CARIÑO as central to inclusive, emotionally responsive practices in ECEC. The conclusion calls for assessment approaches that allow emotional competence to emerge organically through practitioner-child interactions, urging a rethinking of current ECEC assessment policies.