Attending a high quality pre-school followed by an academically effective primary school gives a significant boost to children's development.
These are the findings of a new study which shows that a stimulating early years home-learning environment also provides a sound foundation on which these experiences build.
The Effective Pre-school and Primary Education Project (EPPE 3-11) carried out the study. One the principal investigators of the project is Pam Sammons, a Professor of Education at The University of Nottingham. She said: "The EPPE research confirms the importance of early experiences and the powerful combination of home, pre-school and primary school in improving children's learning."
EPPE 3-11, which is managed by the Institute of Education, University of London, tracked 3,000 children from the time they started pre-school until age 11. The findings include:
Pre-school helps to combat social disadvantage
- Good pre-schools benefit all children but high quality is especially important for children who have special educational needs, mothers with low qualifications or come from unstimulating homes.
Primary schools affect development
- The overall quality of teaching affects children's social behaviour and intellectual development.
- Much variation in the quality of teaching was found (measured in Year 5 [age 10] classrooms in 2003/4), and this has a more powerful impact on children's academic progress children's than their gender or whether or not they receive free school meals.
- Overall quality of teaching tends to be higher in classrooms where teachers use plenary sessions consistently.
- Children who attend a more academically effective primary school show better attainment and progress in Key Stage 2 (ages 7 to 11) than children with similar characteristics who attend a less effective school.
- Attending a primary school high in academic effectiveness gives a particular boost to children who have many disadvantages.
Home matters too
- Higher parents' qualification levels are strongly associated with children's attainment and social behaviour for children at age 11.
- A stimulating home learning environment at age 3-4 years is linked to long-term gains in children's development. The influence of the home-learning environment on children's development is similar in strength to their mother's qualification level.
The Effective Pre-School and Primary Education project (EPPE 1997 - 2008) is a long term study funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. It has followed the progress and development of approximately 2,800 children since they began pre-school over 10 years ago.