Special Report: Early Learning and School Readiness

Successive governments over the past 20 years have sought to narrow the attainment gap for disadvantaged children by enhancing the quality and quantity of early education.

A 2004 report by the Social Exclusion Unit, Breaking the Cycle, highlights how high-quality early years provision has been shown to improve children's development, particularly among poorer groups. This was a driver for the creation of Sure Start centres in the late 1990s, and a reason why the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition introduced in September 2010 an entitlement for 15 hours a week of free early education for all three- and four-year-olds. The entitlement has since been extended to the poorest 40 per cent of two-year-olds, and under measures introduced by the Conservatives, 30 hours a week of free childcare will be available for all three- and four-year-olds from September.

Politicians and policymakers see early education as being vital for building the social, emotional and academic skills that pre-school children need to go on to succeed in school.

CYP Now's special report on early learning and school readiness summarises the key policies shaping services, assesses latest evidence on the effectiveness of different approaches to early education, and highlights four examples of innovative practice in helping children transition from childcare to school.

Click on these article links for more:

Early learning and school readiness: Policy Context

Early learning and school readiness: Research Evidence

Early Childhood Research Review 2003-2017

Starting Strong V - Transitions for Early Childhood Education and Care to Primary Education

School Readiness and Self-Regulation: A Developmental Psychobiological Approach

Study of Early Education and Development: Good Practice in Early Education

Early learning and school readiness: Practice examples:

Gaywood First Steps

The Village Nursery

Little Stars Childcare Centre

Starting Schools Together