Sure Start is essential for vulnerable families
John Freeman
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
I have been a keen supporter of Sure Start from the start. It seemed obvious to me from what I saw in Sure Start centres that the most disadvantaged children would not only get a better start in life, but that this would have a lasting beneficial impact.
But the evidence for this has been limited. So I have been following the research from around the globe with interest. Professor Linda Pagani has been leading a longitudinal study on 1,341 children from the poorest areas of Montreal.
She has been studying children from five to 12, and the most recent report shows that five-year-olds with good levels of attention, independent working, working with their peers, and who were able to follow directions continued to display these attributes when they were 12. An earlier report from the same study showed that TV exposure among toddlers was linked to a future decrease in attainment, poorer relationships and a more sedentary lifestyle.
So far, so obvious, you might think. We already know that school failure starts young and persists. Children who don’t learn to read in primary school don’t do well in secondary. This is the reason behind government drives to raise standards of literacy in primary schools.
But the Montreal study is particularly interesting because it focuses on the poorest areas, those with the greatest deprivation, and demonstrates that there is a great variation in outcomes, with some children succeeding against the odds from the age of five. While simply dealing with the symptoms – TV watching, for example – will not by itself lead to better outcomes, the evidence seems to be clear: some parents will benefit from some straightforward parental education and support.
The real lesson is that early support for families really will have a long-term impact on children’s life chances. It is well worth investing in vulnerable families, targeting those who will benefit most. This is exactly the territory that Sure Start was set up to cover. Councils and the government must find ways of protecting Sure Start for the most vulnerable families. Waiting for children to fail at school is leaving it much too late.
John Freeman CBE is a former director of children’s services and is now a freelance consultant Read his blog at cypnow.co.uk/freemansthinking
