Lesson to Learn

BIG changes to education for young children has had no difference on their development, according to research by Durham University.

A six-year study of 35,000 children showed development and skills at the start of school are no different now than they were before the introduction of the early childhood curriculum, Sure Start programme, free nursery education for all three-year-olds and the more recent introduction of the Children’s Act 2002 and Every Child Matters initiative.

The research used the Performance Indicators in Primary Schools (PIPS) assessment to measure the development of children on entry into primary school between 2001 and 2006. The authors believe it reveals potential policy implications for future early years initiatives.

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