Quality and Inequality in the Early Years
The Project
Research tells us that high quality early years provision can help to narrow the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their more affluent peers. However, there are indications that the children most in need of good quality are the least likely to receive it, because quality is lowest among providers serving disadvantaged areas and children.
In this study the research team aim to address this important issue, using secondary analysis of data gathered between 2007 and 2013 from 1,248 early years providers and more than 40,000 children attending them. They will explore whether settings and schools located in disadvantaged areas – and those serving disadvantaged threeand four-year-olds – were offering comparable quality to those serving the more advantaged. They will also consider the drivers of quality, to explore which kinds of providers were most able to offer good quality in deprived areas.
Final Report
Quality and Inequality
Do three- and four-year-olds in deprived areas
experience lower quality early years provision?
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Pupil interactions and networks in special schoolsSeptember 2024 - August 2025This project will work with three secondary special schools to collect peer network data to better understand positive and negative interactions between special school pupils.
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LangQuest-EY: A self-report educator questionnaire to assess confidence in language supporting practices in early years settingsJuly 2023 - March 2024Download the LangQuest-EY questionnaire for early years educators to report on their confidence in using language-supporting strategies.
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Effectiveness Trial for the Evaluation of the Mathematical Reasoning Programme for Year 2 Pupils Using an Online Professional Development Training ModelFebruary 2024 - March 2026The Mathematical Reasoning (MR) programme aims to promote pupils’ understanding of numbers and number sense (encompassing additive composition of number and place value, and the inverse relation between addition and subtraction) and quantitative reasoning and problem solving (different relations that can be established between quantities, encompassing part whole or additive relations, and one to many correspondence or multiplicative relations).
More News
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NewsNew definition for bullying released to better support pupils and schoolsMay 8, 2025
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NewsNew trial will evaluate Talking Time programme for Early Years practitionersJanuary 25, 2024
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NewsReport published today provides evidence on what influences EAL learners to mitigate language learning lossMarch 17, 2021
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MediaProfessor Edward Melhuish in a TRT World Roundtable discussion on the return to schoolAugust 31, 2020
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NewsPutting children first: sharing research evidence to inform Indian education policy and practiceAugust 11, 2020
Project Details
More Projects
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Maximising the Benefits of Intervention Research for Children with and at risk of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD)December 2023 - November 2027Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is one of the most prevalent neurodevelopmental conditions, affecting around 8% of children aged 5–6 years.
-
Pupil interactions and networks in special schoolsSeptember 2024 - August 2025This project will work with three secondary special schools to collect peer network data to better understand positive and negative interactions between special school pupils.
-
Feasibility trial of an adapted anti-bullying programme for children in special schoolsOctober 2024 - September 2026This project will work with eight special schools to conduct a feasibility randomised controlled trial of anti-bullying programme KiVa-SEND.
-
Effects of Education Endowment Foundation interventions on protection from COVID-19 learning lossOctober 2024 - March 2025This project investigates whether and to what extent Education Endowment Foundation interventions had protective effects against learning loss due to COVID-19 disruption.
-
LangQuest-EY: A self-report educator questionnaire to assess confidence in language supporting practices in early years settingsJuly 2023 - March 2024Download the LangQuest-EY questionnaire for early years educators to report on their confidence in using language-supporting strategies.
-
Effectiveness Trial for the Evaluation of the Mathematical Reasoning Programme for Year 2 Pupils Using an Online Professional Development Training ModelFebruary 2024 - March 2026The Mathematical Reasoning (MR) programme aims to promote pupils’ understanding of numbers and number sense (encompassing additive composition of number and place value, and the inverse relation between addition and subtraction) and quantitative reasoning and problem solving (different relations that can be established between quantities, encompassing part whole or additive relations, and one to many correspondence or multiplicative relations).
More News
-
NewsNew definition for bullying released to better support pupils and schoolsMay 8, 2025
-
NewsNew trial will evaluate Talking Time programme for Early Years practitionersJanuary 25, 2024
-
NewsReport published today provides evidence on what influences EAL learners to mitigate language learning lossMarch 17, 2021
-
MediaProfessor Edward Melhuish in a TRT World Roundtable discussion on the return to schoolAugust 31, 2020
-
NewsPutting children first: sharing research evidence to inform Indian education policy and practiceAugust 11, 2020