According to Durham University a string of government policies, including the expansion of free part-time nursery places, aimed at boosting pre-school children’s educational achievement in England has had no impact. Children’s vocabulary, ability to count and name shapes when they start school are no better than they were six years ago, the study of 35,000 children claims.
It also covers the introduction of the Every Child Matters policy which aims to provide more support for the welfare of children.
They looked at how about 6,000 four and five-year-olds in 124 primary schools performed in the tests (known as Pips – performance indicators in primary school) in each of the six years of the study. The children were asked to complete a series of fun activities by their teachers who were prompted by a computer programme. Researcher Dr Christine Merrell said the study aimed to assess the profiles of children starting school in England “during a time of rapid change”.
Taking in factors like the number of children with English as a second language and those on free school meals, it found that there was no change in the children’s performance in the tests over the period 2001 to 2006. She said:
“While the Pips assessments used in the study do not measure how many children were involved in national initiatives, one would have expected that the major government programmes would have resulted in some measurable changes in our sample of almost 35,000 children.”
However, she did acknowledge that it may be too soon to assess the impact of some of the policies. Children’s Minister Beverley Hughes said:
“The government has invested over £21bn on early years and childcare services since 1997 as part of an unprecedented expansion of provision for young children and families. Early indications are that this investment is improving outcomes for children. However, as the author of this report acknowledges, it is still too early to measure this with any great authority.”
She said Sure Start Children’s Centres were underpinned by research which suggested high quality, inclusive early education, leads to positive effects for children, families and communities, particularly in areas of disadvantage.
“This research also shows that two years of high quality early education can give young children a four to six month advantage at entry to reception class – and help those from poorer backgrounds to catch up.”
Continuing from this OFSTED revealed that there has been a drop in the proportion of childcare settings in England judged to be good or outstanding. Ofsted said of the estimated 500,000 children cared for in the settings inspected this year, 285,000 were receiving “good” or “outstanding” care. Childcare was rated as “satisfactory” or better in 96% of settings. Some 3% of childminders were rated inadequate for overall care compared to 4% of day-care settings, such as nurseries. About one in 12 crèches were judged “inadequate”. And childcare provision in 7% of extended schools – which run after-school clubs and childcare – was also rated “inadequate”, despite a major drive from the government to expand this sector. Ofsted have not said how many individual children were being cared for in inadequate settings.
There is more discussion on this article on the Independent’s website.
