The long-lasting effect of preschool experiences

The long-lasting effect of preschool experiences 

 A new research report published by the UK's Department for Education explores the impact of the early home learning environment (HLE) and preschool on entry patterns and overall achievement at ages 17 and 18.
 
The authors used data from the Effective Provision of Pre-school Primary and Secondary Education (EPPSE) study, a large-scale, longitudinal study which has tracked the progress and development of more than 3,000 UK children from preschool to post-compulsory education. They merged this with achievement data from the National Pupil Database.

The report concludes that both the early HLE and preschool continue to shape young people's educational outcomes up to age 18. There were significant positive effects for both the early HLE and preschool in terms of increasing the likelihood that a young person will achieve advanced qualifications.

In terms of achievement, those who experienced a good early HLE were more likely to have higher achievement in terms of scaled scores. Although for most students attending preschool did not lead to effects in grades, separate analysis for the Sutton Trust showed a lasting impact for disadvantaged young people classed as high achievers at the end of primary school.

Previous research using the EPPSE data found that when students were 16 years old, both the early HLE and preschool shaped their GCSE achievement (high-stakes exams taken at age 16). Positive parenting and a stimulating HLE at an early age predicted both a higher total GCSE score and better grades in English and math. The same was true for attending any preschool compared to none.

The Best Evidence in Brief archive includes a number of previous reports based on the EPPSE project.

Johns Hopkins University 

Research in Brief

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