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The early years are a vital time for families and a crucial period of development for children. Steep inequalities emerge throughout this stage: EPI research has found, for… The early years are a vital time for families and a crucial period of development for children. Steep inequalities emerge throughout this stage: EPI research has found, for example, that disadvantaged children are already more than four months behind their peers by the age of five. Our work examines early years funding, the workforce, childcare entitlements and outcomes for children with special educational needs.
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The Education Policy Institute has submitted its response to the government's consultation on 'SEND reform: putting children and young people first'. EPI's response draws on our own research in this area, as well as the wider evidence base and our…
By Education Policy Institute
Today, the government published guidance on screen time for under-5s . It is published online on the 'Best Start in Life parent hub' – the emergent digital offering intentionally forming a key part of the new 'Best Start Family Hubs'…
By Dr Tammy Campbell
Which babies are more likely to experience screen time? Among those who watch, who watches the most? And how does using screens interplay with other home activities? Our analysis finds that most babies surveyed for Children of the 2020s experience…
By Dr Tammy Campbell and Dr Kerris Cooper
There have been significant shifts in the shape of early education and care (ECEC) since the previous government’s 2023 budget announced an expansion of funded childcare for working parents. Since autumn 2025, those with babies and pre-schoolers aged nine-months and…
By Dr Tammy Campbell
Responding to the Government's Child Poverty Strategy , Dr Kerris Cooper, Senior Researcher (Early Years and Inequalities) at the Education Policy Institute, said: "Efforts to tackle the disadvantage gap in education will only be successful within a wider effort to…
By Dr Kerris Cooper
"Characteristics, experiences and outcomes of children registered – and not registered, when entitled – for free school meals" is an output of a wider project funded by the Nuffield Foundation: "What has FSM measured and what are the implications?" It…
By Dr Tammy Campbell and Dr Kerris Cooper
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The report, “ Registration for Free School Meals (FSM): issues and implications for research, policymaking, practice and access ”, is the final report from a Nuffield Foundation –funded project led by Dr Tammy Campbell and Dr Kerris Cooper at the…
By Dr Tammy Campbell, Dr Kerris Cooper, and Education Policy Institute
A new report by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) , funded by The Nuffield Foundation , shows significant variation in how free school meals (FSM) and free early years meals (FEYM) are accessed across schools and local authorities in England.…
By Dr Kerris Cooper and Dr Tammy Campbell
A new report published by the Education Policy Institute (EPI), funded by the Nuffield Foundation, explores the strengths and weaknesses of free school meals (FSM) and Pupil Premium (PP) as measures for identifying disadvantaged pupils in England. It finds significant…
By Dr Tammy Campbell and Dr Kerris Cooper
What have we learnt about food poverty experienced by under-fives? We recently published a report on food poverty affecting under-fives, which highlighted the scale and the impact of the problem, as well as providing recommendations to address it. We…
By Dr Kerris Cooper
A new report by the Education Policy Institute, funded by the KPMG Foundation, investigates food poverty in the early years. The research interrogates the effectiveness of national policies already in place, as well exploring what can be learnt from local…
By Dr Kerris Cooper and Education Policy Institute
Background: This exploratory project is nestled within a much larger research project being conducted by Dr Tammy Campbell and Dr Kerris Cooper: ‘What has ‘Free School Meals’ measured and what are the implications?’ . Their large-scale research project, funded by…
By Education Policy Institute
