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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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A new report published by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) examines the impact of the national phonics screening check (PSC) on early reading development in primary schools across England. The research by EPI uses national pupil-level census data for all…
By Dr Tammy Campbell and Joni Kelly
The ‘two child limit’ was introduced by the Conservative government in the budget after their 2015 general election win. It prevents families with a third child born after April 2017 from receiving some of the welfare benefits payments specifically intended…
By Dr Tammy Campbell and Dr Kerris Cooper
Children are entitled to be registered for free school meals (FSM) if their family earns a very low income and is in receipt of certain social security benefits. [1] As well as ensuring a child receives lunch at school, being…
By Dr Tammy Campbell and Dr Kerris Cooper
Responding to the annoncement of Labour's plans to create over 3,000 new school-based nurseries , Dr Tammy Campbell, Director for Early Years and Inequalities at the Education Policy Institute (EPI), said: “Labour’s plans to create over 3,000 new school-based nurseries…
By Education Policy Institute
Commenting on the report published today by the National Audit Office, Preparations to extend early years entitlement for working parents in England, Dr Tammy Campbell, Director for Early Years, Inequalities and Wellbeing at the Education Policy Institute (EPI) said: “Today’s…
By Education Policy Institute
This report reviews and discusses the existing evidence on the evolution of the Free School Meals (FSM) measure, over the past two decades, and on its uses, including in Pupil Premium (PP). The report also explores the strengths and weaknesses…
By Dr Tammy Campbell and Dr Kerris Cooper
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In October 2023, the Labour Party announced a review of early years provision in England, chaired by former Ofsted chief inspector, Sir David Bell. EPI has responded to the call for contributions to the review with our submission, based on…
By Dr Tammy Campbell
The impact of the pandemic on early education Early years settings and schools were confronted with a number of challenges during the pandemic, which exacerbated some pre-existing problems. Early years settings faced temporary closures due to lockdowns as well as…
By Dr Kerris Cooper
Four- and five-year-olds were less likely to meet the expected levels of development in 2021 than before the pandemic, a new report from the University of York, National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) and the Education Policy Institute…
By Dr Sara Bonetti and Education Policy Institute
The cost of living crisis and food poverty Families on low-incomes have been hit from all angles recently and now face mounting cost of living pressures. The long-term reduction in benefits for families with children, combined with the rising cost…
By Dr Kerris Cooper
The importance of early language development and communication in children is well-established. We know that these are crucial skills to nurture in the early years of a child’s life, and that language development provides the foundation for future learning and…
By Dr Kerris Cooper
The Nuffield Foundation has commissioned the Education Policy Institute (EPI), the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) and Sheffield University to assess the impact of the pandemic on children's educational, language, social and emotional outcomes. This project aims…
By Education Policy Institute
