Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what evidence her Department has gathered on the effect of good quality pre-school education on social mobility in the last five years.

The Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the standards for the provision of learning, development and care for children from birth to age five, supporting early years providers to prepare young children for school and improve their life chances by delivering high-quality early education.

The latest EYFS Profile results show that the gap between disadvantaged children and their peers has narrowed – 51% of children eligible for free school meals (FSM) achieved a good level of development (GLD) in 2015, compared to 45% in 2014. This is the equivalent of an extra 5,800 children eligible for FSM achieving a GLD. The results for 2015-16 are due to be published in November this year at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-early-years-foundation-stage-profile

We want all children, regardless of their starting point, to have access to high-quality early education and childcare, as we know this is what makes the difference to outcomes. To help close the gap between disadvantaged children and their better-off peers we introduced the early learning programme for two-year-olds in September 2013. Around 160,000 of the most disadvantaged two-year-olds are already benefiting. We have also introduced the Early Years Pupil Premium, worth £50 million a year, which helps providers close the gap in school readiness between disadvantaged children and their peers.

Research shows high-quality early education has long lasting benefits for children. Analysis of the evidence from the Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education Project has shown that pre-school is of particular importance to children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Department has commissioned a major piece of longitudinal research – the Study of Early Education and Development – to understand more about how high-quality early education affects attainment and social and behavioural development up to age seven. Findings are forthcoming and will be published at: http://www.seed.natcen.ac.uk/reports.aspx