The Effective Provision of Pre-School Education: Summary Report

The Effective Provision of Pre-school Education (EPPE) project investigated the effects of preschool education and care on children’s development for children aged 3-7 years old. This is an eight page summary of its findings.

It indicate pre-school has a positive impact on children’s progress over and above important family influences. The quality of the pre-school setting experience as well as the quantity (more months but not necessarily more hours/day) are both influential. They show that individual pre-school centres vary in their effectiveness and indicate that better outcomes are associated with certain forms of provision. The research points to the separate and significant influence of the home learning environment.

The EPPE project has become well known for its contribution to ‘evidence based policy’ in early years education and care. Its findings are robust because they are based on sound and innovative research methods. EPPE mixed-method research design targeted issues that could ‘make a difference’ to the lives of young children and their families.