Pre-school pupils perform better at primary school, says report

GUILT-RIDDEN parents who agonise about sending their children to nursery should take heart from new research showing pre-school pupils perform better at primary school, according to Britain’s children’s minister Margaret Hodge.

In the first study of its kind, researchers found children who had access to nursery education before school age gained better results at school at the age of seven.

And the study found higher quality provision and starting earlier improved intellectual development until the end of Key Stage One, at seven years old.

Ms Hodge welcomed the results of the study, which she said should provide “certainty” to worried parents.

“There has been a lot of concern expressed by parents, raised by research, as to whether it is damaging to have your children in pre-school.

“I think, I hope, this research today gives comfort to parents who are always worrying about whether they are doing the best for their children and how to balance work responsibilities with care at home.

“Pre-school on the whole is a really good thing. It is not a substitute for good quality parenting in the home but certainly it does not have the damaging consequences that have been suggested by some commentators and researchers based on questionable evidence.”

Some 3,100 children from across the country were monitored by the team from the Institute of Education and Birkbeck College, University of London and University of Oxford for the Effective Provision of Pre-School Education study.

The results, released yesterday, found those with pre-school education did better in maths and English compared with those who stayed at home, and improved results both for richer and poorer children.

But they found children from unskilled or semi-skilled families would fail to reach expected attainment levels in reading and writing - but not maths - without pre-school.

Professor Kathy Sylva from Oxford University said: “The impact of coming from a poor family when you are three is greater on your developmental profile than it is when you are five.

“It indicates to us that the pre-school has reduced bad effects on children’s developmental profile.”

Pre-school education - whether from nursery classes or schools, playgroups, private day nurseries, local authority day care centres or fully integrated centres - could even reduce the risk of a child developing educational needs, they found, and also lowered anti-social behaviour in children.

Starting from the age of two, higher quality education gave better results, with the integrated centres - combining extended care and education - gaining the highest average quality ratings, with an average price of £6,880 (€9811).

It also disclosed learning at home with parents gave a positive boost.

“I think this exciting new evidence shows that high quality pre-school experiences have lasting effects and they continue to make a real difference to children’s attainment and social development throughout primary school.

“All children gain but for children from disadvantaged backgrounds the gain they get will set them up to achieve well at school.”