1. The Longview Conference: Escape from Disadvantage
The Role of Pre-school and Primary Education in Protection Against Developmental Risk
The Longview Conference:
Escape from Disadvantage
3 October 2008
Kathy Sylva and James Hall
Department of Education, University of Oxford

2. Presentation Outline
Education, protection, and risks in the EPPE study
Main effects of social class
Main effects of children’s education
Effects of education vary by social class
An in-depth exploration into variations in the effects of educational quality on children at risk

3. The Effective Pre-school and Primary Education (EPPE) research team:
Principal Investigators:
Kathy Sylva Department of Education, University of Oxford
Edward Melhuish Birkbeck, University of London
Pam Sammons University of Nottingham
Iram Siraj-Blatchford Institute of Education, University of London
Brenda Taggart Institute of Education, University of London
Researchers:
Stephen Hunt Institute of Education, University of London
(Sofka Barreau Department of Education, University of Oxford)
Helena Jelicic Institute of Education, University of London
Olga Cara Institute of Education, University of London
Rebecca Smees Institute of Education, University of London
Wesley Welcomme Institute of Education, University of London
A Longitudinal Study Funded by the DCSF
An ESRC/TLRP Project

4. 1. Education, protection, and risks in the EPPE study
A longitudinal study funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF):
Effective Provision of Preschool Education Project
(EPPE)
Effective Preschool and Primary Education Project
(EPPE 3-11)
Effective Preschool, Primary and Secondary Education Project
(EPPSE 3-14)
These studies focus on the progress and development of 3,000 children from entering preschool to the end of Key Stage Three (3 to 14 years of age)

5. Design of EPPE: 6 LAs & 3,000 children
Pre-school Provision (3+ yrs)
Reception
Yr 1
Yr 2
Yr 5
Yr 6
25 nursery classes
590 children
Key Stage 1
600 Schools
Key Stage 2
1000 Schools
34 playgroups
610 children
31 private day nurseries
520 children
20 nursery schools
520 children
24 local authority day care nurseries
430 children
7 integrated centres
190 children
home
310 children

6. Assessments √  INDIVIDUAL LEVEL DATA Assessment Age 3 5 6 7 10 11
Cognitive assessments √
√ NFER
tests
√ National Assessment
Social/behavioural profiles
Home Learning Environment (HLE)
√ Early years HLE
√ KS1 HLE
√ KS2
HLE
Pupils’ self-report
Community characteristics/ neighbourhood
PRE-SCHOOL/SCHOOL LEVEL DATA
Institution characteristics –
quality and effectiveness
√ Across KS2
Academic effectiveness 
Additional information in sub-sample of 125 schools:
Observation / Teacher report: classroom/school processes, quality of teaching
Ofsted judgements of school

7. Developmental risks and protection
Many measures of disadvantage were found to pose a risk to development.
e.g. SES, ethnicity, Home Learning Environment
Various aspects of education were found to mitigate the impacts of these risks.
i.e. confer protection

8. 2. Main effects of social class

9. Net effects of Mothers’ Qualifications on Reading at age 10

10. Multiple Disadvantage & Attainment in Reading and Maths at age 10

11. 3. Main effects of education

12. Assessing the quality of pre-school
ECERS-R
Harms, Clifford, and Cryer (1998)
Space and Furnishings
Personal Care Routines
Language Reasoning
Activities
Interaction
Programme Structure
Parents and Staff
ECERS-E
Sylva, Siraj-Blatchford, and Taggart (2006)
Language
Mathematics
Science and Environment
Diversity

13. The impact of pre-school quality (ECERS-E) on English and Mathematics at age 11

14. The impact of pre-school quality (ECERS-R and ECERS-E) on anti-social behaviour at age 11

15. 4. Effects of education vary by social class

16. Effects of Social Class on Reading and Writing at age 7
READING at key stage 1,
social class and
pre-school experience
WRITING at key stage 1,
social class and
pre-school experience

17. Net effects of pre-school on reading at 5 - 7 years (by SES group)

18. Effects of educational quality vary by social class
At Year 6 (age 10) for social behaviours:
The quality of the curricular provision of pre-schools had a larger effect for those children who:
Had Special Educational Needs (SEN)
(Outcomes: Self-regulation, pro-social behaviour, hyperactivity, anti-social behaviour)
Scored highly on the Index of Multiple Disadvantage
(Outcomes: Hyperactivity, anti-social behaviour)

19. 5. An in-depth exploration into variations in quality effects
ESRC CASE study examining:
Developmental Risks
Developmental Resilience
Whether pre-school quality could act to Protect development
Conceptualised a ‘Family level risk’ that included measures that
are indicative of “disadvantage”

20. The Analyses (Structural Equation Models)
Hypothesised Protection (
direct effects of
Pre-school Quality q
uality )
(forming)
Abilities/Behaviour at
14 Observed
Family level
Risk
Risks
(effects of risks
entry to reception (~58m)
post pre -
school
(effects of risks prior t
o pre-school
Abilities/Behaviour at
entry to preschool (~37m)
Key:
Correlation
Observed variable
Regression
Unobserved variable
Moderated Regression (Risk x Protection)

21. Familial risks forming a family level ‘combined risk’
Identified Risks to Developmental Skills and Abilities
‘Combined Risk’ Factor Loadings (stand. βs)
To General Cognitive Ability
with Self-Regulation at reception entry
with Anti-social/ worried
FAMILY LEVEL RISKS
Family salary
-0.17**
-0.24
-0.32
Mother’s occupational status
-0.19**
-0.28*
-0.31*
Mother’s qualifications
-0.25***
-0.17
-0.18
Partner’s qualifications
0.00
0.26
0.45**
“Mother working?”
0.02
-0.16*
-0.19*
“Partner working?”
-0.09*
-0.03
-0.07
Mother’s age
-0.08
-0.24*
Partner’s age
0.37**
0.41**
No. of non-parental carers
-0.14***
0.01
Home Learning Environment
-0.45a
-0.66a
-0.63a
*p < .05 **p < .01 ***p < .001(Significant risks only; 10 of 14)
a: Unstandardardized factor loadings set to 1 so there is no returned significance

22. Impacts of Combined Family Risk to Development
Developmental abilities,
skills, and behaviours
LATENT RISK; Unstandardised βs
Familial
At Entry to Pre-school:
General Cognitive Ability (BAS)
-0.24***
Co-operation & Conformity
-0.17***
Peer Sociability
-0.16***
Confidence
Anti-social
0.04*
Worried/Upset
0.02
Attainment at Entry to Reception (value-add):
-0.10***
Self-Regulation
-0.12***
Anti-social/Worried
0.03
*p < .05 **p < .01 ***p < .001

23. Identifying protection against risks such as disadvantage

24. Significant protectors against family level ‘combined risk’/disadvantage:
At entry to reception class:
General Cognitive Ability
Quality of Curricular Provision (ECERS-E; 0.03**)
Global/Overall Quality (ECERS-R; 0.03***)
Average Childcare qualifications of staff (over time; 0.02*)
Number of caregiving staff (over time; 0.01*)
Self Regulation
None
Anti-Social Behaviour
Positive Staff-Child relationship (CIS; over time; -0.03*)
*p < .05 **p < .01 ***p < .001

25. or the DfES website at: www.dfes.gov.uk/research
For further Information about EPPE visit the EPPE website at or Tel (+44) Brenda Taggart Research Co-ordinator
or the DfES website at:
Visit the FELL research group at: