Our Young People & Education Programme's Early Years Special Initiative (2019–2024) aimed to improve educational attainment and life chances for disadvantaged children aged two to five in London.
Our Learning Partner, the Education Policy Institute (EPI) evaluated ten funded organisations over the past five years, identifying key themes:
- the value of accessible training;
- strong multi-level relationships;
- sustainable delivery models, and;
- the benefits of blended online/in-person provision.
Despite pandemic-related disruptions, several programmes – notably Ark Start, CLPE, and National Children's Bureau, narrowed attainment gaps for pupils eligible for free school meals, those with English as an additional language, special educational needs, or from the Global Majority. Many also improved home learning environments through parent training, increased resources, and enrichment activities.
Looking ahead, the report calls for:
- scaling proven models;
- sustained targeted support for disadvantaged pupils;
- long-term monitoring;
- expanding parent engagement;
- ensuring access to learning resources and enrichment; and
- providing tailored support for SEND children.
Funders are also encouraged to value qualitative evidence and adopt mixed-methods evaluation to reflect early years’ complexities.
Executive Summary: EYSI Phase 1 (2019-2024) Final Report
EYSI Phase 1 (2019-2024) Final Report