Summary

Both qualitative and quantitative methods, including multilevel modelling, have been used to
explore the effects of individual pre-school centres on children's attainment and
social/behavioural development at entry to school, and any continuing effects on such outcomes
at the end of Key Stage 1 (age 7). In addition to centre effects, the study investigates the
contribution to children’s development of individual and family characteristics such as gender,
ethnicity, language, parental education/employment and learning activities in the home. A
parallel study was carried out in Northern Ireland (Melhuish et al., 2002).

This “educational effectiveness” design of the EPPE study demonstrated the complex effects of
amount and type of pre-school provision (including attendance) experienced by children after
taking into account their personal, social and family characteristics. Assessments of both
cognitive and social/behavioural outcomes were made. The use of multilevel models for the
analysis enabled the impact of both type of provision and individual centres on children's pre-
school outcomes (at age 5 and later at age 7) to be investigated. Moreover, the detailed
relationships between pre-school characteristics and children's development were explored. The
results of these analyses and the findings from the qualitative case studies of selected centres
have informed both policy and practice. A series of 12 Technical Papers are available (see
Appendix D) and these report the findings of the EPPE research in more depth.

The continuation study ‘Effective Pre-school and Primary Education 3-11’, which commenced in
2003 is described in Appendix C.

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