Environment Rating Scale (total ECERS-E and ECERS-R scales). Higher quality scores as
assessed by the ECERS-R scale were positively related to better child outcomes for one of the
social/behavioural measures (‘Co-operation & Conformity’). The results of analyses of the
ECERS-R subscales also suggest that specific subscales of quality measured by this instrument
(social interaction, and language and reasoning) are associated with better social/behavioural
developmental outcomes at primary school entry. In addition, another observational instrument,
which provides measures of adult child interaction (Caregiver Interaction Scale, Arnett, 1989), is
related to all three of the social/behavioural outcomes except ‘Anti-social / Worried’ behaviour. In
particular, where staff-child interactions were rated as more ‘Positive’, better child
social/behavioural outcomes are found.
Types of provision effects were identified for several social/behavioural outcomes, in line with
findings for cognitive outcomes. These results suggest that, as a group, children who attended
local authority day nurseries and private day nurseries show poorer behavioural outcomes than
those who attended other forms of provision (note that proportionately more of the children in LA
day nurseries and private day nurseries started at their pre-school target centre before 2 years of
age). Moreover children who attended integrated provision or nursery classes tended to make
greater gains in social/behavioural development during the pre-school period. Nonetheless,
there was significant variation in effectiveness on social/behavioural gains within each type of
provision; thus differences between individual pre-school centres and differences between types
of provision are both important.
There is evidence that some types of provision are associated with better social/behavioural
development and that higher staff qualifications (proportion of staff hours at qualified teacher
status) have a positive influence on young children’s social/behavioural outcomes. It has been
demonstrated that there is a significant link between pre-school centre quality ratings and centre
manager qualification levels and variations between type of provision and quality. Thus
improving staff training and qualification levels may be strategies that can help raise the quality of
provision.
When looking at social behaviour outcomes at start of school, it is found that children who spent
longer in pre-school (measured from start date at target pre-school centre to date started at
primary school) were rated by class teachers as showing more ‘Anti-social / Worried’ behaviour
at primary school entry. In other words, a longer time (in years and months) spent in pre-school,
is associated with slightly more ‘Anti-social / Worried’ behaviour, although it should be noted that
only a small proportion of children in total, show difficulties for this behavioural outcome. This
effect is primarily related to local authority day nurseries and private day nurseries where a
substantial proportion start under 2 years of age and some under one year. However, when a
measure of pre-school centre quality was added to the model (i.e. ECERS-R), the impact of
duration was reduced (although still remained significant). This suggests that higher quality in
pre-school centres tends to reduce, but not eliminate, the negative effect of a longer time spent in
pre-school centres on ‘Anti-social / Worried’ behaviour.
Duration of pre-school (number of months) was not statistically significant in accounting for
social/behavioural developmental gains over the pre-school period in any of the four outcomes.
Ratios & staff qualifications
Adult-child ratios can be measured in several ways. Observed ratios (with and without
volunteers) were used to provide indicators of staffing levels normally experienced by children
aged 3-5 years in individual centres. Statutory, reported (by centre managers) and observed
ratios were all tested for links with children’s social/behavioural gains. There were no significant
relationships between ratios and young children’s social/behavioural developmental gains over
the pre-school period.
As noted earlier, centre managers’ qualification levels and the proportion of staff hours at
different qualification levels also show significant variation between individual centres and by
type of provision. Centre managers’ qualifications are significantly associated with the observed
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