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The Continuing Impact of Pre-School

1. Pre-School Attendance and Duration of Pre-School Experience

At the end of Year 5 there are no longer statistically significant net effects on attainment in
Mathematics and Reading for the most basic indicator: attendance at a pre-school centre
compared to no pre-school. In addition, no significant differences were found in relation to type
of pre-school attended or duration (in months of attendance) of pre-school. This is in contrast to
moderate to strong effects at entry to primary school (age 5) and in Year 1 when duration in
months in particular was still significant.

2. Pre-school Centre Quality

Quality of pre-school was based on researcher observations in each centre, using environment
and care-giver interaction ratings. Results at earlier time points pointed to the positive influence
of higher quality pre-school provision. We divided the sample into groups of children whose pre-
school experience could be classified as ranging from no quality (i.e. the ‘home’ group, approx 9
% of the sample) through low (14%), medium (54%) and high quality (22%), based on individual
pre-school centres’ ECERS-E scores (see Sylva et al., 2006). The results in Year 5 indicate that
there are statistically significant differences in attainment in Reading between the low quality
group and the medium and high quality groups. The experience of a high (ES = 0.16) or medium
(ES = 0.14) quality pre-school provision shows a relatively better but fairly small continuing
positive influence on Reading attainment at the end of Year 5 compared to the experience of a
low quality pre-school centre (see Figure 3.2). Also children who stayed at home show similar
outcomes in Reading (no statistically significant differences) to those children who went to a low
quality pre-school. For Mathematics we found a somewhat different pattern. As Figure 3.2
shows, effects for medium and high quality provision compared to low quality are not quite as
strong as for Reading. Again children who stayed at home show no statistically significant
differences compared to the low quality pre-school group.

It appears that the quality of pre-school has a somewhat greater impact on longer term Reading
attainments that last until the end of Year 5 than on equivalent Mathematics outcomes.
However, for Mathematics attending a medium or high quality pre-school centre still also
provides a small boost.

Figure 3.2: The impact of quality of pre-school on attainment in Reading and Mathematics in Year 5

The Net Impact of Quality of Pre -School (ECERS -E)

on Reading and Mathematics in Year 5

0.30

0.14                          ⁰'¹⁵

Home Children Medium Quality         High Quality

-0.05

0.25

0.20

0.15

0.10

0.05

0.00

-0.05

-0.10

Reference Group:
Low Quality

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