It is widely recognised that the experiences children have in early childhood have a substantial and long-lasting impact on their outcomes.

Studies like the EPPSE (Effective Pre-School, Primary and Secondary Education) project noted (with some caveats) that children who had high-quality early years education had improved academic and social-behavioural outcomes at age 14. Research by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) has also noted the key role that high-quality early years education has in narrowing the “disadvantage gap” - with 40 per cent of this gap already evident by age 5.

And the impact doesn’t stop when formal education ends. Other robust studies have found that children who participated in high-quality pre-school programmes had higher levels of employment and earnings in later life and were more likely to be in high-skilled jobs. 

The cost benefits of such programmes were also estimated to be substantial -- up to three times the cost of running the programmes, including through gains in health and reduction in crime.

High quality, high impact EYFS provision

But crucial to all of this is the idea that for early years provision to have this impact, it must be high-quality - and central to its quality is the early years workforce.

Unsurprisingly, the ratio of staff to children in early years settings has been found to be linked to children’s outcomes, given the implications this has for the frequency of high-quality interactions; this issue in quality of provision, as well as potential safety implications, has been highlighted as a substantial risk in government proposals to relax childcare ratios.

And while quality is certainly not all about qualifications, recent Nuffield-funded research by the EPI suggests that there is a small but positive association between an early years setting having a degree-qualified early years worker and children’s learning outcomes at age 5 - and, importantly, that this improvement is sustained as a child enters primary school.

But there is one area that seems vital to invest in: the professional development available for all early years educators, regardless of their qualifications. This has the potential to have an impact on a number of levels.

In a systematic review looking at early years educator professional development, researchers from the UCL Institute of Education (IOE) noted that typically research in the UK and Europe had focused on the importance of professional learning as a core entitlement.

How CPD helps all

Certainly, professional learning may help to contribute to the sense of recognition and status that is attached to the role of early years educators, who can sometimes be undervalued despite their clearly evidenced importance. This, no doubt, contributes to challenges in the recruitment and retention of high-quality educators in the sector.

Improved access to CPD can help to increase a sense of status in the profession. A Department for Education study also found that achieving a status like Early Years Professional Status can contribute to this.

But the IOE systematic review specifically focuses, quite rightly, on the impact that professional development for early years educators can have on pupil outcomes. It is clear that effective CPD can impact pupil outcomes in early years settings, just as it does across the education system.

And the attributes of professional learning are also, unsurprisingly, closely aligned with the features of effective teacher learning in general. Duration, frequency and intensity of professional learning matters; one-off sessions are unlikely to lead to sustained change.

There is a need for reflection, feedback and follow-up to ensure that CPD actually leads to a change in practice. This was often found to be most effectively supported through a coaching model.

The future’s bright

And linking research-based practices to real-world contexts is vital to enabling them to make a difference; research needs to be presented in ways that are accessible and that encourage participants to try out new pedagogical approaches or new content in their settings.

The future looks bright on this front, too. A New National Professional Qualification (NPQ) in Early Years Leadership will start to be delivered from this autumn, with a framework that makes its evidence base clear.

Meanwhile, at the Chartered College of Teaching, through the support of the Montessori Group, we are delighted to have recently launched our Early Childhood Hub, which brings together evidence and practice from across a range of settings in accessible formats, with voices from across the sector.

Work to support the early years sector has always been important, but given that recent research has shown how far-reaching the impact of the pandemic has been on EYFS pupils - and will likely continue to be - opportunities for further training and qualifications for early years staff seems a particularly timely issue.

We need the sector as a whole to continue this focus on professional development, which is vital for the success of our children and young people.

Cat Scutt is director of education and research at the Chartered College of Teaching