Increasing free nursery hours may help children adapt to life in primary school, according to a new report.

The Scottish government plans to almost double free pre-school and childcare hours for children aged 3 and 4 - and some aged 2 - by 2020, and its new report examines trials in 14 local authorities.

In authorities where children attended a single early learning or childcare setting (ELC), the report finds, “primary school staff reported smoother transitions to school”.

Staff who ran the trials, which lasted for between six and 12 months, were also upbeat about children’s ability to move on to school.

The report states: “As a result of spending more time in ELC settings, children…have a sense of belonging, and are more prepared for transitions through nursery and into school.”

The report, published today, finds that parents “tended to speak positively” about the impact of extended hours on their child’s learning and behaviour, thanks to increased access to opportunities such as outdoor learning.

‘Difficult to deliver’

In 2015, the Scottish government announced its intention to expand the provision of free early learning and childcare from 600 hours to 1,140 hours per year by 2020, for all three- and four-year-olds and two-year-olds deemed “vulnerable”.

However, concerns have been raised that the flagship policy will be extremely difficult to deliver, with falling numbers of skilled early years professionals proving a major concern.

In February, a report questioned whether the expansion of free nursery hours could be delivered on time and on budget, and in January longitudinal research raised questions over whether it would improve the attainment of disadvantaged children.

The new report acknowledges that “high-quality professional learning for the existing and new ELC workforce is essential”. It adds: “Sufficient time should be built in to recruit qualified staff, and continued engagement with the workforce is important when changing work patterns to accommodate additional hours.”