Children in Reception have lived almost half their lives in the storm of the Covid-19 pandemic. Thanks to the great dedication of teachers and practitioners in the early years, those children are gradually settling into the pleasures and routines of life in the classroom. It’s been a tough half-term, requiring endless support, sympathy and time to help children with toileting, eating and other basic needs. 

This dedicated work will set the stage for children’s learning in the EYFS. In turn, those secure foundations will set children up for success through their schooling, and beyond.

Sadly, though, the reverse is also true. Gaps in development don’t close as children journey through our schools. On average, children eligible for free school meals are 4.6 months behind other children by the end of the EYFS. That gap doubles by the end of the primary phase, and doubles again by the end of secondary schooling.

More on the EYFS: 

• Why we need to ditch the phrase ‘on track’ 
• Five tips for new early years teachers

• How to implement the new EYFS without stress

With so many children facing disadvantages, it can feel hopeless. Yet we know there are ways to tackle this exponential rise in inequality.

EYFS: What does high-quality CPD look like?

One of the best places to start is with effective professional development. As the latest report from the Education Endowment Foundation argues, the impact of high-quality professional development on children’s attainment compares to the impact of having a teacher with 10 years’ experience rather than a new graduate.

The devil, of course, is in the detail. What do we mean by high-quality professional development? The EEF suggests that four mechanisms must be in place for professional development to be effective. It must:

• Build knowledge.
• Motivate staff.
• Develop teaching techniques
• Embed practice.

The challenge, in the early years, is to find professional development that comes close to this. Early years advisory teams in local authorities have been cut back so severely that most struggle to meet minimum, statutory functions.

This has led to a proliferation of private firms and lone consultants whose professional development offers are often engaging and entertaining, but the mechanisms are not always there. They haven’t always done the detailed work to design a programme on secure evidence, with clarity about how their programme will build participants’ knowledge. All too often, there isn’t sufficient emphasis on changing practice for every child, every day.

We urgently need significant investment in the early years across all sectors to ensure that schools and settings can afford high-quality professional development. Improving the quality of early education will be good for all children, and the research shows that it will be disproportionately positive for disadvantaged children.

There are a few positive signs, too. The new Early Career Framework for teachers and the National Professional Qualification for early years leadership both put an appropriate emphasis on sustained professional development. Neither is perfect, but they are a big step forward.

If we want to tackle social injustice and improve outcomes for all our children, we must do more for the early years. Yet there is scant evidence that we are doing enough to support the teachers and other practitioners who work in this critical phase.

Dr Julian Grenier is the headteacher of Sheringham Nursery School and Children’s Centre. He co-leads the East London Research School