Private and voluntary (not-for-profit) nurseries and
preschools catering for disadvantaged areas and children are lower quality than
those serving more advantaged areas and children, according to University of Oxford research published by the Nuffield Foundation.
The 'quality gap' between nurseries catering for the least
and most advantaged three and four-year-olds is widest (9%) in relation to how
they support children's language skills. The report authors say this finding is
particularly significant given that disadvantaged children at the age of five
are already almost a year behind those from wealthier backgrounds in terms of
their vocabulary, and the gap increases as they move through school. In other
words, the children most in need of good quality early years provision are
actually among the least likely to receive it.
They found that the tendency for quality to be lower in
disadvantaged areas only applied to private, voluntary and independent
nurseries and not to state-maintained schools. In state-maintained schools, the
quality for three- and four-year-olds was equally as good and sometimes even
better in disadvantaged areas.
The researchers suggest the difference in quality is related
to the number of graduates working in early years settings. Whereas all school
classes are led by graduate-qualified teachers, less than half of private and
voluntary nurseries and preschools employ a graduate and only 8% employ more
than one. The researchers found that among private and voluntary providers with
a graduate on the staff, the 'quality gap' between nurseries in disadvantaged
and advantaged areas was much smaller than in nurseries without a graduate (3%
as compared with 10% in relation to support for children's language skills, for
example). They suggest that the enhanced training of graduates may help them to
meet the greater needs of disadvantaged children, who are more at risk of
language delays.
In light of these findings, the report recommends increasing
the number of graduates working in nurseries, playgroups and preschools. The
new Early Years pupil premium recently announced by the government will mean
that nurseries and schools receive additional funding for each disadvantaged
three and four-year-old on their register. The report suggests that this
additional funding could be used by private and voluntary providers in
disadvantaged areas to employ a graduate member of staff. The researchers also
suggest continued support for state-maintained schools providing early
education for disadvantaged children, saying that high quality nursery schools
could support practice in other schools and nurseries, for example as part of
the Government's new 'teaching schools' initiative.
Lead author Sandra Mathers said: 'This research highlights
the challenges involved in ensuring that the children who most need good
quality early years provision actually receive it. It is vital that we equip
nurseries and preschools with the tools and support they need to help
disadvantaged children overcome the odds and reach their full potential.'
Teresa Williams, Director of Social Research and Policy at
the Nuffield Foundation, said: 'These findings show that socioeconomic
disadvantage is mirrored in the quality of early years provision, meaning
children from poorer backgrounds lose out again. We would like to see more work
done on the link between quality and graduate qualifications, specifically how
we can best upskill the early years workforce and ensure that more highly
qualified staff are appropriately deployed.'
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