The panel, chaired by Trevor Phillips, commissioned the Effective Pre-School and Primary Education project (EPPE) to carry out an analysis of their database on a cohort of 3,000 British children and their families, with a focus on equalities.
The EPPE team's report, Promoting Equality in the Early Years, highlighted 'the critical contribution of the HLE, good quality pre-school and effective primary settings to successful educational and behavioural outcomes among young children'.
A strong HLE has 'a marked protective effect on early outcomes for children, especially those from some ethnic minorities or disadvantaged backgrounds'.
The benefits of a good HLE are particularly striking when they are combined with a good-quality pre-school experience, but the review found that only 77 per cent of three- and four-year-olds among ethnic minority children use early years provision, compared with nearly 87 per cent of white children at the same age.
Welcoming Government early years initiatives, the review said, 'The next step for the development of Sure Start programmes and early years support must include extending its reach into the home environment, particularly working with those identified as lacking an effective HLE.'
The final report is at wwwtheequalitiesreview.org.uk.
