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Re-discovered research says early school starting age 'harms children'

A leading education campaigner and child psychologist is calling on the Prime Minister to intervene in the ongoing debate about the age at which children should start school.

Dr Richard House, a co-founder of the Open Eye and Early Childhood Action movements, said that there is now sufficient evidence that an early school starting age is bad for children.

He is calling for the revised EYFS to be made voluntary and for the school starting age to be raised.

Speaking at the Westminster Education Forum in London today, Dr House will argue that research proves that formal learning at too early an age, rather than leading to children doing well at school, actually leads to lower academic performance and can even contribute to dying early.

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