Editor's view - Now we have proof of the benefits Early Years Professionals bring

More than anecdotal evidence is required, of course, to make the case for continued investment, so it is great that the new report 'Evaluation of the Graduate Leader Fund' found some encouraging results from nurseries employing EYPs (see News, page 4).

The study found that settings employing a graduate leader with EYPS made significant improvements in quality for pre-school children (30 months to five years), particularly with interaction, support for communication and child-initiated learning.

There are two main areas of concern about the findings, and about EYPS in general, however.

First, the research did not find significant improvements in settings' practice for children under 30 months old, perhaps because the EYPs worked far less in the rooms for younger children. This highlights the situation that is ingrained in the education system - the older the children you work with, the greater the status and pay you have. So, secondary school teachers are higher in the pecking order than primary ones, and Year 6 teachers are above Year 1 teachers, who have more status than early years teachers. Bottom of the pile are the baby room practitioners. In many settings, it is the least qualified and experienced staff who work with the babies and receive little support.