High-quality pre-school also has an effect on children's social andbehavioural outcomes, the latest study from the EPPE (EffectivePre-School and Primary Education 3-11) project said.
Professor Edward Melhuish at Birkbeck, University of London, who led theresearch, told Nursery World the findings showed that 'pre-schooleffects still persist' at the end of Year 6 when children are aged11.
He said the findings are 'significantly large for any Government wantingto improve the educational success of the population. We're saying thatto get long-term benefits it has to be high quality.'
But there is no significant benefit for children's attainment at the ageof 11 if they attended low-quality early years provision.
Prof Melhuish said success at primary school 'is distinctly greater forhigh-quality pre-school. It is with medium quality or high quality thatyou get a long-term effect.'
The research also found that home learning for pre-school children isstill one of the most important predictors of how well children do inEnglish and maths in Year 6, once parents' qualification levels, familysocio-economic status and income are taken into account. Home learningenvironment has more effect on children's reading than on theirmaths.
Prof Melhuish added, 'The home environment still has a powerful effecton children's performance at the end of primary school. The homelearning environment is strong for literacy and numeracy, but strongerfor literacy.'
Professor Melhuish also stressed the importance of raising thequalification levels of all early years staff and better staff trainingto improve the quality of early years education.
The project will follow children into secondary school, and the nextreport will cover the same group of children at the age of 14 and thenat 16.
Download 'Effective Pre-School and Primary Education 3-11 Project(EPPE3-11) Influences on children's cognitive and social development inYear 6' from www.dcsf.gov.uk/research.
