Follow On Eppe Study

[Running Bunny]

Not sure if this is the best place (please feel free to move!) and equally not sure if it has already been posted (had a quick peek)

 

New research has been published by some of the original EPPE team - Quality of Childcare Settings They have carried out new research on a 'millennium cohort' of children born between 2000 and 2002 and looked at the quality of childcare according to different settings, adult interaction, qualifications etc...

 

I've had a quick read of the summary (page 52 onwards I think) and it makes for interesting reading. There is a really interesting paragraph that I thought was worth posting...

 

Ratio

For the age ranges of children in the sample, the legal ratio for private and voluntary

sector settings is 8:1. In a local authority maintained nursery class or school, one teacher

and one nursery nurse can provide for up to 26 children (a ratio of 13:1). Since the

maintained sector offered the highest quality provision, we might expect to find that

higher numbers of children per adult are related to higher quality provision. However,

once the influence of sector was accounted for (using multiple regression analysis), it

was clear that more children per staff member led to lower quality in some areas: in

particular, the quality of personal care routines, language and reasoning, interactions

and provision for diverse needs. Thus, within sectors (i.e. once sector is accounted for)

better ratios improve the quality of provision in these areas.

 

It seems that it's come a bit too late for the EYFS proposals on ratios?

Edited April 11, 2007 by Running Bunny

[Guest Wolfie]

That's a VERY interesting report, thank you for bringing it to our attention, Running Bunny.

[JacquieL]

At last someone has research and reported what is obvious to those of us working with underfives. The more adult heads and arms and laps there are the better, and the 1-13 in Nursery and 1-30 in Reception where they may be a lot of 4 year olds is just ridiculous. will anyone take notice i wonder after all it is going to cost someone a lot of money to act on this!

[Guest]

I couldn't agree more Jacquie

[Guest]

Thanks for the info RB

Hopefully as the research has come from the original EPPE team of researchers ( and it's not someone new) then maybe these conclusions will positively affect future decisions , although alas as Jacqui says it is too late for the EYFS.

 

Peggy

[Marion]

Thanks for that......more reading

[HappyMaz]

Apparently the latest findings from the EPPE research is that attending a good quality pre-school positively affects maths and english ability at age 11. Apparently those who went to a pre-school that wasn't 'good' reached the same level of ability as those who attended no pre-school at all.

 

Can't find the report itself (will keep looking) but here's the link to the news article.

 

Will be very interested to read the report when I get my hands on it!

 

Maz

[Marion]

Thanks Maz ~ think it's called Quality Matters; after all findings from EPPE

[catma]

I still think that because reception arrangements are enshrined in so many other pieces of legislation it's about having the political will to undo all of that as it would take acts ofparliament to change alot of it - all the infant class size legislation and stuff relating to school teachers etc etc etc - it's more than just money.

 

Still a pain though.

Cx