Develop quality practice

The early years are crucial years

Research evidence shows us that high-quality early education and care is good for all children, but the benefits for socio-economically disadvantaged children are even greater.

To make sure your Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) funding makes a real difference:

Reflect on current practice. Identify areas where improved interactions can have the greatest impact on disadvantaged children.
Invest in evidence-informed professional development for the whole team. Focus on approaches which are most relevant to disadvantaged children.

What we do in the early years matters – and how we do it matters just as much.

Wise investment of the EYPP can drive meaningful and lasting improvements in practice.

You could use your EYPP to:

When you choose effective, evidence-informed professional development, you are more likely to develop and sustain quality practice . When deciding which professional development is right for you and your team, it’s important to prioritise approaches which are most likely to be effective. Research evidence is a useful tool for doing this.

The table below summarises evidence-based approaches which contribute to high-quality education and care. Carefully consider how you might spend EYPP on professional development to enhance or implement some of these evidence-based approaches as part of your strategy.

Next chapter:

Develop quality practice

You could use your EYPP to:

Explore the evidence in our in-depth guide.

Find out more about the ShREC approach.

Explore the evidence behind this theme in more depth on the Evidence Store.

Dive into the Early Years Toolkit for a top-level summary of the evidence.

Explore our in-depth guide to supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing here.

Find out more about evidence-informed approaches on the Evidence Store.

Explore the evidence behind this theme in more detail on the Evidence Store.

Visit the Early Years Toolkit for a top-level summary of the evidence.

Explore the evidence in more depth on the Evidence Store.

Dive into the Early Years Toolkit for a top-level summary of the evidence.

Find out more about these evidence-informed approaches on the Evidence Store.

Dive into the Early Years Toolkit for a top-level summary of the evidence.

Explore the evidence in more detail on the Evidence Store.

Visit the Early Years Toolkit for a top-level summary of the evidence.

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