Minister for change?

18 August 2019 | by Natalie Perera, executive director and head of research, Education Policy Institute

If the new children and families minister is interested in closing the disadvantage gap, she needs to overhaul the whole system

Where’s the evidence?

22 July 2019 | by Natalie Perera, executive director and head of research, Education Policy Institute

The Department for Education’s recently announced pledge to improve social mobility offers some hope but is largely flawed

More justification

23 June 2019 | by Natalie Perera, executive director and head of research, Education Policy Institute

The latest research into the benefits of the Sure Start programme backs up the positive points made in previous studies

Time after time

27 May 2019 | by Natalie Perera, executive director and head of research, Education Policy Institute

Despite a recent Social Mobility Commission report and an IFS review under way, the inequality problem isn’t really being tackled

Quantity over quality

14 April 2019 | by Natalie Perera, executive director and head of research, Education Policy Institute

Government funding of the early years has risen over the past few decades, but could the money have been better spent?

A Sure sign

18 March 2019 | by Natalie Perera, executive director and head of research, Education Policy Institute

The recent 20th anniversary of Sure Start, which evolved into Children’s Centres, is a reminder of what we are at risk of losing

School of thought

18 February 2019 | by Natalie Perera, executive director and head of research, Education Policy Institute

The Government’s well-received strategy on school teacher recruitment shows what could be achieved if it made the same effort with early years

You get what you pay for

21 January 2019 | by Natalie Perera, executive director and head of research, Education Policy Institute

It matters that the average early years practitioner is paid the same as a hairdresser and that nearly half rely on state benefits

Fighting over the scraps

09 December 2018 | by Natalie Perera, executive director and head of research, Education Policy Institute

When it comes to funding and positive action, the early years sector has received slim pickings from the Government in 2018

Inequality persists

12 November 2018 | by Natalie Perera, executive director and head of research, Education Policy Institute

A recent OECD report confirms that the UK needs to better support disadvantaged children in order to improve their prospects