Early Years Research
The CREC research community is active, dynamic and operates for young children and families in the very real world of policy and practice. It aims to inform, develop and improve the quality of early childhood provision.
CREC is an international player in the early years research arena.
We have been undertaking national and international, large and small-scale research for more than 20 years and have a clear objective to generate knowledge which has applications for early years policy and/or practice.
Please explore below to see examples of our current and recent research work as well as our research publications. You might also wish to find out more about our Learning Circle (which supports emerging and experienced ECEC researchers alike through its monthly meetings) and the best of our students’ practitioner research in our archive of MA and PhD projects.
Current and recent research projects
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Froebel Supporting Children’s Engagement in Nature
This international action research project aims to explore and develop outdoor and natural world activity in Froebelian EY settings (3-6 years) which work with child and parent community groups in less advantaged communities in England and New Zealand. The research team are collaborating to explore what learning and development the natural world offers, how children and parents interact with nature, and what impact the nature has on children’s wellbeing and learning,. CREC’s role is to train practitioners in recording and reflecting on evidence and then support the action research process. We’re also undertaking a meta-analysis of the evidence and impact on children, parents and practitioners of engaging with nature.
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Austerity and its Impact on EY Informal and Family Learning in Disadvantaged Urban Communities
This CREC project aimed to enhance family and informal learning for disadvantaged children before entry to school. It generated learning with international relevance and used an innovative cultural mapping tool which explored the cultural and community changes experienced by two inner-city Birmingham wards and two similar Portuguese urban communities in Oporto in the decade between 2007 and 2018. A number of family and neighbourhood case studies have been produced to learn more about how changes identified have impacted on their learning experiences and consequently children’s futures.
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High Achieving White Working Class Boys Project
CREC has significant experience in terms of undertaking qualitative mixed method evaluations within socio-economically deprived communities and a reputation for doing so in an empowering, affirmative and non-judgemental way. In 2015-16 CREC undertook a DfE-funded project addressing white, working class underachievement in English schooling. We worked affirmatively with the families of 30 High Achieving White Working Class (HAWWC) Boys in three locations to identify the positive, enabling factors of their success so that these could be replicated for a greater number of boys. The findings showed how home and setting learning can be enhanced to enable less-advantaged children to close the attainment gap.
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International study on early childhood education (ECES)
From 2013 to 2016 CREC worked with the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) on an international study on early childhood education (ECES) and the first ECES report (Early Childhood Policies and Systems in Eight Countries), authored by CREC, is available to view online . The report was produced following extensive analysis of quantitative data (nationally collected statistical data relating to ECEC uptake, access, quality and outcomes) and supplementary qualitative data in relation to government policy direction and effectiveness. This multi-methods approach provided comparability whilst allowing for the contextual nuances between very different countries to be explored and reported.
Evidence, Policy & Literature Reviews
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A Fair Start? Equalising Access to Early Education
A technical report for The Sutton Trust looking at the current 30 hours entitlement in England, Pascal et al (2021)
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Early Years Workforce Review: Revisiting the Nutbrown Review -Policy and Impact
The report (2020) analyses the progress made since the 2012 Nutbrown Review and assesses the current state of play in relation to the development of a quality early years workforce.
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Getting it Right in the Early Years Foundation Stage: A Review of the Evidence
A review of the research evidence from 2009 to 2019 addressing the questions: 1) How far does the rationale for the prime and specific areas and the CoEL reflect current knowledge about early learning and teaching? 2) What aspects of the EYFS are affirmed and what need adjustment?
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Integrated Early Years Systems: A Review of International Evidence
This report provides an overview of available international evidence on integrated early years systems. It analyses the early years systems in Belgium, Denmark, Estonia and the Netherlands and explores the means by which system change has been achieved.
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The Hundred Review: What Research Tells us About Effective Pedagogic Practice and Children’s Outcomes in the Reception Year
The review is drawing on the expertise of hundreds of practitioners, including reception teachers, school leaders, academics and others engaged with the development of good practice in the early years to document evidence on current Reception year practice.
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Starting Well: Benchmarking Early Education Across the World
Starting well is an Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) research programme, commissioned by the Lien Foundation, which ranks the preschool environments in 45 countries.
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IEA International Early Childhood Education Study (ECES)
This report highlights key differences and similarities across a range of agreed policy indicators of early childhood education (ECE) policy.
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A Comparison of International Childcare Systems
This paper examines how 15 OECD countries plus the UK have responded to the challenge of implementing a set of structural mechanisms within their early education systems and how far these can be seen to be related to enhanced educational attainment for children.
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The impact of early education as a strategy for counteracting socio-economic disadvantage
In June 2012, Sir Michael Wilshaw, HMCI, stated his determination to address the issue of narrowing the gap of educational achievement between disadvantaged pupils and others. To support this intention, CREC has been commissioned by OFSTED to conduct a review looking at the impact of Early Childhood Education (ECE) initiatives to combat social and economic disadvantage, both in the UK and internationally.
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Unseen Children: Access and Achievement 20 Years On
In 2012 Ofsted undertook a review in order to understand the pattern of disadvantage and educational success across England, to learn the lessons of recent policy initiatives, and to come forward with proposals that would really make a difference. This report, published by Ofsted in 2013, sets out some of the main evidence that informed the review. It draws on test and examination data, inspection outcomes, and published reports and research.
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ERIC — The Effective Early Learning Project: The Quality of Adult Engagement in Early Childhood Settings in the UK
This paper (1999) examines the quality of adult engagement experienced by 3- and 4-year-olds in 9 types of early education and care settings from the private, voluntary, and state-funded sectors in the United Kingdom (UK).
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OECD Starting Strong Project
This project provided a comparative analysis of major policy developments and issues in 12 OECD countries, highlighted innovative approaches, and proposed policy options that can be adapted to varied country contexts. In the project, CREC was the Rapporteur for the Portugal Review and authored the UK’s country note: Starting Strong (2000).
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INCA: An International Review of Early Years Curriculum and Assessment of ECEC
This is one of a series of studies conducted as part of the International Review of Curriculum and Assessment Frameworks (INCA) project carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research in England and Wales, on behalf of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority in England
Recent publications
We are always open to receiving research enquiries and discussing collaborations.
Research Team Profiles
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Prof. Chris Pascal
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Dr Helen Lyndon
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Prof. Tony Bertram
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Sean Delaney
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR