Sound foundations: Supporting the early years sector to make best use of the evidence

The first few years of a child’s life are hugely important to their future. How they spend this critical period shapes their outcomes – both in the shorter term and later in life – laying the foundations for their academic achievement, which in turn, have a significant influence on their life chances.

Giving every child access to great learning and development opportunities in the early years is also crucial to combatting education inequality: gaps in development between children from disadvantaged homes and their more affluent peers require early identification and intervention if they are to be swiftly addressed.

Early years professionals play a central role in this mission. But, with the sector facing a number of immediate challenges, they shoulder a huge amount of responsibility in their day-to-day working lives.