The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have released their latest report 'Starting Strong V - Transitions from Early Childhood Education and Care to Primary Education'. The report compares the situation across 30 OECD and partner countries, looking at effective transitions from early childhood education to primary school in England and Wales, describing the main challenges and strategies to tackle them.  

Read the full report

PACEY Chief Executive, Liz Bayram comments:

“The OECD’s Starting Strong report shares some important messages around effective transition that government, local authorities and schools in England and Wales could learn from. We’re delighted that its focus is as much on how schools are ready for children as children ready for school. It also makes clear that effective transition requires a clear national policy framework that is backed up with strong local leadership and mutual respect and understanding between early years practitioners. We know from our own Starting School Together project that when this exists it can make an immense difference to a child’s first year in school.

“With the implementation of 30 hours of funded early education just weeks away and the Government currently considering how it might change primary assessment in England, this report make clear that investment in high quality early education and ensuring early years pedagogy continues into the first years of a child’s school, are the foundations for their success later in life. PACEY see this as further evidence that more early years funding is needed to ensure high quality experiences for children and government should ensure, through its consultation on assessment, that the EYFS is not only maintained but extended into Year 1.”

Full summary of the report to follow.