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By Rachel Lawler

 

Increased take-up of the two-year-old offer is associated with a level of improved attainment in Reception, according to research from the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF).

 

The EIF published a on how take-up of the offer has impacted children’s attainment in reception in the two years since its launch.

 

The EIF compared the performance of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile and found that those receiving free school meals were more likely to achieve a good level of development than before the funded childcare offer launched.

 

However, the report notes that there was not a significant acceleration in this trend in 2015/2016 or 2016/2017, when the introduction of the two-year-old offer would first have been seen.

 

The EIF also noted that there was only a slight improvement. It said that at the current rate of progress, it would be more than 40 years before the same proportion of children who receive free school meals achieved a good level of development as their better-off peers.