The first major longitudinal study in Europe to investivate the impact of pre-school provisions on a national sample of children has found that those with a pre-school education are far more likely to continue their studies as teenagers.

The effective Pre-school and Primary and Secondary Education project 9EPPSE) showed continuing effects of early pre-school education on sixth-form entry and that parents who read with their children, teach them numbers or take them on educational visits before they start school also boost their children’s academic achievement levels up to age 18.

Kathy Sylvia, Professor of Education and Psychology at Oxford University, who worked on the research, said: “We think that high-quality early education makes the child a more effective learner- not just better at letters and numbers. High quality education turns the child onto learning”.

The Oxford University research team found that youngsters of all backgrounds who receive a pre-school education are almost twice as likely to go on to sixth form and sit A levels. The findings suggest that for more pre-schoolers end up taking an academic route into university than their peers who had stayed at home when they were under five-years old. However, children who did experience stimulating learning activities before the age of five, were also more likely to achieve better A-level grades than peers who had not received this support. This study, combined with earlier research on the sample, concluded that a preschool education helps to compensate children with fewer educational experiences at home and this effect continues into secondary school.

Principal investigator Professor Pamela Sammons said “Our findings reveal that preschool boosts a child’s chances of doing well at school and going onto to taking advanced level examinations. This is important because A-levels are a prerequisite for most university and college courses.

“Our research also shows that a child’s educational experiences at home when they are under five really matter to their later academic success. Unfortunately not all children get the same support from their parents and for these pupils, pre-school is especially important. Our findings suggest that an investment in pre-schools pays off, with particular benefits for children from disadvantaged backgrounds”.

Not all parents can take the time out of a busy work day to provide stimulating activities for their under-fives. A nanny can be a great solution to offer a structured activity program to give under-fives to best chance to get a head start with their education.