Study of Early Education and Development (SEED): The Potential Value for Money of Early Education

This document assesses the effectiveness and economic value of early education interventions aimed at enhancing child development and academic achievement during Key Stage 1. The policy's objective is to improve cognitive and social skills in children aged three to seven, anticipating long-term benefits and financial gains. The evaluation utilized regression analysis, cost-benefit analysis, and diverse evidence to quantify the policy's monetary impact. Findings suggest that early education can lead to substantial economic benefits, including lower costs for special education, decreased truancy and exclusion rates, and increased earnings. The report concludes that these interventions are likely to be cost-effective, potentially yielding significant long-term advantages for individuals, the government, and society. However, it acknowledges methodological limitations and the possibility of underestimating the policy's full impact. The analysis also highlights that a 3-point increase in Key Stage 1 attainment could be worth approximately £60,000, with benefits to both individuals and the government, and emphasizes the stronger link between Key Stage 1 performance and later outcomes compared to earlier developmental stages. **This summary was written by an AI model and therefore should not be considered a definitive summary of the report. If you are aware of inaccuracies, please email evaluation.registry@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.**

Description

• Lead department: Department for Education (DfE)
• Evaluation stage: A complete evaluation report
• Other departments: No other departments listed
• Evaluation types: Value for money evaluation; Process evaluation
• Process methods: Other
• Value for money methods: Cost-benefit analysis
• Grant information: This intervention is not distributing funding via a grant
• Government Major Project information: This intervention is not a major project
• Policies: No policies provided

Event Dates

• Event Name: Publication of final results
• Event date: July 2017

Evaluation Costs

• Cost: Not provided

Evaluation sharing

• Link(s) to published report(s): Yes
• Links to evaluation plans: No link provided
• Findings: Not provided
• Permission to share confirmed: Yes