Collection

Ofsted early years education research

Ofsted research for early years education.

• From: Ofsted
• Published: 15 May 2015
• Last updated: 30 April 2025 — See all updates

Ofsted carries out research alongside its main inspection work.

This serves a range of purposes. Depending on the subject chosen, this provides an opportunity to focus on specific issues in greater detail than is possible during an institutional inspection. Alternatively, it may explore an aspect that falls outside the current inspection framework, or look at provision in areas of our remit that we do not currently inspect.

Best start in life

A series of subject-based curriculum research reviews focused on early years education.

• Best start in life: a research review for early years
  • 8 October 2024
  • Research and analysis

Curriculum

• Strong foundations in the first years of school
  • 8 October 2024
  • Research and analysis
• Reception curriculum in good and outstanding primary schools: bold beginnings
  • 5 January 2018
  • Research and analysis
• Teaching and play in the early years: a balancing act?
  • 13 July 2015
  • Research and analysis
• The impact of the Early Years Foundation Stage
  • 10 February 2011
  • Research and analysis

Disadvantaged children

• Helping disadvantaged young children: how good are local authorities and early years providers?
  • 18 July 2016
  • Research and analysis
• Children in need and child protection: quality of early help and social work assessments
  • 4 August 2015
  • Research and analysis
• Helping disadvantaged children start school
  • 3 April 2014
  • Research and analysis

Inspections

• Retaining Ofsted's current grading system in education
  • 30 April 2019
  • Research and analysis

Providers and quality of provision

• Getting it right from the start: how early years practitioners work with babies and toddlers
  • 30 April 2025
  • Research and analysis
• How early years multiple providers work
  • 28 October 2021
  • Research and analysis
• Achieving and maintaining high quality early years provision: getting it right first time
  • 3 July 2013
  • Research and analysis

Published 15 May 2015

Last updated 30 April 2025 + show all updates

1. 30 April 2025

   Added 'Getting it right from the start: how early years practitioners work with babies and toddlers' under 'Providers and quality of provision'.

2. 8 October 2024

   New research added: 'Strong foundations in the first years of school' and 'Best start in life part 3: the 4 specific areas of learning'.

3. 28 October 2021

   Added new research 'How early years multiple providers work'.

4. 12 February 2016

   Added a link to survey inviting feedback on publications.

5. 15 May 2015

   First published.