Baseline Assessment and Progress during the First Three Years at School

An analysis of data involving over 1,000 pupils in 62 classes focused on the progress made during the first 3 years of schooling in England. The pupils started school at the age of 4 and they were assessed on entry to school. They were then assessed 1 year later and again 2 years after that. Building on work reported in an earlier paper this study considered: • The adequacy of the baseline assessment for 4-year-olds in predicting later progress. • The differences between classes in value-added terms. • The long-term impact of being part of a class that made rapid academic progress during the 1st year at school. • Differences between pupils who started school in different terms. • Differences between pupils of different ages. Overall, the analysis supported the view that effective early provision has a positive impact on children's academic progress to the age of 7.