English policies for early years children and their implications for primary education provision and economic returns on investment

The paper takes a socio - historiographical approach to understanding educational policy frameworks that exist for pre - school education（birth to five years） in England, and how they connect to compulsory education, particularly primary education. Documentary desk based analysis was conducted. Findings reveal that since 1997 there has been a dramatic and rapid increase of pre - school education provision from random and sparse provision to free pre - school places currently offered to all three and four year olds. The evidence reveals there are problems recognizing quality in education beyond using measurable outcomes. High quality pedagogical relationships facilitate high quality learning experiences and these need to be recognized. When recognizing high quality pedagogical relationships it is important to understand that learning is complex. A learning experience provided in a lesson on Monday, may not result in a child learning until a day later, a week later, a year later or much later. Implications for policy are for pre - school providers, the middle tiers including local authorities, trusts, and boards, the government at state level, and Ofsted to take a mixed methods approach to recognize quality in pre - school education. Quality will thus be recognized through measurable outcomes against standards and learning goals, and high quality staff who develop high quality pedagogical relationships that facilitate meaningful and worthwhile learning experiences. Thus taking a mixed methods approach to recognizing quality pre - school education may enable more transparency regarding reducing the poverty/achievement gap, meeting directorates for health and well - being, and returns on investment in education.