Evaluation of the implementation of the Early Years Pupil Deprivation Grant

The grant was introduced yo improve outcomes for learners from low income families receiving Foundation Phase early years education for 10 hours or more per week in an approved setting.

It aims to overcome the additional barriers that prevent learners from disadvantaged backgrounds achieving their full potential.

The main aim of the work was to evaluate how the Early Years Pupil Deprivation Grant (EYPDG) is being interpreted and implemented by practitioners across the different settings, whether it is being implemented as intended and to identify any emerging best practice.

The study used three main methods:

an online survey of early years settings
interviews with the policy leads in all four REC and one LA as well as with operational staff in three LAs
case-study interviews in 20 settings.

Main findings

94% of settings correctly identified the main aim of the EYPDG.
The majority of settings reported they were using the EYPDG for purposes recommended by Welsh Government guidance especially supporting early language development, staff training, buying new learning resources and parenting support.
The main benefits of the EYPDG identified by settings was the ability to begin supporting disadvantaged children a year earlier and the ability to tailor the support to different circumstances
The main drawback identified by settings was the view that the value of the EYPDG was too low. Particularly for those with low numbers of eligible children, a few settings also identified the uncertainty about the future existence and amount of their EYPDG allocation limited planning.
Some non-maintained setting reported that their LA had not delegated the EYPDG directly to them and would have preferred them to do so.

Reports