Ark Start is closing the ‘disadvantage gap’, says Education Policy Institute
An evaluation by the Education Policy Institute has found that Ark Start is “impacting the disadvantage gap” between children on free school meals (FSM) and their more advantaged peers.
The report said that pupils who attended our nurseries, including those on FSM, achieved above the national average on the good level of development (GLD) measures used to assess early years’ children at the end of reception. Assessors found that the nurseries were closing the attainment gap between non-FSM and FSM pupils.
The evaluation was commissioned as part of The Mercers’ company Early Years Special Initiative. Ark Start received funding between 2020 and 2023, alongside other organisations working to improve outcomes for our youngest children.
The associated evaluation praised Ark Start’s investment in staff. They said that “Ark’s investment in staff CPD (Continuing Professional Development) has not only promoted the high-quality delivery of their curriculum, enrichment programme and parenting programme, but also means most of their staff expect to stay with them for at least two years, ensuring continuity.”
All staff reported that they were happy in their role and were receiving high-quality training. Staff also said they felt listened to, valued by their line manager, and that they felt increasingly skilled in implementing the curriculum and working with parents.
The Education Policy Institute’s assessors highlighted Ark Start’s parental engagement activities, including the ‘Parent Power’ programme run in partnership with Citizens UK, which provides a space for families to work together on a range of issues affecting them in the community.
The Education Policy Institute credited Ark Start’s success to “achievements and ongoing work integrating training and development into their operational model”.
