Overview

• The Study of Early Education and Development tracked nearly 6,000 children in England over more than a decade and shows that authoritative parenting leads to better academic attainment and wellbeing by age 11.
• Children whose parents set clear behavioural limits while maintaining warmth were more likely to meet expected standards in Key Stage 1 reading, maths and science and achieve higher scores at Key Stage 2.
• Spending at least 10 hours a week in formal group childcare was linked to increased chances of excelling in reading, writing and mathematics during primary school.
• Parental psychological distress, chaotic home environments and intrusive parent–child conflict were associated with lower socio-emotional success in elementary school.
• Researchers will collect final data points through 2029 as the Department for Education extends the longitudinal study to inform policy on parenting and early education.