Collection

Study of early education and development (SEED)

Research about the current childcare and early education model in England.

• From: Department for Education
• Published: 23 October 2015
• Last updated: 4 July 2025
  Show all updates

  1. 4 July 2025

     Added 'Early education use and child outcomes at key stage 2'.

  2. 29 October 2021

     Added 'Early education and development: Coronavirus (COVID-19) study', 'Early education and development: alternative quality scales' and 'Early education use and child outcomes up to age 7'.

  3. 21 February 2020

     Added 'Early education and outcomes to age 5' and 'Financial returns to early education spending' research.

  4. 15 February 2019

     Added link to study of early education and development (SEED) wave 3 data.

  5. 10 September 2018

     Added 'Early education and outcomes to age 4' research report.

  6. 7 December 2017

     Added the report 'Early years provision quality'.

  7. 27 November 2017

     Added links to SEED archived waves 1 and 2 data.

  8. 12 July 2017

     Added the reports 'Early education: potential value for money' and 'Early education use and child outcomes up to age 3'.

  9. 27 January 2017

     Added the reports 'cost and funding of early education', 'Experiences of the early years pupil premium', Good practice in early education' and 'Early years: meeting the needs of children with SEND'.

  10. 23 October 2015

      First published.

The study of early education and development (SEED) evaluates the:

• effect of early education on children’s outcomes
• quality of provision
• value for money of providing funded early years education

Data from the first 3 waves of the survey is available from the UK Data Service:

• SEED wave 1 data (2 year olds)
• SEED wave 2 data (3 year olds)
• SEED wave 3 data (4 year olds)

Documents

• Early education use and child outcomes at key stage 2
  • 4 July 2025
  • Research and analysis
• Early education use and child outcomes up to age 7
  • 29 October 2021
  • Research and analysis
• Early education and development: alternative quality scales
  • 29 October 2021
  • Research and analysis
• Early education and development: Coronavirus (COVID-19) study
  • 29 October 2021
  • Research and analysis
• Early education and outcomes to age 5
  • 21 February 2020
  • Research and analysis
• Financial returns to early education spending
  • 18 November 2021
  • Research and analysis
• Early education and outcomes to age 4
  • 18 November 2021
  • Research and analysis
• Early years provision quality
  • 7 December 2017
  • Research and analysis
• Early education: potential value for money
  • 12 July 2017
  • Research and analysis
• Early education use and child outcomes up to age 3
  • 18 November 2021
  • Research and analysis
• Cost and funding of early education
  • 27 January 2017
  • Research and analysis
• Children with SEND: meeting their needs in the early years
  • 27 January 2017
  • Research and analysis
• Experiences of the early years pupil premium
  • 27 January 2017
  • Research and analysis
• Good practice in early education
  • 27 January 2017
  • Research and analysis
• Study of early education and development: childminder provision
  • 11 September 2015
  • Research and analysis
• Study of early education and development: survey of families
  • 16 July 2015
  • Research and analysis
• Study of early education and development: views of childminders
  • 18 December 2014
  • Research and analysis