The recent IFS report highlighted the critical importance that Sure Start centres have on children’s educational outcomes and development

The network, launched by Labour in 1998 and introduced in 1999 has continued to deliver long term benefits to children, according to the report. The findings point to the fact that young people from low-income households who lived close to a Sure Start centre witnessed improvements in several GCSE grades.

Throughout the first decade that the initiative was rolled out, Sure Start centres became integral to the early years structure

Over the first decade it was rolled out, Sure Start became an increasingly important part of the early years landscape in England and initially targeted those living in the most disadvantaged areas. At its peak in 2010–11, the programme received a third of the total early years budget and had a network of close to 3,500 centres throughout the country. 

However, recently more and more centres have closed and although the government has launched initiatives of its own, the impact of the closures has been significant.

Recently, Gordon Brown, former prime minister who announced the launch of the Sure Start initiative as Labour chancellor in 1998 claimed the programme benefited millions of families. Brown, alongside three former Labour education secretaries urged Keir Starmer to revive a Sure Start programme in his manifesto.

IFS report: Key Findings

1.  Access to a Sure Start centre between the ages of 0 and 5 significantly improved the educational achievement of children, with benefits lasting at least until GCSEs (age 16). Children who lived within a short distance (2.5 kilometres) of a Sure Start centre for their first five years performed 0.8 grades better in their GCSEs.

2. There are much larger impacts for those from the poorest backgrounds and those from non-white backgrounds. By the time they took their GCSEs, effects were six times higher for those eligible for free school meals than for those not eligible for them. For those not eligible for free school meals, Sure Start only significantly improved attainment amongst children from ethnic minorities. 

3. Access to a nearby Sure Start centre at early ages increased the likelihood of children being recorded as having a special educational need or disability (SEND) at age 5, but significantly decreased the proportion of children recorded as having a SEND at ages 11 and 16 by 3%. Further analysis suggests that Sure Start likely increased reporting of need for some children while reducing the actual need for support for others. 

4. By its peak in 2010, total spending on Sure Start was around £2.5 billion in today’s prices, across both former SSLPs and SSCCs. The programme’s benefits in reducing the cost of SEND support for the government offset around 8% of this cost. More significant are the benefits for children from better attainment in the form of higher lifetime earnings; we estimate that for every £1 the government spent on Sure Start, there were benefits to attending children worth £1.09, solely through school outcomes. 

7. These results provide further evidence that intervening in early childhood to promote child development through holistic family support can yield important dividends when programmes are well designed and funded. The cost–benefit ratio reported here is modest, but masks substantial impacts among the poorest families and among ethnic minorities.

Commenting on the IFS report, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said:

“This study makes clear just how vital children’s centres are, not just as a places where families can go for advice and guidance, but also as a source of vital learning opportunities that support children’s long-term development and, as this research shows, improve their life chances.

“It is all the more concerning, therefore, that we have seen so many centres close over recent years. While the government’s new programme of family hubs is undoubtedly welcome, with the current rollout limited to 75 local authorities, it’s very difficult to see how the plans will compensate for the sheer scale of children’s centre closures that have taken place over recent years.

“If the government is truly committed to closing the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their wealthier peers, then it’s clear that extending this programme to ensure that all families, no matter where they live, can access these vital services is a critical first step.”