The first seven years at school

Abstract

This paper assesses the cumulative long-term impact of successive years of high quality provision in schools. This was achieved by looking at the consequences, up to the age of 11 (Year 6), of attending a school where there was high or low value-added in each of the 7 years of primary education in England. Multi-level models for thousands of pupils were set up in which the relative contribution of the school was estimated each year, as was the impact of attainment levels reached in each previous year. The analyses indicated that: relative progress each year was important but progress in the earliest years was the most important. Good progress in the first year at school was still detectable in the last year of primary schooling. Boosts or setbacks to progress in one year can be added or subtracted to progress in another. The relative importance of school for maths and reading were similar but smaller for vocabulary. The analyses suggest that teachers are of key importance when considering educational effectiveness and the implication for policy makers and school effectiveness researchers are discussed.

Myths of Early Math

“…Teachers matter more than other factors, and teachers in the early years matter the most [59]. So, teachers of early mathematics have to use the best pedagogical strategies.…”

Understanding What Works in Oral Reading Assessments

“…If the initial information from an assessment is to guide the teacher-as has been our intention when developing the PIPS Baseline Assessmentthe assessment needs to include content that can provide comprehensive, reliable and valid information on what children know and the skills they possess on the road to becoming literate and numerate (Tymms et al, 2009). Depending on the purpose of the assessment, the results from the assessment should indicate each child's zone of proximal development so that the teacher can plan tailored learning experiences for specific children.…”

Long‐term effects of primary schools on mathematics achievement of students at age 17

“…If long‐term effects are found, they will probably be a lot smaller, but even if effects of only a few percent are found, they can be important for a number of students. Being in an effective or ineffective school is shown to have measurable effects (Goldstein & Sammons, ; Tymms et al ., ). A school, and in particular its teachers, can motivate (or, in contrast, discourage) a student with lifelong consequences.…”

“…In another study, Tymms et al . () investigated the cumulative effect of being in an effective primary school for several consecutive years. They found lasting and cumulative effects of effective primary schools.…”