Children taught well in reception ‘likely to earn more than peers’ in future

Sign up to our free money newsletter for investment analysis and expert advice to help you build wealth Sign up to our free money email for help building your wealth Sign up to our free money email for help building your wealth SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Many will be surprised to see this but it shows the importance of great teachers working with young children Professor Peter Tymms, Durham University The social and economic returns from investments in high-quality reception classes may also be “much larger” than the study’s estimates, especially for disadvantaged pupils, the paper says. Professor Peter Tymms, from Durham University’s School of Education, said: “We have previously shown that exceptional teaching in reception can have a long-term impact – up to GCSE level – but now, working with the Department for Education, we have been able to show that it has an influence on later earnings too. “Many will be surprised to see this but it shows the importance of great teachers working with young children.” Researchers used two previous studies – one on the impact of reception classes on GCSE attainment and the other on earnings returns associated with GCSEs – to estimate the changes in earnings. “However, we also need to recognise that the years before a child enters reception are just as important, and the challenges some children face start well before they arrive at school.” A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Early literacy and numeracy can improve life chances, and findings from this analysis report shows the importance of investing in maths and English in primary schools.