Good in theory, bad in practice: practitioners’ perspectives on the early years pupil premium in England

Abstract

The paper investigates practitioners’ perspectives on the Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) in England. The paper considers what practitioners in one Local Authority (LA) think now that the funding has passed its infancy. Specifically, does EYPP funding help ‘close the gap’ for disadvantaged 3- to 4-year olds? Q-methodology was used to identify practitioners’ shared perspectives and gather quantifiable data from highly subjective viewpoints. In total, the study investigated 19 practitioners’ perspectives; all were owners or managers in 19 different settings across one LA. The findings show that practitioners are experiencing administration and eligibility issues that hinder the effectiveness of the funding for disadvantaged children. The paper includes suggestions for improvements that include extending the eligibility criteria and providing more autonomy to practitioners to apply on behalf of children in their care. It concludes that EYPP funding is currently not working effectively for all of the participants in this study.