NELI Preschool – trial

OxEd & Assessment
Implementation costThe cost estimates in the Toolkits are based on the average cost of delivering the intervention.
Evidence strengthThis rating provides an overall estimate of the robustness of the evidence, to help support professional decision-making in schools.
Impact (months)The impact measure shows the number of additional months of progress made, on average, by children and young people who received the intervention, compared to similar children and young people who did not.
+2
months
Project info

Independent Evaluator

NFER logo
NFER

Trial to test the effectiveness of NELI Preschool, a 20-week language enrichment programme with an additional targeted intervention for children in state-maintained and private, voluntary and independent (PVI) early years settings.

Pupils: 4452 Schools: 318 Grant: £642,887
Participating settings: 318

The project

NELI Preschool is a 20-week oral language programme for 3 – 4‑year-old children, centred around shared storybook reading and guided play. It is designed to improve the oral language skills of children in nursery.

Each week focuses on a different book: a mixture of traditional tales, contemporary stories and non-fiction. Weekly activities are designed to encourage the development of a rich vocabulary and the ability to listen to, tell and enjoy stories.

The NELI Preschool intervention includes two core components:

  • Universal language enrichment for all children in the setting (via whole-group sessions led by class teachers/​room leaders)
  • Targeted intervention for the children with the weakest oral language skills (via small-group and individual sessions led by nursery practitioners/​teaching assistants)

NElI Preschool includes access to:

  • LanguageScreen, an oral language screener to assess, track and identify language needs
  • CPD-certified online training
  • Digital and physical resources.
Outcome/​Group
ImpactThe size of the difference between pupils in this trial and other pupils
SecurityHow confident are we in this result?
Oral language skills, all children
+2
Months' progress
(Effect size 0.1)
Oral language skills, EYPP children
+2
Months' progress
(Effect size 0.11)
N/A

EEF summary

  • As part of the Department for Education’s (DfE) Early Years Recovery Programme, the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) worked with Stronger Practice Hubs across England to fund Early Years settings’ access to evidence-informed programmes and study the programmes’ influence on practice and children’s outcomes. This initiative aimed to support education recovery following the pandemic, whilst also developing our understanding of effective professional development in the early years. The EEF worked with the following Early Years Stronger Practice Hubs on the evaluation of NELI Preschool: East of England, South West, Northern Lights, Yorkshire and Humber Together, Kent, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, Thames Valley, London South, and Great North.
  • The evaluation found that children in NELI Preschool settings made an average of two additional months’ progress in their oral language skills compared to children in control settings. This result has a high security rating.
  • Children eligible for Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) also made an average of two additional months’ progress in their oral language skills compared to children in control settings. These results may have lower security than the overall findings because of the smaller number of children.
  • Children receiving additional targeted support made around two additional months’ progress. This was similar to the progress of children receiving only whole-group enrichment. This could mean that the targeted sessions help children with the weakest language skills benefit fully from whole class provision.
  • Children with English as an additional language (EAL) also made around two months’ additional progress. These results have lower security than the overall findings because of the smaller number of children.
  • Exploratory analysis suggests the intervention was effective in both private, voluntary and independent (PVI) and maintained settings.
  • Most practitioners reported that the NELI Preschool training was useful and prepared them well to deliver the programme effectively. Practitioners in NELI Preschool settings also demonstrated improvements in their confidence, practice, and motivation to support early language development compared to practitioners in control settings.
  • As a result of this evidence, NELI Preschool is one of the EEF’s Promising Programmes.
  • EEF is currently funding a longitudinal follow-up of these children to explore whether the positive effect of NELI Preschool is still apparent in the compulsory national teacher assessments conducted at the end of Reception.

Were the schools in the trial similar to my school?

Project type: Effectiveness level evidenceKey Stage: Early YearsSubject: Speech and language
  • There were 303 early years settings in the trial
  • The intervention was open to state-maintained nurseries and PVI settings across England
  • The majority of the settings were maintained nurseries (58%). 41% were PVIs.
  • 25% of children in the trial were eligible for the Early Years Pupil Premium.

Could I implement this in my school?

Delivered by: Early YearsParticipant group: Whole SettingIntervention length: 20 week(s)
  • Digital and physical resources required to deliver NELI Preschool are provided as part of the programme. However, some settings needed to purchase additional equipment such as a tablet or laptop to complete LanguageScreen assessments and a large digital display (such as a smart TV) to display digital slides. The programme provides settings access to a language screening tool (LanguageScreen), which runs on a tablet or laptop.
  • Settings spent on average 112 hours on training and preparation, in addition to 55 hours on session delivery in the first year, with similar delivery time requirements expected in subsequent years.
  • The main challenges to implementing NELI Preschool and sustaining its delivery in the longer term were staff capacity and additional costs associated with purchasing equipment.
  • NELI Preschool is available for settings to purchase outside this trial directly through OxEd.

How much will it cost?

Cost per pupil: £40.65No. of teachers/TAs: VariableStaff training duration: 14 days

The average cost of NELI Preschool for one setting was around £2,683, or £40.65 per child per year when averaged over three years. Costs vary depending on whether a setting already owns the required equipment.

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