ABSTRACT
This chapter describes how EPPE has informed early years policy development in England through references to key policy documents.
This chapter begins with a description of the policy context in the early 1990s and shows how EPPE evidence was used to inform (or not) a decade of policy innovation in early years education and care. Whilst much has been written about the impact of research on educational practice (Hargreaves, 1996; Siraj-Blatchford et al., 2008) there are fewer examples of accounts that discuss the ways research can shape policy. Saunders (2007) identifies tensions and explores different roles and responsibilities for those with a ‘policy remit for education’ (p. 106) which serves to remind us of the difficulties encountered by researchers working with policy makers. This chapter describes the EPPE research as an example of a study that had policy change as an outcome, as advocated by Whitty (2007) and Davies et al. (2001).
