Child care
Research Topic
Language: English
This is a research topic created to provide authors with a place to attach new problem publications.
Research problems linked to this topic
- How can we ensure that technology (including Artificial Intelligence), supports child and adolescent development, learning and health at all stages, from early years to adult education?
- How can we best measure quality and effectiveness within our workforces (taking account of the range of outcomes we want to deliver)? How does this vary for different types of workers and at different stages in their careers?
- • What models of [school-aged childcare] provision (e.g. breakfast clubs, after school clubs, homework clubs and holiday provision) are most effective (for whom, when, where and why)?
- Are these programmes acceptable to families and easily scalable?
- • What development opportunities are available for our workforces, how well do they meet our needs, and how attractive and accessible are they? Given the importance of professional development to retention, what are the best ways to ensure there are sufficient attractive and accessible development opportunities which engage the right people?
- • What influence do practices such as professional supervision/reflective practice have on staff retention and how widespread are these practices?
- • How can artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies be implemented in our settings so that they do not widen existing inequalities or create new inequalities?
- • What mitigations are needed in our buildings, and what mitigations are used, to minimise the spread of infectious diseases and contribute towards a healthy and resilient environment?
- What is the optimal amount and type of early education in formal settings? How does this vary for different groups of children?
- • How do we best update our workforce skills and knowledge to reflect changing needs and evidence (for example regarding knowledge of climate change, and knowledge and skills in using technology)?
- How do we ensure access to rich and engaging opportunities in and outside of pre-school and school settings, particularly for disadvantaged children? Which are the most cost-effective in helping children to achieve and thrive?
- How can our estates (including school nurseries, schools and publicly provided children’s homes) provide a suitable, healthy, and resilient environment for learning and to deliver our Opportunity Mission and how can this be done in the most cost-efficient way?
- What factors influence labour market choices and how do they vary for different groups, parts of the workforce, including at a sub-national level? This includes the role of non-pay factors such as workload, wellbeing and flexible working and their relative importance .
- What are the factors associated with teacher and pupil wellbeing, and what interventions and approaches are effective in supporting and promoting wellbeing of all in schools and colleges?
- • What new or additional knowledge and skills (including what level of knowledge and skills) do our workforces need (including in equipping our workforces to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities)?
- • How has the increased accessibility of generative AI influenced our sectors (including schools, colleges etc)?
- What more can be done to best support families with children under the age of 2, to give those children, particularly the most disadvantaged, the best start in life?
- What can we do to reduce barriers to take-up of childcare and to work, particularly for parents from disadvantaged communities?
- • What are the drivers, barriers, costs, and benefits of movements across our workforces?
- • What enrichment activities (such as arts, cultural and sports activities) are available through childcare for school aged children? How and why does this vary (e.g. by place and age group) and how can we boost these opportunities for those most need them?
- • What are the features of the design and delivery of cost-effective professional development, at scale? Why are these features effective?
- What difference does professional development of our workforces (including for specialist and support workforces and early years practitioners) make to children’s outcomes?
- • Are there barriers affecting the availability of specialists (including for example, subject specialist teachers)? How might they be addressed?
- What are the most effective ways to provide robust and effective early education, to ensure sufficiency of provision with a motivated and good quality workforce?
- What can we learn from other parts of the public sector, other sectors, and other programmes (e.g. NHS, parenting programmes) about professional training to develop knowledge and skills (e.g. about child development, on behaviour management, on how to improve leadership skills, how to improve workforce wellbeing, and how to use evidence)?
- • What resources are required to ensure the safe and efficient handling of data in education and children’s social care?
- • How can childcare for school aged children better support disadvantaged children and children with SEND?
- How can schools best identify children's mild to moderate mental health needs, and what role can early intervention play in preventing escalation?
- How can childcare for school-aged children best contribute to children’s health, socio-emotional and educational outcomes?
- • What are the best ways to ensure that AI and other digital technology are used safely, ethically, and in ways that protect the data and interests of children, our workforce, and bodies? What forms of collaborative working, regulation and enforcement may be appropriate?
- What is the prevalence of different pedagogical approaches in different early years settings, including maintained nurseries and nursery provision in primary schools? How does this vary across the workforce? Which of these approaches have the greatest impact on development?
- • How can staff best be supported in dealing with challenging behaviour, in ways that reliably reduce disruption to peers, improve pupil wellbeing, behaviour and attainment, and aid staff retention?
- How do we ensure that all children, particularly those in most need, can access and participate in good quality early learning?
- How effective are the Family Hubs pilots in improving outcomes for young children and their families? What works best to engage families and deliver services?
- How can we best support children and adults who lack or have lacked family support (such as those who have experienced care) to maximise their opportunities to live a healthy and rewarding life?
- Which parenting programmes are most effective?
- What are children’s end-to-end routes through the care system, and how does this impact on later life outcomes, such as educational achievement, wellbeing and labour market outcomes?
- What are the most effective system-level levers for replicating high-quality and long-lasting early years education across diverse settings (including schools, childminders, and communities)? How much do these levers act universally, and how much do they need adapting and/or targeting to support different groups of children (e.g. SEND, FSM) to achieve a Good Level of Development (GLD)?
- • What models of management and professional development of frontline and back office roles support efficient and safe use of data and technology including AI?
- What are the security risks associated with AI and other digital technology within the educational and children’s social care estates? What is best practice for cyber security in our institutions how can we scale this across the estate?
- Which interventions in early years settings are most effective in supporting child development, for whom, when, where and why?
- How can schools best manage the transition from early years to school and minimise any negative effects on children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds?
- How is the use of Age Assurance technologies for the child online safety sector likely to change over the next 5 and 10 years?
- What are the barriers to early years staff (including childminders) recruitment and retention and how can they be addressed?
- What approaches or innovations are needed to support the efficient and safe handling of data within education and children’s social care settings which leads to better life outcomes?
- • What innovative approaches to data in education and children’s social care could increase staff capacity and reduce workload?
- How and when are our specialist and support workforces (such as Specialist Educational Needs Coordinators, Educational Psychologists, and finance professionals) deployed? How does this vary and why (for example across regions, for different specialist workers such as children’s home staff), and between the state and independent school sectors)?
- What are the characteristics of additional needs for children in the early years, with specific consideration of neurodiversity, speech and language, and mental health interventions?
- What are the most cost-effective ways to recruit and retain our workforces? How does this vary across the education and children’s social care workforces (including relevant local authority staff such as educational psychologists), and at all stages of their careers (including recruitment into initial teacher training courses and late career recruitment)?
- • What are the characteristics and motivations of returners to the education and social care workforces?