Extension to the longitudinal Study of Early Education and Development (SEED)

The purpose of this Prior Information Notice (PIN) is to inform potential suppliers of our intention to extend the Study of Early Education and Development (SEED) until the study cohort reach the end of Key Stage 4. SEED is a major longitudinal study commissioned from the Department for Education (DfE) that has followed nearly 6,000 children from across England from age two through to the end of Key Stage one (age seven).

The aim of SEED is to find out how characteristics of the early environment, including early childhood education and care and home and parenting, relate to child development and child outcomes over time. It further aims to understand what is important for high quality childcare provision and how the quality of provision relates to child outcomes and to compare the costs of delivering early education with the estimated monetary value of the impacts on child development.

Additionally, SEED has collected data from families of 7-9 year-olds in the study in 2020 about experiences and behaviours and children's emotional health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study is due to finish after the early education and outcomes at age 7 report is published and the COVID-19 analysis is published.

The Dept. is intending to extend the study. The aim of this extension is to understand the medium-to-long term, as well as wider, outcomes associated with the early years and with the COVID-19 pandemic.

We envisage that the SEED extension study will cover the following research tasks: - Task 1: Data matching of SEED data to data held in the National Pupil Database (NPD) at Key Stages 2 and 4 - Task 2: Primary data collection with the children, their families, and/or teachers at Key Stage 2 and potentially Key Stage 4 if sufficient sample sizes remain. - Task 3: Data linkage with wider Government administrative data, particularly health and crime (if feasible) - Task 4: Keep-in-touch communications, sample maintenance and tracing procedures to minimise sample attrition. - Task 5: Economic analysis on the value-for-money of early education and childcare The SEED sample will complete Key Stage 2 in academic years 2021/2022 and 2022/2023. Then, the sample will complete Key Stage 4 in academic years 2026/27 and 2027/28.

The potential collection of primary data during KS4 would be incorporated as a contract extension, with viability of this collection assessed taking into account attrition rates up to Key Stage 4. This notice is for information only and is not a call for competition.

The Department reserves the right not to enter a formal procurement process and not proceed with contract award. Accordingly, the Department will not be liable for any bid cost, expenditure, work or effort incurred by any organisation in acting on the basis of this Prior Information Notice.

All information included in this notice is indicative and subject to change. Additional information: Please see Attachments / Links section for links to addition information about SEED.