UK Sure Start Local Programmes

Summary

The UK's Sure Start evaluation used a regression discontinuity design based on geographic deprivation cutoffs to estimate causal effects on children who had access to integrated early services from birth. Effects on academic performance at age 11 and significant reductions in emergency hospitalizations suggest durable gains from early integrated support. The subsequent closure of most Sure Start centres in austerity cuts provided an unintended natural experiment: IFS researchers found that children in areas with more closures saw reduced gains, supporting the original findings. Sure Start is one of the clearest examples of a policy cut before its long-term evidence base was fully established.

Research question

"Do Sure Start integrated early childhood centres improve child development, health, and educational outcomes?"

Methodology

Result

Positive

Age 11 test scores: +0.1 SD; emergency hospitalizations: −11%; obesity at age 11: −2.4 pp; special needs referrals: reduced

Evidence strength

Moderate

Quasi-experimental design; causal interpretation requires care.

Replication status

Partially replicated