Baby Steps, Big Returns: Why Early Years Research Must Shape National Policy
His Majesty King Charles III visiting the University of East London in the first university event of his reign
Professor Amanda J Broderick, Vice-Chancellor and President
| University of East London
The early years are critical to a child’s development and the nation’s future. Professor Amanda J Broderick, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of East London, argues that government must act on cutting-edge research to shape smarter, fairer policies – delivering lasting returns for society and the economy.
The earliest years of a child’s life are not simply the first chapter, they are the foundation upon which the UK’s long-term prosperity, public health, and social cohesion is built. What happens in the first five years of life shapes educational attainment, emotional resilience, workforce readiness, and even future public service demand.
At the University of East London (UEL), the UK’s most socially inclusive university, our research and education in early years development brings together diverse minds in health, education, psychology, neuroscience, and digital safety to tackle the most pressing challenges in our understanding of what children need to thrive, and how families, educators and government can deliver it.
Evidence That Drives Policy
Our Institute for the Science of Early Years and Youth is breaking new ground in understanding how children’s environments – digital, social, and physical – shape their development. With cutting-edge tools like wearable brain scanners for babies, children and caregivers – used, uniquely, in urban, domestic settings – UEL is delivering new insights that government can translate into cost-effective, high-impact policy.
Our current research spans key priorities for government:
- Screen time and brain development: Working with the Leverhulme Trust, we are identifying how digital media complexity affects neural development, helping to shape future screen use guidelines.
- Early ADHD indicators: With the Medical Research Council, we are studying early behavioural signals that may support earlier diagnosis and intervention.
- School readiness: Backed by the European Research Council, our researchers are analysing how children develop self-regulation skills, informing curriculum design and teacher training.
- Language development: Partnering with the Mercers’ Company, we are exploring how shared storytelling enhances communication skills from infancy.
Leading the Way on Online Safety
UEL is a global leader in understanding how children are affected by digital environments. Through our Institute for Connected Communities (ICC), we are advising governments around the world on child online safety – work that has influenced UK legislation such as the Online Safety Act and OFCOM’s child protection guidance.
As the TV series Adolescence has made clear, children’s mental health is increasingly shaped by their digital lives. ICC research explores how early exposure to online risks – including unregulated content, cyberbullying, and AI-generated abuse – can be mitigated through improved design, regulation, education, and parental support. In June, we launch our national Child Online Harms Policy Think Tank to accelerate this work across sectors.
UEL’s reach is immediate and scalable: we educate one in three students on early years and childhood studies courses in London, so our research is already influencing practice in classrooms and nurseries across the country, and more than 50,000 early years professionals have engaged with our findings.
We stand ready to support government in translating this research into practical solutions that deliver lasting returns:
- A National Framework for Parental Engagement: Equip families with the tools and knowledge they need to support development from birth — closing the attainment gap before it opens.
- Early Mental Health Intervention: Evidence-based interventions that reduce emotional difficulties later in life and ease long-term pressures on the NHS.
- Safe and Effective Digital Learning: Guidance to ensure technology enhances, not harms, children’s development — especially in early years settings.
Investment with Long-Term Returns
According to the Sutton Trust, for every £1 spent on early years education, £7 has to be spent to have the same impact in adolescence. This is not just a moral imperative — it is a smart fiscal decision. The cost of inaction? Greater inequality, overstretched services, and a workforce without the skills to thrive.
The solutions exist. The research is ready. With bold, research-led policymaking, government can unlock the transformative power of early years development – reducing costs, closing gaps, and building a stronger, fairer UK.
For more information visit www.isey.org; https://www.icc-uel.com; or contact publicaffairs@uel.ac.uk.
