Summary

The evaluation aimed to assess the extent of uptake of the Statement and the transition outcomes for children in targeted and comparison sites. Surveys of early childhood and school educators, parents and carers; case studies and a panel forum of experts were used to identify ways in which the Statement could be improved. The evaluation found that early childhood services, families and schools felt that children were well supported in their transition to school. Although these strong positive responses created ceiling effects, making it difficult to detect any aggregate impact on children’s transitions to school in the areas where the Statement was used more widely, the Statement is highly valued among the respondents who used or received it. The evaluation also identified a few key areas where the Statement could be simplified.