英国在早期学习研究中的强劲表现是“肯定起步”（Sure Start）项目的遗产，部长们必须在此基础上继续建设。人们对婴儿期和早期童年重要性的认识正在不断增长。无论是普通大众还是专家，都普遍认识到，我们在非常年幼、大脑可塑性最强的时期所经历的事情会产生持久的影响。正如经济合作与发展组织（OECD）在早期教育研究中所指出的：“儿童生命的前五年既是一个机会之窗，也是一个脆弱期。”
England’s strong results in an early learning study are a Sure Start legacy that ministers must build on Recognition of the importance of babyhood and early childhood continues to grow. It is widely understood by many ordinary people, as well as experts, that what happens to us when we are very small, and our brains are at their most malleable has lasting effects. As the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) put it in a study of early years education“the first five years of a child’s life represent a window of opportunity, but also of vulnerability”.
新工党对这一点的把握支撑了其开创性的“肯定起步”项目。在保守党-自由民主党紧缩政策下，该项目的大部分被拆除了。但尽管遭受了这种损失，英国在今年OECD早期学习与儿童福祉研究中的表现依然强劲。这项研究不像比较15岁学生学业表现的国际学生评估项目（Pisa）那样具有高知名度。它更新，且依赖的样本量要小得多。虽然其发现不应被视为绝对真理，但令人欣慰的是，英国的五岁儿童被发现发展得很好。在社会情感发展指标上，他们名列前茅。
New Labour’s grasp of this underpinned its pioneering Sure Start programme. Much of this was dismantled under the Tory-Liberal Democrat austerity programme. But despite that loss, England’s results in this year’s OECD Early Learning and Child Well‑being Study were strong. This study does not have the high profile of the programme for international student assessment (Pisa) comparing the academic performance of 15-year-olds. It is newer and relies on a far smaller sample size. But while its findings should not be treated as gospel, it is heartening that England’s five-year‑olds were found to be thriving. On a social-emotional development measure, they came out on top.