New data from Northside Partnership & UCD Geary Institute now available

30 August 2017

The Children’s Profile at School Entry (CPSE) study was conducted between 2008 and 2015 as part of the wider Preparing for Life evaluation by the UCD Geary Institute at University College Dublin, Ireland. The Preparing for Life (PFL) intervention was developed by the Northside Partnership as a five year school readiness intervention, starting in pregnancy and lasting until the child started school. The CPSE study took place in parallel to the PFL evaluation, and provided an annual, representative survey of the levels of school readiness of all Junior Infant children in the PFL catchment area – both those participating in PFL intervention and the general population not participating in PFL.

The annual survey (1) indicated the general level of school readiness of children attending schools in the PFL catchment area, (2) indicated whether the PFL programme was generating positive externalities, and (3) served as a baseline measure of school readiness for the PFL cohort.

The CPSE study was undertaken by the PFL evaluation team at UCD Geary Institute. A cross-sectional design was developed to collect information via surveys which were completed by (1) the primary school teacher and (2) the primary caregiver of each Junior Infant child. Data were collected at the start of each school year, for eight years between 2008 and 2015. Pupil school readiness was assessed in both the teacher and caregiver surveys using the Short Early Development Instrument (S-EDI; Janus & Offord, 2000), and using a series of measures that were constructed by the PFL evaluation team.

Teachers were also asked a series of demographic questions including their age, professional qualifications, how long they had been teaching in general. Caregivers were asked socio-demographic information, along with standardised measures of mental well-being and parenting.

See: Children’s Profile at School Entry (CPSE) collection, 2008 – 2015

To access the data, please complete a request form for research purposes, sign it, and send it to ISSDA by email.

Back to list

Tools