Information about SEED surveys
Together we can give children like yours the best start in life
Around 6,000 families, like yours, have taken part in the SEED survey. By taking part, you are helping us to understand how children’s environment and experiences in the early years impact them as they grow older.
We have visited and spoken to families taking part in the SEED study up to seven times in the period from 2013 to 2023. If you have given us consent to link your survey responses to pupil records in the National Pupil Database, we are using that linked data in the analysis as well.
Thank you for all your help so far.
We are not currently collecting any new data for the study but we will be in touch again when young people taking part in SEED are in Year 11 at school.
This study, the Extension to the longitudinal Study of Early Education and Development (SEED) (2021-2029), is being conducted by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), the largest independent social research organisation in Britain, in collaboration with University College London, Durham University, University of Bristol and SQW. The study is funded by the Department for Education.
Previously, the Department for Education (DfE) had commissioned NatCen, working with the University of Oxford, Frontier Economics and Action for Children to conduct the longitudinal Study of Early Education and Development (SEED) (2013-2021).
All the answers you give will be anonymised and treated in strict confidence. We will combine your answers with the answers you gave in the previous SEED interviews so that we can see how things have changed. The results will help the Government make decisions about education for children and family support in England. Anything you tell us is confidential. The survey results collected are for statistical purposes only – you or your child will not be identified in any reports or publications.
Please read the study’s privacy notice to find out more about how your data will be kept safe.
What is SEED?
SEED stands for the Study of Early Education and Development.
Since you were 2 years old, we have visited you and almost 6,000 other children every few years. We have also linked data collected in our surveys with your maths, English and other subject records in the National Pupil Database (if your parent gave us a permission to do so). We want to understand how learning can help you become the best person you can be.
What do I have to do for SEED?
In the past, we have asked you questions about:
- What you like and don’t like about school
- How you spend your time with friends and family
- How you feel about yourself
- What you like to do online and how often you use the internet
We have also asked your parents and teachers similar questions.
When will you contact me?
We will contact you again to ask these questions when you are old enough to take your GCSE exams. Just keep an eye out for a letter from the SEED team at NatCen. By taking part, you can help the Government understand better what life is like for children and families today.