2024 Jenny Leaper Lecture

The 2024 Jenny Leaper Lecture was held in August, with Professor Iram Siraj
OBE from the University of Oxford presenting the public lecture, Supporting
Every Child to Flourish. The event was opened by Professor Jim Watterston,
Dean of the Faculty of Education, and was well attended by key stakeholders
across the early childhood education sector.

Professor Siraj reported on 50 family case studies, drawing on extended data
from the Effective Pre-School, Primary and Secondary Education (EPPSE 3–16)
study, the UK’s first major study to focus on the effectiveness of early years
education. Professor Siraj’s research generated evidence that extends our
understanding of how child, family, pre-school and external factors interact
and contribute to children’s levels of achievement through the learning lifecourse. Findings demonstrated that children adapt to physical and social
environmental influences, which affect their future learning and in turn shape
the environments that they offer their own children. The Lecture was followed
by a celebratory dinner function with industry colleagues and Jenny and John
Leaper, the philanthropic funders of the REEaCh Centre.

Professor Siraj’s visit to Melbourne was kindly co-sponsored by Goodstart Early Learning.

With thanks to Jenny and John Leaper who have supported the REEaCh Centre since 2019 though their generous philanthropic investment.