High-quality early education is crucial in countering the effects of socio-economic disadvantage. These vulnerable children need the very best provision but inspection evidence tells us that the quality is often weakest in the areas of highest deprivation. It does not have to be like this. There are providers in areas of high deprivation that buck the trend. What these providers do well is to quickly identify children's starting points and use discrete adult-led teaching sessions as part of a range of provision to accelerate progress. They are very successful at addressing three common areas of developmental delay that we found prevalent in disadvantaged areas. (author abstract)