It highlights how high-quality early years settings play a crucial role in supporting successful development in young children, including their language, social, emotional, and physical skills, and behaviour, but warns that the ongoing closure of nurseries and unprecedented recruitment and retention challenges are putting the quality of provision for children at risk.
It highlights ‘the alarming rise’ in early years developmental delays since the pandemic, which it says has led to large numbers of children who are not ready for school.
Schools report children arriving at Reception in nappies, and recent surveys of schools and nurseries have shown high levels of concern around speech and language with significant numbers of children below age-related expectations at the end of the EYFS, it says.
In 2022/23, Department for Education figures showed that a third of children were not considered 'school ready', with 45 per cent of children receiving Free School Meals not being ready for school, according to the thinktank.
In the foreword, Anne Longfield, chair of the Centre for Young Lives and and Dr Camilla Kingdon, former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health say, ‘The early years of a child's life, as they learn and develop through the pivotal first few months and years of life, are crucial. Now a priority for the new government, there is an opportunity to build a world leading early years system that brings together brilliant education with the best in early intervention and support for early development.’
The report follows in the wake of the Government’s commitment to open 300 nurseries in primary schools in England from next September.
The Centre for Young Lives think tank and the Child of the North report will be launched today at a meeting of paediatricians, scientists and school leaders in Birmingham to discuss how the practitioners can support the new government in its ‘opportunity’ mission.
It sets out proposals to address the crisis in pre-school provision across the country, particularly in the most disadvantaged areas, as well as better training for professionals to boost home visits to first time low-income mothers, more parenting programmes, and better sharing of information between professionals working with families and young children.
Longfield said, ‘I have heard many concerning experiences from school staff about children arriving at Reception wearing nappies, still using buggies, and unable to communicate at the expected level or to socialise with other children.
‘Some of these children have developmental problems, struggle with speech and behaviour, and can require significant extra attention and support from already overstretched schools.
‘The Government’s commitment to 300 new state nurseries is an opportunity for schools and communities in disadvantaged areas to tackle these problems head on by establishing new early years support to boost children’s development and tackle poverty by providing childcare support to help parents work.
‘None of these problems will fix themselves. Our preschool system is disjointed, is struggling with a recruitment and retention crisis, and has been historically underfunded.
‘This report provides affordable, realistic proposals and shares best practice that will support a new focus on transforming support for children and families. If we get it right, we can transform the life chances of millions of children.’
Programmes highlighted in the report as boosting children’s ‘school readiness’ include:
- The Nuffield Early Language Intervention Preschool, which has been developed to boost the language skills of children and better prepare them for school entry.
- 50 Things To Do Before You’re Five an initiative that provides ‘ideas for fun, low or no-cost’ activities for families with young children that aim to help children develop the skills, language, and resilience needed for starting school
- Sheffield Small Talk ‘an innovative and established’ speech and language therapy clinic, providing inclusive no-cost provision for all preschool children with SEND.
The report will be launched at ‘an extraordinary meeting’ with paediatricians within the Healthier Together Programme.
Healthier Together works in partnership with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) to support integrated working across services to provide high-quality care and help to families.
The thinktank said that the meeting ‘represents an unprecedented alliance across universities, health, education and care to support the new Government’.
Judy Clegg, professor of Speech and Language Therapy, University of Sheffield, said, ‘Many children are starting school without the speech, language, and communication skills they need to begin learning. Urgent action is required to provide support, so every child can listen, talk, and engage with others—skills essential for thriving in the classroom, learning to read, making friends, and succeeding in school. Increased funding for health and early years education to collaborate effectively is crucial and expanding speech and language therapy services is vital to ensuring no child is left behind.’
Commenting on the report, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said the pandemic 'undoubtedly had an impact on the development of some young children, and many school leaders have reported concerns around speech and language development in particular.
‘High-quality early years education is one of the nearest things we have to a silver bullet in education, and is vital in helping to narrow the gap between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers.
‘It is therefore positive that the new government has made clear that early years is among its top priorities, and it will be important that policies like expanding nursery provision and improved access to childcare are supported by the necessary funding and investment in the workforce. We would also like to see crucial support services rebuilt so that young children receive the support they need as early as possible.’
- An evidence-based approach to supporting children in the preschool years is available here
