Nursery World - Report lays bare the impact of Covid on four and five-year-olds' development

The pandemic adversely affected young children’s development with fewer reaching ‘expected’ levels by the end of Reception, according to new research.

The research finds four and five-year-olds were less likely to meet the levels of development in 2021 than before the pandemic, PHOTO Adobe Stock

The final report from the Education Endowment Foundation’s (EEF) research project into the impact of Covid, finds four and five-year-olds were less likely to meet the levels of development in 2021 than before the pandemic, with parents and schools reporting that their personal-social and emotional development, language, literacy and numeracy skills had been affected.

The research was carried out by a team from the University of York, National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) and the Education Policy Institute.

Using a sample of EYFS data, researchers assessed the impact of the pandemic on the development of children who were in Reception class for the school year that ran from 2020-21.

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