The study of 15,000 children by think-tank Demos found that 11.5 per cent begin school without the behavioural skills they need to build friendships and are subsequently more likely to drop out of the education system.
The report, titled Ex Curricular, points out that data from the Millennium Cohort Study showed that 66,000 five-year-olds scored 'borderline' or 'abnormal' in tests designed to reveal behavioural and emotional problems, which are linked to under-achievement at school, truancy and exclusion and can lead to young people being 'not in employment, education or training' (NEETs).
The report's co-author Sonia Sodha said, 'These nursery NEETS show the same behaviour problems as older NEETs, like difficulty making friends and bad behaviour.
'It's an injustice if we don't get this right, as these children never catch up with their friends.'
The report said the difference between the poorest and the richest families was 'stark' - 18.4 per cent of these children are from the poorest fifth of families, compared with 4.4 per cent from the richest fifth.
The study points to poor literacy and numeracy, mental health problems, the home environment, poverty and schooling as contributing factors.
Ex Curricular criticises the Government for a lack of spending on prevention and early intervention, which the authors say is key to reducing the number of 16- to 18- year-olds classified as NEET.
It proposes that a universal screening tool be introduced for all children to identify pointers in behavioural, cognitive, physical and linguistic development between six months and five years old, to ensure those most at risk receive support from early years services.
Other recommendations set out in the report include giving nurseries and Sure Start centres per-pupil funding based on the number of children they serve from poor backgrounds; using the extra money to hire quality staff; and reserving expensive and intensive services at Sure Start centres for at-risk families.
Ms Sodha said, 'Early years education is all about giving children access to what they don't have and creating a stimulating environment. Some parents are not as well educated and don't have the same advantages as others, which is why we need highly qualified staff, smaller-size classes and higher ratios.'
The study also calls for a pilot programme of financial incentives to be given to at-risk, low-income parents who complete parenting programmes, which would be funded by scrapping payments into the Child Trust Funds of children from affluent families. It wants the Government to consult with parents to develop public health messages on parenting through television programmes and leaflets in GP surgeries.
But Philip Bujak, chief executive of the charity Montessori St Nicholas, said, 'Most parents don't have time to watch television programmes. It's too late teaching parents once they have a baby. We need to reinforce good parenting before children are born.'
EARLY RISK FACTORS
- Poor literacy and numeracy
Every year, eight in 100 primary school pupils leave primary school in England with reading and/or maths skills below those of the average seven-year-old.
- Communication problems
In some deprived areas, up to 50 per cent of children are starting school without the language and communication skills they need to learn effectively. A poll of parents in 2010 found that one in five boys experience slight or significant difficulty when they are learning to talk or understand speech.
- Mental health problems
Demos analysis found that almost 59,000 five-year-olds are starting school with emotional problems and almost 10 per cent of children aged five to 15 suffer from a mental health disorder.
- Poor wellbeing
One in five primary school children suffer from consistently low or declining well-being. These children are most likely to be boys, low achievers and from disadvantaged backgrounds, equating to approximately 820,000 children.
Source: Demos
SECTOR RESPONSE
'We welcome the recognition of the key role that parents and the home learning environment have on young children. We also share the concerns raised, that children's centres have been ineffective in reaching lowincome and deprived families. The recommendation that nurseries and Sure Start centres are funded like schools in a way that reflects the number of children attending is welcome, and it is hoped that the Single Funding Formula currently being developed will bring greater equality to the levels of funding received by private, voluntary and independent settings compared with the maintained sector.
'The recommendation to release funds to employ more high-quality practitioners is also welcome. But settings have to ensure they are sustainable. Only last month, the Daycare Trust Annual Childcare Costs survey reported that the cost of nursery places has risen by almost double the rate of inflation.'
Michael Freeston, director of quality Improvement at the Pre-school Learning Alliance
'The results are not unexpected, as Montessori has always said that the early years and very early years are undervalued. More money needs to be spent on the bottom up; it would save the country a fortune. I am unimpressed with the report's recommendations, as they are mainly reactive rather than preventive measures.'
Philip Bujak, chief executive of Montessori St Nicholas
