Report finds reception children have fallen behind due to Covid-19 disruption

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. When children returned to our nursery after the pandemic, many struggled with vital aspects of early years development, such as personal touch, or coping in bigger groups of children Headteacher Ruth Coleman In a survey of schools supporting the findings, it was found that when this cohort of children started school in 2020, over three-quarters said that they needed more support than those starting school before the pandemic, although this had fallen to just over half by the end of the school year. “So it is particularly concerning that fewer children reached the expected levels of development by the end of reception class.” Ruth Coleman, headteacher at Highfield Nursery School in Ipswich, said: “When children returned to our nursery after the pandemic, many struggled with vital aspects of early years development, such as personal touch, or coping in bigger groups of children. The Government simply must do better for all children and young people.” A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Our ambitious recovery plan continues to roll out across the country, with nearly £5 billion invested in high-quality tutoring, world-class training for teachers and early years practitioners, additional funding for schools, and extending time in colleges by 40 hours a year. “We are already seeing children making encouraging progress with two thirds of primary schools using the Nuffield Early Languages Intervention programme along with over one million tutoring courses being delivered through the National Tutoring Programme.”