- Latest joint report from Child of the North/Centre for Young Lives, co-authored by researchers from the University of Sheffield, highlights the huge number of young children in England not starting Reception class ‘school ready’
- In 2022/23, a third of children were not considered school ready, with 45 per cent of children receiving Free School Meals not being ready for school
- The report highlights the alarming rise in early years developmental delays since Covid-19. Schools report children starting in Reception in nappies, and recent surveys of schools and nurseries have shown high levels of concern around speech and language
- The new report sets out proposals to address the crisis in preschool provision across the country, particularly in the most disadvantaged areas, as well as improved 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
The Government is being urged to tackle the high number of children starting school not ‘school ready’, in a new report co-authored by researchers at the University of Sheffield.
The report published today (Friday 4 October 2024) by Child of the North and Anne Longfield’s Centre for Young Lives think tank, makes a series of proposals to tackle the crisis in early years and childcare provision - particularly in disadvantaged areas.
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 their behaviour. However, the current challenges—such as nursery closures and unprecedented difficulties in recruiting and retaining staff in early years and childcare—are threatening the quality of care and the opportunities available to children.
The report, ‘An evidence-based approach to supporting children in the preschool years’ which has been co-authored by researchers at the University of Sheffield, supports the Government in its ambitious vision for children emphasising the importance of placing the interests and the life chances of children at the heart of policies.
Co-author of the report, 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.”
The report highlights the alarming rise in early years developmental delays since Covid-19 resulting in huge numbers of children who are not ready for school. Schools report children starting in 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 Early Years Foundation Stage.
- In 2022/23, a third of children were not considered school ready, with 45 per cent of children receiving Free School Meals not school ready.
- Over half of children who were not school ready performed below expected in their Key Stage 1 reading assessment.
- An analysis of children deemed not school ready shows that they were nearly 2.5 times more likely to be persistently absent from school than their peers.
- Children who are not school ready are around three times more likely to be NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) by the ages of 16-17.
- The percentage of school ready children varies across the country, from just 59 per cent school readiness in Manchester to 84 per cent in London.
The report warns that unless the Government acts quickly, there will be a downward spiral from poor spoken language through poor literacy and numeracy to longer-term effects on adult employability and the costs to society of intergenerational disadvantage. The report highlights how children from less affluent homes are more likely to enter education with poorly developed language abilities and children who enter school with poor oral language are at high risk of low educational attainment which, in turn, limits their later career opportunities.
Sarah Spencer, Senior Lecturer in Speech and Language Therapy, University of Sheffield and co-author added: “The UK’s stark and increasing structural inequities are evident in families' unequal access to high quality preschool education and support. The failure to support all young children to lead happy, healthy lives has become a national crisis. There is an urgent need for well funded, evidence-based, locally developed solutions to address the challenges in our most disadvantaged communities, developed in collaboration with families. This report outlines how universities can partner with education, health and community services to successfully work together to prioritise preschool children first and invest in their future.”
The report highlights the overwhelming evidence suggesting the health and education of a population are greatly influenced by the experiences of children before they enter the formal school system, and the compelling economic case for investing in the early years.
The Child of the North report calls for:
- Investment in Early Childhood Education Programmes that support the holistic needs of families in educational settings within the most disadvantaged areas.
- Improvements and extended training opportunities for professionals and families - evidence shows that home visits by trained professionals to first-time, low-income parents leads to better pre- and post-natal health, fewer childhood injuries, increased intervals between births, and improved school readiness.
- Connecting systems more effectively through shared information to provide more integrated support throughout a child’s educational journey.
The report showcases innovative programmes which are already helping school readiness, particularly for children living in disadvantaged communities, including:
- Sheffield Small Talk is an innovative and established speech and language therapy clinic, providing inclusive no-cost provision for all preschool children with SEND.
- The Nuffield Early Language Intervention Preschool has been developed to boost the language skills of children and better prepare them for school entry. This 20-week programme is suitable for children aged three to four years and combines universal enrichment with targeted small group and individual sessions for children with poor language skills.
- 50 Things To Do Before You’re Five is 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 and beyond.
Dr Lauren Powell, Lecturer in Psychology and Education, University of Sheffield and co-author said: "There is a clear and urgent need to transform support for children, families and the early years' workforce. As a researcher, I believe it is our ethical and moral responsibility to meaningfully include voices of those with lived experiences in the design of information and services that aim to support them. My hopes are that this report will lead to just this - ensuring children and their families are listened to, considered, and harnessed to improve current support provisions."
