CYP Now - Getting it right in the early years

Three weeks ago today, a generation of children who have spent around a third of their lives in the pandemic found out where they will be starting their school journey in the autumn term.

For many of them, their levels of school readiness will be significantly different from those children that started school prior to the pandemic.

The impact of the lockdown on our youngest children has been widely reported. Just last month the Education Endowment Foundation published initial findings from a survey of 50,000 pupils that shows an increase in the number of four and five year olds needing help with speech and language.

For some children, their experience over the pandemic has been positive as a result of more time at home with parents/carers and increased play and time outdoors. However, the impact of the pandemic will not be the same for all early years children and will exacerbate and widen the gap already apparent for those children who are more vulnerable or living in poverty.

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