Research by the Centre for Young Lives, chaired by Anne Longfield, and Child of the North highlights “the huge number of young children in England not starting reception class ‘school ready’”.
Researchers share an “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 arriving at 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,” states the report.
In 2022/23, a third of children were not considered school ready, increasing to 45% among children eligible for free school meals, researchers found.
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