Children regressed to nappies in lockdown

Toddlers’ development declined and pupils fell behind in core subjects, Ofsted study finds

CHILDREN forgot how to eat with a knife and fork in lockdown, which had a “significant” impact on children’s development, Ofsted has found.

When children returned to nursery in September some had become less independent, for example by reverting to using dummies or by wearing nappies even though they previously had been lavatory trained, Ofsted found in report lookingk at the impact of school and nursery closures.

Its research was based on inspectors’ observations from more than 900 visits to schools, nurseries and social care providers in September and October, as well as interviews with teachers.

Most secondary schools had been closed completely since mid-march, while some nurseries and primaries had begun to slowly open f rom June onwards. Children’s experiences during lockdown were not determined by how wealthy they were, but more so by how much quality time they were able to spend with their family, Ofsted found.

Amanda Spielman, the chief inspector of schools in England, said that some children from all backgrounds coped well and their relationships with parents or carers improved.

But she warned: “At the other extreme are those children who were hardest hit by school closures and other restrictions: the children in their earliest years of education whose parents were unable to work more flexibly and who experienced the double whammy of less time with parents and less time with other children.

“Leaders reported regression back into nappies among potty-trained children and others who had forgotten some basic skills they had mastered, such as eating with a knife and fork – not to mention the loss of early progress in words and numbers.”

Ofsted’s analysis of its primary school inspections found that some of the most common areas for children to fall behind were their reading as well as spelling, grammar and handwriting. “Primary school leaders also said that many pupils had fallen behind in mathematics. Leaders in many schools were particularly concerned about forgotten and lost learning for pupils with SEND [special educational needs and disabilities], especially in literacy.”

Some schools had put the teaching of certain subjects on hold until later in the year, in order to concentrate on catching children up in the “core” subjects.

For secondary schools, head teachers’ biggest concern was children who had fallen behind in literacy and mathematics and those who found it difficult to write for long periods of time.

“Some l eaders said pupils were fatigued, ‘disconnected’ from learning or struggling to stay awake and alert,” the report said.

“Others have perceived deterioration in pupils’ behaviour and willingness to follow rules compared with when they first returned to school in September.”

A spokesman for the Department for Education said that getting children back to school was a national priority and that its “catch up” fund would help children get up to speed.