Five-year-olds struggle in groups as pandemic stunts development

CHILDREN starting school have seen their development stunted by almost a fifth since the pandemic, research suggests.

Teachers said pupils aged four and five were struggling to cope with large groups and frightened of physical contact after the era of social distancing.

The study of almost 100 schools and more than 3,000 children found that the proportion of pupils reaching expected levels of development has fallen sharply. Just 59 per cent of four and five-year-olds in the study reached such standards — down from 72 per cent in 2019.

Experts said the fall of about 18 per cent means about three more children in every class have already fallen behind by the time they start school.

The affected group involves those who were aged three or four during the first lockdown, when nurseries were closed and opportunities for outdoor play and social activities were heavily restricted.

The study found that parents and teachers felt children had been disadvantaged in their social and emotional well-being, language and numeracy skills when entering reception classes in 2020 because of their experiences in the pandemic.

Polling of school staff found more than three quarters said this group needed more support to start school than previous generations.

While all pupils’ learning had been negatively affected by the pandemic, the youngest children at primary school had been the worst affected.

The study, commissioned by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and conducted by a team from University of York, National Institute of Economic and Social Research and the Education Policy Institute, was based on 94 schools and 1,105 families, using Early Years Foundation Stage Profile data for 3,253 children overall.

Becky Francis, chief executive of the EEF, said: “The early years are such a crucial time for children’s development, both in terms of their attainment outcomes and their social and emotional well-being. So it is particularly concerning that fewer children reached the expected levels of development by the end of reception class.” Ruth Coleman, head teacher at Highfield Nursery School in Ipswich, Suffolk, 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.

“We saw more children who had separation anxiety from their parents, too. Some children were further behind with speech and language development than we’d expect.”

It follows warnings that toddlers’ speech and motor skills have worsened in the wake of the pandemic. Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the latest research “adds to the worrying picture of the damage done to our youngest children’s education by the impact of the pandemic”.

A Department for Education spokesman said: “Our ambitious recovery plan continues to roll out, 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.”