Pandemic continues to affect children’s development, Ofsted says
By Rachel Lawler
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic is affecting children’s development in the early years, according to a .
Ofsted says that children’s communication and language skills, personal, social and emotional development and physical development have all been adversely impacted by the pandemic.
The briefing is based on evidence gathered through 70 inspections in the spring 2022 term and “discussions with early years inspectors about the ongoing implications of the pandemic” on children.
Communication and language
It says that providers are “making more referrals” than before the pandemic for external help with speech and language concerns as well as compensating with language-rich environments.
One example Ofsted gave was of children that have “struggled to respond to basic facial expressions” which may be due to reduced contact and interaction during lockdowns.
Personal, social and emotional development
Ofsted says that its inspectors have also reported older children, who would not normally have been upset when being dropped off by parents, struggling to settle despite attending settings regularly.
It says that providers have responded by focussing on helping children to express themselves and providing opportunities for them to socialise in larger groups.
Ofsted said that babies were “particularly anxious” and unused to seeing different faces.
It also noted that some providers had seen an increase in the number of toddlers needing support with sharing and turn-taking.
Physical development
Ofsted has also reported a negative impact on babies’ gross motor skills, with providers increasing the amount of time children spend on physical activities in response.
One example given in the briefing was delays in babies learning to crawl and walk. It also said that some providers had reported children’s “independence and self-care skills” regressing.
Staffing concerns
The report also acknowledges the difficulties providers are facing recruiting and retaining “high-quality staff”.
It says that many providers are taking on apprentices and managers have often had to step in to cover shortages.
The briefing also states that of the 64 childminders that completed Ofsted’s post-resignation survey, 23% cited Covid-19 as their reason for closing.
Alliance concerns
Neil Leitch, CEO of the Alliance, commented:“We know that the pandemic has had a significant impact on the learning and development of young children, many of whom have spent the majority of their lives under some form of Covid-19 restrictions. As such, it is encouraging to see that early educators’ efforts to do all they can to support the children in their care to recover from the challenges of the past two years is having such a positive impact.
“That said, the report lays bare the scale of the recruitment and retention challenges that are wreaking havoc on the sector, with providers citing an absence of highly-skilled staff as a key concern. This issue can only be addressed if the government finally recognises the need to significantly increase sector funding to enable providers to offer more training, opportunities and, crucially, a fair wage to encourage staff to remain in the sector.
“Ofsted’s update on the early years sector highlights how vital early years providers have been in helping young children catch up on vital education and social skills during the pandemic. It’s time the government recognised this fact and gave the sector the respect, appreciation and, most importantly, investment that it needs."
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