Prof Cat Davies
@catdavies.bsky.social
Dean for Research Culture @UniversityLeeds.
Professor of Language Development @SDDS_UK; IckleProject; @leedscdu lead.
Professor of Language Development @SDDS_UK; IckleProject; @leedscdu lead.
A sharp tap usually does it for me. Only needed to ask a neighbour once or twice 🙏
October 14, 2025 at 8:57 PM
A sharp tap usually does it for me. Only needed to ask a neighbour once or twice 🙏
My written report and hearing transcript are at: covid19.public-inquiry.uk/documents/tr...
Hearing recording (day 2, 4:42-6:53): covid19.public-inquiry.uk/hearings/chi... (/end)
Hearing recording (day 2, 4:42-6:53): covid19.public-inquiry.uk/hearings/chi... (/end)
Transcript of Module 8 Public Hearing on 30 September 2025 UK Covid-19 Inquiry Archives
Transcript of Module 8 Public Hearing on 30 September 2025
covid19.public-inquiry.uk
October 1, 2025 at 6:30 PM
My written report and hearing transcript are at: covid19.public-inquiry.uk/documents/tr...
Hearing recording (day 2, 4:42-6:53): covid19.public-inquiry.uk/hearings/chi... (/end)
Hearing recording (day 2, 4:42-6:53): covid19.public-inquiry.uk/hearings/chi... (/end)
🫶 Keeping essential services open, such as early years education, health visiting, and safeguarding, with protected funding, access to PPE, testing, and ventilation
💰 Enhanced support for the most socioeconomically, developmentally, and clinically vulnerable families. (10/)
💰 Enhanced support for the most socioeconomically, developmentally, and clinically vulnerable families. (10/)
October 1, 2025 at 6:30 PM
🫶 Keeping essential services open, such as early years education, health visiting, and safeguarding, with protected funding, access to PPE, testing, and ventilation
💰 Enhanced support for the most socioeconomically, developmentally, and clinically vulnerable families. (10/)
💰 Enhanced support for the most socioeconomically, developmentally, and clinically vulnerable families. (10/)
In the event of a future pandemic or comparable national emergency, we recommend:
📊 Balancing the risk of infection against the risk to children’s welfare and development, monitoring metrics for both and adjusting policies accordingly (9/)
📊 Balancing the risk of infection against the risk to children’s welfare and development, monitoring metrics for both and adjusting policies accordingly (9/)
October 1, 2025 at 6:30 PM
In the event of a future pandemic or comparable national emergency, we recommend:
📊 Balancing the risk of infection against the risk to children’s welfare and development, monitoring metrics for both and adjusting policies accordingly (9/)
📊 Balancing the risk of infection against the risk to children’s welfare and development, monitoring metrics for both and adjusting policies accordingly (9/)
❤️🩹 Funding long-term research into children’s development after the pandemic. (8/)
October 1, 2025 at 6:30 PM
❤️🩹 Funding long-term research into children’s development after the pandemic. (8/)
❤️🩹 Equal access to high-quality early education, supported by a professionalised early education workforce (7/)
October 1, 2025 at 6:30 PM
❤️🩹 Equal access to high-quality early education, supported by a professionalised early education workforce (7/)
❤️🩹 A long-term cross-government early years strategy backed by sufficient, secure funding, effectively targeting the social determinants of educational inequalities (6/)
October 1, 2025 at 6:30 PM
❤️🩹 A long-term cross-government early years strategy backed by sufficient, secure funding, effectively targeting the social determinants of educational inequalities (6/)
To help children and families recover from the long, inequitable shadow of Covid-19, we recommend:
❤️🩹 Targeted, integrated support for the communities hit hardest, e.g. for socioemotional development and early speech, language, and communication (5/)
❤️🩹 Targeted, integrated support for the communities hit hardest, e.g. for socioemotional development and early speech, language, and communication (5/)
October 1, 2025 at 6:30 PM
To help children and families recover from the long, inequitable shadow of Covid-19, we recommend:
❤️🩹 Targeted, integrated support for the communities hit hardest, e.g. for socioemotional development and early speech, language, and communication (5/)
❤️🩹 Targeted, integrated support for the communities hit hardest, e.g. for socioemotional development and early speech, language, and communication (5/)
We need to think differently about the under-fives due to their vulnerability to the environment, dependency on adults and quality interactions, and their critical window for development. (4/)
October 1, 2025 at 6:30 PM
We need to think differently about the under-fives due to their vulnerability to the environment, dependency on adults and quality interactions, and their critical window for development. (4/)
This was due to multiple, simultaneous risks, including social isolation, stress at home, and restrictions to children’s services such as early education, health visiting, and social care – services which were already under extreme pressure before the pandemic. (3/)
October 1, 2025 at 6:30 PM
This was due to multiple, simultaneous risks, including social isolation, stress at home, and restrictions to children’s services such as early education, health visiting, and social care – services which were already under extreme pressure before the pandemic. (3/)
Covid-19 restrictions had significant, quantifiable, and lasting detriments on the development of the youngest and most vulnerable children, and intensified attainment gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged groups in the UK. (2/)
October 1, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Covid-19 restrictions had significant, quantifiable, and lasting detriments on the development of the youngest and most vulnerable children, and intensified attainment gaps between advantaged and disadvantaged groups in the UK. (2/)
As people working in research, I'd argue that it's literally our job to critically analyse the field; to acknowledge and challenge power imbalances. The critical should be inherent in the movement/ self-styled discourse coalition. 2/2
July 5, 2025 at 7:08 PM
As people working in research, I'd argue that it's literally our job to critically analyse the field; to acknowledge and challenge power imbalances. The critical should be inherent in the movement/ self-styled discourse coalition. 2/2
Thanks for amplifying this tension, apparently realised starkly on day 2 (I'd left just before). Along these lines, the session on critical metascience on day 1 was great but inadvertently set out a simplistic dichotomy of pro/anti MS (as called out by @cjcontarino.bsky.social). 1/2
July 5, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Thanks for amplifying this tension, apparently realised starkly on day 2 (I'd left just before). Along these lines, the session on critical metascience on day 1 was great but inadvertently set out a simplistic dichotomy of pro/anti MS (as called out by @cjcontarino.bsky.social). 1/2
Plus ickle.leeds.ac.uk looked at kids transitioning from YR to Y1 in 2020
ICKLE Project
ickle.leeds.ac.uk
March 31, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Plus ickle.leeds.ac.uk looked at kids transitioning from YR to Y1 in 2020
The SDDS project may also be of interest babylab.brookes.ac.uk/research/soc...
Babylab - Social Distancing and Development
The effects of social distancing policies on children’s language development, sleep and executive functions.
babylab.brookes.ac.uk
March 31, 2025 at 10:20 AM
The SDDS project may also be of interest babylab.brookes.ac.uk/research/soc...
Hi Jenny, sorry to come to this late. The @bicycle-study.bsky.social is looking at the cognitive and language skills of kids both before, during, and after lockdown bornincovidyear.co.uk Happy to discuss our work!
BICYCLE Study
bornincovidyear.co.uk
March 31, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Hi Jenny, sorry to come to this late. The @bicycle-study.bsky.social is looking at the cognitive and language skills of kids both before, during, and after lockdown bornincovidyear.co.uk Happy to discuss our work!
Not just a retrospective, the programme scrutinises the continuing difficulties in accessing support services, and the widening of attainment gaps between advantaged kids and their disadvantaged peers.
Hugely relevant TV. (/end)
Hugely relevant TV. (/end)
March 17, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Not just a retrospective, the programme scrutinises the continuing difficulties in accessing support services, and the widening of attainment gaps between advantaged kids and their disadvantaged peers.
Hugely relevant TV. (/end)
Hugely relevant TV. (/end)
Frontline professionals and families speak to the role of early education in children’s lives: their social, emotional, and language development, and the importance of family engagement in school. It highlights the deprioritisation of children’s wellbeing in policy decisions through Covid-19. (4/)
March 17, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Frontline professionals and families speak to the role of early education in children’s lives: their social, emotional, and language development, and the importance of family engagement in school. It highlights the deprioritisation of children’s wellbeing in policy decisions through Covid-19. (4/)
It's a well-produced overview of longer-term effects of lockdown on the youngest in society, with insights from former children's commissioner Anne Longfield, Bridget Phillipson, and other policymakers. (3/)
March 17, 2025 at 9:49 AM
It's a well-produced overview of longer-term effects of lockdown on the youngest in society, with insights from former children's commissioner Anne Longfield, Bridget Phillipson, and other policymakers. (3/)
Tonight’s Panorama looks at how kids who spent their early years in lockdowns are doing now. Some amazing children, families, teachers, as well as us researchers contributed to this edition. (2/)
March 17, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Tonight’s Panorama looks at how kids who spent their early years in lockdowns are doing now. Some amazing children, families, teachers, as well as us researchers contributed to this edition. (2/)