What’s striking is that these children weren’t in school when the pandemic hit yet are still paying the price. Aged 1-2 yos when the pandemic struck, they missed formative opportunities for play, development and interactions with professionals. One-in-five parents received no health visits at all.

This echoes what teachers tell us. In a recent survey, teachers report children in reception are struggling to sit still (45% of children), follow simple instructions (34%) and in some cases, use the toilet (25%). They’re spending 2.4 hours of teaching time per day, on average, to support catch-up.

Since early years statutory assessments resumed in 2022, overall development levels have improved. But not for everyone. Disadvantaged five-year-olds are now almost 5 months of learning behind their more affluent peers – a wider gap than at any point in the five years before the pandemic.