With 4 years remaining in this parliament, there’s still time to act to support a generation starting school already behind & close the gap for those yet to begin. Thanks to @theguardian.com for covering our research: www.theguardian.com/education/20...

We also need fairer funding. The recent boost to the early years pupil premium is a start but capped at £570, it remains a little over a third of the primary rate (£1,515). That cliff-edge must be addressed. We await details of next year’s ‘additional funding to extend EYPP in areas most in need’.

But govt must also tackle the underlying barriers to school readiness. Nearly half of all children in poverty in families have a youngest child aged under five. The long-delayed child poverty strategy must be published – and include scrapping the 2 child benefits cap and auto-enrolment for FSM.

If govt is serious about school readiness, last week’s Early Years Strategy announcement that Family Hubs will cover all LAs is welcome. We know from IFS's evaluation of Sure Start that integrated children’s services can be transformative in the long-term, including lowering demand for SEN Support.

It also matters for govt’s ambitious target for 75% of children to be school ready by 2028 (v 68% now). As @instituteforgovernment.org.uk has warned, with some groups much further behind – disadvantaged, SEND & some minority ethnic groups – inequalities could actually widen in the drive to meet it

This matters for policy. Primary school teachers – already stretched – are now supporting more children with complex needs, particularly autism and speech, language and communication needs. That’s why we’re calling on govt to prioritise training in child development and different types of SEND.

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.

For children with SEND, the picture is starker still: those in reception year with an EHCP are, on average, 20 months behind – the widest gap since our records began in 2013. The percentage of under 5s with an EHCP has increased by 26% between 2023 and 2024 alone.

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.