"The picture overall
In December 2021, we published a briefing on the continued effects of the pandemic and education recovery in early years providers, including childminders and nurseries. The effects of the pandemic on children were evident...
This briefing draws on inspection evidence gathered in the spring 2022 term and discussions with early years inspectors about the ongoing implications of the pandemic on children.
The pandemic has continued to affect children’s communication and language development, and many providers noticed delays in their speech and language progress. Providers are making more referrals for external help than before the pandemic and are waiting longer for this specialist help...
The negative impact on children’s personal, social and emotional development has also continued, with many children lacking confidence in group activities...
Impact on Children
Many providers reported that there are still delays in babies’ and children’s speech and language development. For example, some have noticed that children have limited vocabulary or lack the confidence to speak. Also, some babies have struggled to respond to basic facial expressions, which may be due to reduced contact and interaction with others during the pandemic...
A few providers felt that wearing face masks continued to have a negative impact on children’s communication and language skills. Children turning 2 years old will have been surrounded by adults wearing masks for their whole lives and have therefore been unable to see lip movements or mouth shapes as regularly...
Personal, social and emotional development continues to be affected. Children were lacking confidence and were shy in childcare settings, especially when taking part in group activities."
"Ofsted is the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills. We inspect services providing education and skills for learners of all ages. We also inspect and regulate services that care for children and young people."
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