The youngest pupils have seen their early years development stall during the pandemic, with an additional three pupils in every reception class falling behind on average, new research suggests.
The proportion of children reaching expected levels in their first year of school fell from 72 to 59 per cent between 2019 and 2021, according to a research report from the Education Endowment Foundation.
The report, published today, found pupils were now more likely to lag behind in all areas of the early years foundation stage (EYFS) framework, including communication and language, physical development, literacy, maths, and personal, social and emotional development (PSED).
