Early years settings and schools were confronted with a number of challenges during the pandemic, which exacerbated some pre-existing problems. Early years settings faced temporary closures due to lockdowns as well as a reduced demand for their services, which increased the financial pressures settings were already facing. The pandemic has also worsened ongoing staffing problems, due to staff absences with covid, as well as recruitment and retention issues.
Whilst covid restrictions are over, attendance has still not fully recovered, and the staffing crisis continues. At the same time settings are being stretched to deal with the impact covid has had on children’s development, as children arrive with delayed speech and language development, as well as lower levels of social emotional skills and physical development compared to pre-pandemic. A recent study published by the Education Endowment Foundation has found that fewer children have achieved a good level of development for the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP), compared to children before the pandemic.
