School starters born during pandemic lack communication skills, Ofsted says

Schools told inspectors that the consequences of lockdowns meant ‘children were starting reception with delayed communication and language, poor self-help skills and emotional difficulties’. Photograph: Simon Hadley/Alamy

Primary schools are having to teach infants how to communicate, as they struggle to make friends or cope with lessons because of speech and language difficulties, according to a report by Ofsted.

The research by Ofsted inspectors, based on visits to schools in England rated as good or outstanding, found that the Covid pandemic “is still having an impact on children’s behaviour and social skills”.