Former Mayor of Camden Jenny Headlam-Wells has been part of the research team into the Covid effect on education

RESEARCH into the effect of the pandemic on young children in Camden schools has found big delays in development – with some grunting in response to questions.

Councillors Jenny Headlam-Wells and Sylvia McNamara, both former teachers, sent a report to primary schools last week detailing the findings of their qualitative research into Covid’s impact on early years and Key Stage 1 children.

The report found language delays and lack of social skills and emotional difficulties present in young children.

There has been a rise in the number of children from disadvantaged backgrounds and reduced funding to cope with the number of pupils with special educational needs (SEND). However, the government and inspectors expected the same level of academic progress as before the pandemic, it was warned.

Cllr Headlam-Wells told the New Journal “the most shocking thing” for her was what the teachers told them during interviews – with anonymity guaranteed.

She said: “We hadn’t realised that children of three years old were coming into school in nappies. And that there would be a class of 30 with one teaching assistant. Maybe if you had one child who had to have their nappy changed or taken to the loo it would be ok, but if you’ve got five or eight in a class, it’s just completely impossible.”

She added that teachers found children had less social and emotional skills than before the pandemic. They had reported that two children in a nursery class had no words at all and were described as pre-verbal.

“Some children were described by the teachers as merely ‘grunting’ in response to questions,” the research found.

One teacher told them: “We had lots of referrals for speech and language – stammers, speech delay, dyspraxia – we never had this before.”

Practitioners frequently told the councillors “we need more adults in the classroom – both volunteers and trained and experienced teachers”.

Another teacher warned: “We have strategies and know what we are doing, but when half the class has SEND and two-thirds of a class do not speak at all, we just cannot do it all.”

Cllr Headlam-Wells added they are now ­writing letters to central government calling for more qualified staff and teaching assistants.

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