81pc of parents fear new school starters still playing catch-up after Covid

As children prepare to step foot in the classroom for the first time, many will have done so having missed out on many crucial parts of their early development due to lockdowns of the past two years.

A survey has shown that 81pc of parents in the East believe their child's development was hampered by the pandemic and that they will already be behind when they start in reception.

Many feel that as their child missed out on vital social interactions due to Covid restrictions, they will already be at a disadvantage when they begin their school careers.

The survey, which was conducted by parenting group Triple P, also showed that three-quarters of parents were afraid to ask for help with these issues.

Scott Lyons, district secretary of the Norfolk branch of the National Education Union, said parents were not alone in having these concerns.

He said: "Already early years teachers are seeing huge gaps in how developed children are when they arrive in reception and that feels like it has got even bigger.

"Some children are arriving able to hold pencils and write their names and others have very little developmental skills at all."

Mr Lyons, who is a year four teacher, said he expects these developmental gaps to be even larger for this year's news starters.

He said: "I think there will definitely be such a big gap this year, as children will have had such different experiences during lockdowns.

"Some parents will have made extra effort to make sure they did get as much interaction as they could, while other children will likely have spent hours on end left in front of screens so will have missed out."

Mr Lyons added that these issues will be exacerbated by schools struggling to recruit support staff.

He said: "Schools are really struggling with recruitment at the minute and with the rising cost of living fewer people may be willing to work for less than £10 an hour.

"This will mean children will be coming into school needing more support, but not able to get the attention they need because the staff won't be there and teachers will struggle to manage.

"If I was a parent whose child was starting this year, I would be worried."

Matt Buttery, chief executive of parenting group Triple P (Image: Triple P)

Matt Buttery, chief executive of Triple P, said: "The pandemic was an extremely difficult time for parents.

"For those who have children starting school this week, it is understandable that they still feel quite isolated.

"We’re calling for the new prime minister to ensure parenting support and programmes are widely available, to help parents build their support network as well as make their child’s school-life a success."

"Life might have returned to normal in many respects, but it will take much-needed extra support to get four and five-year-olds up to speed."

Child psychologist Claire Halsey (Image: Triple P)

Child psychologist Claire Halsey added: "Parents may be worried about the impact the pandemic has had on their child's development, but getting positive support can help both children and parents feel much more confident as they start school.

"Help your child ease into their new schedule with a regular bedtime, a good nights’ sleep and they’ll learn better the next day."

"New routines offer new learning development. As you help them develop new skills they'll gradually become more independent and confident."

The survey also found that 42pc of parents felt their child was behind socially, 38pc academically and 32pc developmentally.

In the East, 86pc of parents felt there was a stigma surrounding asking for help.

It identified a range of school-readiness skills that parents worried their children lacked, such as having a bedtime routine (18pc), not being able to hold a pencil correctly (17pc) and not being able to zip up their coat (17pc).