The Department for Education has today announced further details of its education “recovery package”, to help children and young people in England catch up on missed learning and development due to the pandemic.

These plans are supported by a new fund of £700 million to support the learning and development of all children and young people in early years settings, schools and colleges. This includes £18 million funding dedicated to support children’s crucial early language development.

Liz Bayram, Chief Executive at PACEY comments:

“It is positive that Government has recognised that our youngest children need support to recovery from this pandemic and that it is investing in early years as part of its catch-up plan. Whilst investment in language development is of course important, we are keen to understand more about how this investment will address the myriad of other issues our members – childminders, nursery practitioners and nannies – are telling us they are dealing with.

“It is important that before the DfE finalises its plan to invest more in its established PDP programme it takes time to understand the evidence of children’s needs that is emerging from lockdown and listens to early years practitioners who are dealing with these every day.”