- An estimated 90,000 Reception-age children will benefit from
investment in early speech and language support as two thirds of
English primary schools have now signed up to the programme
- Pupils taking part make around three months of additional
progress in language skills than their peers
- Early speech and language support forms part of the
Government’s ambitious recovery programme, worth nearly £5bn
Thousands of children in two thirds of English primary schools
are benefitting from improved speech, language and communication
skills, tackling the impact of the pandemic on their early
education.
More than 11,000 primary schools across England (two thirds) have
now signed up to deliver the Nuffield Early Language Intervention
(NELI) programme that is helping Reception-age children catch up
on these vital communication skills. The full list of
registered schools for the DfE NELI programme can be found here.
The programme, which was introduced by the government in August
2020, is estimated to have supported 90,000 children affected by
the pandemic, helping them to catch up on vital communication
skills. Pupils taking part in the programme make on average three
months of additional progress in these skills than those who
don’t.
The programme, worth up to £17m in total, is part of the
Government’s wider ambitious, recovery programme, worth nearly £5
billion.
Children and Families Minister, , said:
“Being able to confidently communicate is vital in shaping a
child’s ability to understand and engage with the wider world.
“Language is key to a child’s development and we know that for
many children the pandemic meant they missed out on important
early social interactions, like parties or play dates. It is
incredibly encouraging to see how many schools have taken
advantage of the Nuffield offer, helping kids get back on track
with these vital skills so they can communicate with their
friends and teachers and thrive at school.”
Josh Hillman, Director of Education at the Nuffield
Foundation said:
“Children in reception classes have had a huge proportion of
their lives dominated by the pandemic, which has limited their
opportunities to interact and develop language skills, for some
more than others. The fact that two thirds of primary schools
have arranged to receive NELI and are investing time in
delivering the programme shows the value of access to an
intervention that has been proven to work.”
Delivered over 20 weeks per school, NELI involves scripted
individual and small-group language sessions delivered by trained
teaching staff to children identified as being in need of
targeted language support.
Over 20,000 staff members have already received online training,
allowing them to deliver the 20 weeks of support to those pupils
needing it. Sessions with the children feature ‘Ted’, the NELI
puppet, for games that help them concentrate on their speaking,
listening and learning.
Schools taking part in the programme have access to an entry and
exit language screening assessment tool, for use with all their
reception pupils, to monitor their progress and help plan what
provision may be needed as the children move into Year 1.
Findings from the most recent large-scale trial of NELI funded by
the Education Endowment Foundation found that children receiving
the intervention made an extra three months additional progress
in their oral language skills compared to children who did not.
The expansion for the 2021-22 schools year is managed and
delivered by the Nuffield Foundation on the Government’s behalf,
supported by the University of Oxford and Oxford University
Press.
Developed by researchers at the Universities of Oxford, Sheffield
and York, NELI offers individual and small-group language
teaching sessions to between three and six pupils, run by a
trained teaching assistant or early years professional.
Primary schools not currently signed up the NELI programme should
have other programmes in place to help young children develop
their early language and communication skills. This is being
monitored by Ofsted to make sure no child loses out due to the
school they attend. To ensure all young children benefit
from the increased progress the NELI programme offers, primary
schools not taking part are encouraged to visit the teachneli website
to find out how to access it.
