The Covid-19 pandemic created understandable concerns about children’s socioemotional development, communication and language skills, and the physical development of children received less attention over the course of the pandemic.
However, in our School Starters report, we looked at the impact of the pandemic on all of the early years foundation stage (EYFS) learning areas and found that physical development is also an area that needs serious focus.
Overall, in our analysis of EYFS Profile data, we found that the proportion of children in our sample achieving at least expected in physical development at the end of Reception was five percentage points lower than pre-pandemic cohorts.
EYFS: the impact of Covid on play
This is perhaps no surprise when we consider how opportunities for physical activity were much reduced at the height of the pandemic.
For many children, lockdown was spent in cramped conditions with no access to a garden or outdoor space.
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Restrictions meant that children could only go outside of their own house or garden to exercise for one hour a day, and many play parks were closed.
In a survey carried out between April and June 2020, parents reported that 85 per cent of children were getting at least 30 minutes exercise per day. However, only 18 per cent of children were getting the recommended three-plus hours of physical activity per day, with 14 per cent of children getting less than 30 minutes.
The effects of inactivity
As a result, reports emerged early in the pandemic to suggest that children were struggling with basic physical skills. An Ofsted briefing in November 2020 reported that some children in early years settings had lost confidence in doing physical activity and were having to relearn skills such as using scissors.
A report from the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) in November 2021 showed that physical development continued to be an area of concern in relation to young children across the world. More recently, a survey carried out by the EIF showed that less than 20 per cent of children were getting the recommended daily amount of physical activity.
In particular, this was an issue for lower-income families, for whom the cost of visiting soft play areas or attending classes was prohibitive, and access to outdoor play spaces was limited due to safety concerns.
What are the implications of this? In a recent blog discussing the EIF survey results, James Mulcahy and Max Stanford emphasise the importance of physical activity to the physical, social and academic development of young children, as well as their physical health.
Room to roam
In a study published in April, researchers from the University of Exeter looked at the association between child’s play and mental health. They surveyed over 400 parents of children aged between 5 and 11, asking about time spent playing and children’s mental health during the lockdown in March 2022.
They found that children who spent more time playing “adventurously” were more positive and showed fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression during the lockdown. In a second study of over 1,900 families, the findings suggest that this is particularly true in low-income families.
In addition, there is plenty of evidence that developing gross and fine motor skills is vital for children’s writing development, as explained by expert Ruth Swailes.
In our School Starters study, we found evidence that handwriting had been impacted by the pandemic. The proportion of children who achieved expected or exceeding in writing has decreased by 6.9 and 3.6 percentage points respectively, and the proportion of children who achieved emerging has increased by 10.5 percentage points.
Similar findings are emerging from another study looking at the impact of Covid-19 on children’s outcomes over a three-year period.To date, we have surveyed 44 schools across the country and over 88 per cent have reported concerns about handwriting in Year 1 and Year 2 pupils.
What can be done?
These findings suggest that the pandemic may have had a negative impact on the physical development of young children, and this impact can be seen in all aspects of a child’s development.
Unfortunately, the emphasis seems to be on educational “catch-up”, which means making children meet the statutory assessment standards set before the pandemic.
While this is understandable, we would do well to remember how inseparable and interconnected all areas of learning and development are for our youngest learners in the education system.
Far from being an unambitious “dumbing down” of the curriculum, focusing on supporting children’s skills in a holistic way respects the interplay of children’s cognitive, social, emotional and physical development.
With this in mind, it may be time to incorporate early years pedagogy into KS1 classrooms, with plenty of opportunities for play, outdoor learning and physical activity.
After a difficult start to their educational careers, children deserve support, stimulation and every opportunity to thrive at school.
Claudine Bowyer-Crane is associate research director, education and skills at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research; Sara Bonetti is director of early years at think tank the Education Policy Institute; Louise Tracey is a senior research fellow at the University of York; Dr Dea Nielsen is a research fellow based in the University of York’s Department of Education
