Major study to begin on impact of Covid-19 on children’s educational, language, social & emotional outcomes

The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) announced that they have been awarded a grant from the Nuffield Foundation, worth approximately £500K, to examine the impact that the school closures and lockdowns related to Covid-19 will have on children’s language development, social & emotional skills, and educational outcomes.

The work will be led by NIESR’s Dr Claudine Bowyer-Crane, in collaboration with Dr Sara Bonetti from the Education Policy Institute and Dr Silke Fricke from the University of Sheffield. This ambitious study will combine qualitative and quantitative analysis and will provide a detailed picture of the impact of COVID-19 on the early years of schooling.

Over a three-year period, the researchers will collect data on children's language and socio-emotional development from Reception through to Year 2, as well as comparing statutory assessment data for the three years before and three years following the onset of COVID-19. In addition, the project will collect teachers’ views on changes in the educational environment as a result of the pandemic. Parents will also be asked for their perspective on the impact of the pandemic on their children’s development.

The study will provide a clearer overview of how COVID-19 affected children's language and socio-emotional development, and early educational outcomes. The results will likely inform some important policy lessons moving forward.