Decline in speech & language skills makes teaching harder

A new report from Renaissance has revealed that the vast majority of teachers – 89% in primary and 78% in secondary – think speech and language skills have worsened since the pandemic in 2020.

What's more, 92% of primary and 85% of secondary school teachers) agree that the decline in speech and language skills has made teaching more difficult.

The report shows that 44% of primary teachers, and 53% of secondary teachers, think up to 20% of children in their school are below age-related expectations in speech and language.

And 37% of primary school teachers and 29% of secondary teachers think up to 40% are below age-related expectations.

71% of primary teachers, compared with only 40% of secondary teachers, thought colleagues at their school were adept at spotting speech and language issues.

Jane Harris, Chief Executive of Speech and Language UK, comments: “Five years on from the pandemic, where formative years were profoundly impacted, a record high number of children in the UK have speech and language challenges (1.9m). Without the right support, these challenges extend far beyond the classroom. They are twice as likely to face unemployment in adulthood and are disproportionately represented in mental health service referrals.
 
“Redirecting resources and policy so that speech and language challenges are tackled more thoroughly in schools is not a luxury but a necessity. We need to train teachers to identify challenges early, integrate spoken language skills into the curriculum, and provide guidance on adapting teaching methods. And we need to equip families with the knowledge and skills so they can play a role in boosting children’s speech and language development.
 
“Early intervention can and does make a significant difference and can prevent children from falling behind academically, socially, and emotionally. This is not just about adding more resources – it’s about changing how we approach education and supporting teachers and families with the tools and training they need to make a real impact from the start. It’s within our power to make that a reality."