Analysing the impact of the pandemic on children’s speech development

Children entering school in the year after the first lockdown are showing a big increase in speech, language and communication (SLC) needs, according to analysis of DfE data. Find out how the numbers changed in Southend-on-Sea.

In Southend-on-Sea the number of children needing support for speech, language and communication in Year 1 rose from 51 in 2015/16 to 120 in 2021/22.

The number of children needing support for speech, language and communication in Year 1 in 2021/22 rose by 18.81% compared to the previous academic year. This is higher than the national rise of 9.81%. The authority ranks 5 in the region out of 11 authorities.

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Chart: numbers of year 1 children needing speech and communication support

Explore the data: year-on-year change since 2016

Chart: year-on-year change in children needing speech and communication support