Responding to a new survey by early years charity Kindred suggesting nearly half of pupils aren't ready when they start school, James Bowen, director of policy for school leaders’ union the NAHT said “Even before the pandemic, there was lack of specialist help for families with issues such as their children’s social development, speech and language.

“Reductions in early support - including valuable universal services like children’s centres - have taken their toll over the last decade as many local authorities faced cuts to their government funding.

“The pandemic and lockdowns have undoubtedly had an impact on the development of some children and led to additional demand being placed on already overstretched services.

“The government needs to invest much more in specialist and universal early years services for disadvantaged families and massively expand its new network of family hubs so all families that need them have access.

“In the meantime, we would encourage families to continue to encourage children’s social interaction as much as possible, and to seek out support should they have any concerns about their child’s early development.”