Project to support children affected by pandemic in Manchester
Officials in Manchester are planning to help children in deprived areas of the city catch up on their education after the pandemic
Last updated 8th Jul 2023
10 primary schools in Manchester have each been given an intensive support worker and gained access to speech and language therapists and an assistant educational psychologist, to support the earliest years of learning for children.
The aim is for children aged between three and five years old, with hindered skills development to gain access to the support required.
Neil Jones is an intensive support teaching assistant at Haveley Hay Community Primary School and he said: "The pandemic was really hard on young children and their families and it all contributed to some children just not being able to pick up speech and writing skills.
"We know that children have the biggest learning and development growth between the ages of three to five.
"Children at that age during the pandemic are now in our Year 1 classes and some of them may not have had a sibling or people to play with during isolatin and that contributes to missing development milestones.
"So, I spend individual and small group time with the children who need it, while the teacher focuses on the rest of the class.
"If we can help these children catch up on skills development it has benefits in all other areas of learning, behaviour and self-esteem and how they then relate to the rest of their classmates throughout school life."
During the pandemic many children had to work from home and those learning at home were more likely to have access to online reading books and their progress was less likely to be monitored.
The £1 million, 12-month initiative began in February and is being carried out in Clayton and Openshaw, Gorton and Abbey Hey, Hulme, Sharston, and Moss Side schools.
The programme, according to the council, is exclusive to Manchester and is a component of the Making Manchester Fairer five-year action plan, which attempts to reduce disparities in the city.
Councillor Garry Bridges, executive member for Children's Services at Manchester City Council, said: "Children are still dealing with the aftermath of the pandemic and lockdowns which had a greater impact in Manchester than other parts of the country.
"Both because of longer periods of disruption and underlying inequalities.
"This intensive support programme, which involves 10 of the schools most impacted, is the epitome of how the council and our schools work together and how we plan to support our children's recovery."