A York-based children’s speech and language programme has won a much-coveted national award.
The Early Talk for York programme won the ‘Learning Award’ at the Children and Young People Now Awards because of the “very impressive” results they have achieved in helping young children feel ready for school in York.
Over the last four years the programme helped more than 4,000 children and toddlers improve their speech and communication to ease the transition of pre-schoolers into their first year of education.
The most important metric in measuring the success of such a programme is how many children are “school-ready” by the time they reach school. A school-ready pupil is one who experiences a smooth transition and is adjusted socially, physically and intellectually to an educational environment. Problems with readiness are typically exacerbated by differences in the income of different children’s parents.
As a result of the Early Talk programme, the school readiness gap — the difference in readiness between children born into disadvantaged backgrounds from their peers— is now less than 3%.
A spokesperson for York City Council said, “I’m pleased that the Early Talk for York programme is already helping to close the attainment gap between disadvantaged children in York and their peers. By sharing learning and best practice across the city and beyond, we can start to embed positive generational change across the city.”
To read more about the programme head over to www.york.gov.uk/EarlyTalkForYork
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