An independent evaluation of the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI), which was offered to all state-funded schools in England with Reception classes across three academic years (2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23), found that those who took part made, on average, four months’ additional progress in their language skills, compared to children who didn’t receive the intervention.
Over 6,500 school registered to take part in the first year, while a further 4,000 signed up across the second and third years.
The study, which was carried out by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), looked at data from 10,800 children in 350 schools who registered for the second year of the national roll-out (2021-22).
Developed by researchers at the Universities of Oxford, Sheffield and York, NEL, which was funded by the Department for Education (DfE), trains school staff, usually teaching assistants or early years educators, to deliver individual and small-group sessions to improve children’s vocabulary, active listening and narrative skills.
Key findings
The independent evaluation of the programme finds:
- On average, children who received the intervention made four months' additional progress in their language skills, compared to those who didn't take part.
- Children eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) made an average seven months’ additional progress as a result of the programme.
- The impact of NELI on children’s language was greater for those who received more of the programme sessions compared with children who received fewer sessions.
The findings follow confirmation that the DfE is to fund a fourth year of the programme to further support young children to recover from the impact of the pandemic.
'The big impact this programme is having is clear'.
David Johnston, children and families minister, said, ‘High-quality childcare and language development are so crucial to make sure children are ready for school and to improve their life chances. That is why programmes like Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) are so important.
‘It's fantastic to see that the children involved in the programme are now four months ahead of where they would have been without the programme, with disadvantaged children having benefitted the most. The big impact this programme is having is clear, and I am pleased that we will now be funding it for another year.’
- The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), which, since 2012, has funded three evaluations of NELI, is now currently recruiting early years settings to take part in other projects, including a set of programmes to support young children’s emerging language or maths skills. For more information click here