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Impact of speech and language challenges on formative school years revealed

Funds urgently needed to support a record high number of children.

November 27, 2024

  • Nearly half of families say their child with speech and language challenges has refused to go to school.
  • 80% of families feel their child has suffered negative consequences because of their speech and language challenges.
  • Record high number of children with speech and language challenges – 1.9 million.
  • No Pens Day raises vital funds to support children who struggle with talking and understanding words. 
  • No Pens Day encourages the country’s biggest show and tell to celebrate the power of communication skills. 

New research from charity Speech and Language UK to mark No Pens Day, reveals the shocking implications on children’s formative school years due to speech and language challenges. The research comes at a crisis point, with a record high number of children – 1.9 million – struggling to talk and understand words.

The charity’s annual No Pens Day (27th November), celebrates communication in the classroom while raising vital funds to ensure every child who needs it has support with improving their communication skills. 

School experiences profoundly impacted
The research of over 1,000 families with a child who struggles with talking and understanding words finds that nearly half say their child has refused to go to school. Shockingly, more than 10% say their child had missed 15 days of school during a single term.

The impacts aren’t limited to just school absence, but are much broader – with an overwhelming 80% of families feeling their child has suffered negative consequences because of their speech and language challenges. Learning experiences at school are being profoundly impacted – with 75% saying their child finds school and learning difficult and a further three-quarters say their child struggles to understand instructions at school. 

Lifelong implications if not supported
With trained staff and early language interventions, most children who experience speech and language challenges, can overcome these. However, if left unaddressed, they face a lifetime of struggle and exclusion. Without the right support, they are six to 11 times more likely to be behind in key subjects at school, twice as likely to be unemployed as young adults, make up almost half of mental health service referrals, and two-thirds of the young offender population. 

Donations fund life-changing support
Research highlights an urgent need to support teachers with training to ensure they can foster speech and language development in the classroom. Encouragingly, early language interventions, and training for teachers, have transformational outcomes for children with speech and language challenges.  

With government’s current policy being to only fund a single early language intervention in school, public donations play a crucial role in ensuring these are readily available to all children who need them. With a record high number of children who need support, donations are needed more urgently than ever. 

On No Pens Day, children are asked to bring in £1 and the public is encouraged to donate too. Just £25 can provide teachers with training to deliver life-changing Talk Boost programmes. If every pupil in a school brought in £1 and raised £500 it would fund 10 calls on the Speech and Language UK advice line. 

No Pens Day
As well as raising vital funds for the 1.9 million children who need support, No Pens Day is a chance for children to talk, listen, and take part in pen-free activities that promote communication and collaboration in the classroom. This year over 3,300 schools across the country are taking part in No Pens Day, which will involve the biggest ever show and tell – a day of talking and listening activities where pupils bring in something to talk about in front of the class.  

Jane Harris, Chief Executive of Speech and Language UK, says:
“Imagine not having the words to express yourself, to tell your loved ones about your day, and to ask questions to help you learn. That is the reality for 1.9 million children today, and our research paints a very worrying picture about how this affects their lives. More children than ever need life-changing support, and the funds we raise on No Pens Day will help ensure our nation’s children can face a lifetime of confidence and opportunity, rather than struggle and prejudice.” 

Vicky Green, Headteacher at Mandale Mill Primary School in Stockton-on-Tees, says:
“The support we have received from Speech and Language UK has meant we’ve seen less children requiring Speech and Language Therapy referrals than previously. From taking part in the Early Talk Boost programme, we have seen our students improve their understanding of words and sentences from 22% before to 42% after the intervention. No Pens Day offers an opportunity to fix the system and ensure no child slips through the net. The vital fundraising guarantees schools across the country can do more to enhance their students’ lives to the fullest.” 

Speech and Language UK is encouraging the public to get involved this No Pens Day, by donating and by sharing their own ‘show and tell’ on social media by posting a video or photo of an object using the hashtag #NoPensDay. 

To find out more about No Pens Day and to sign up for a classroom pack, click here. 

To donate, please click here. 

-ENDS- 

For more information, or to arrange interviews, please contact: 

Hannah Sherrard: hannah@thisisstand.com|SpeechandLanguageUK@thisisstand.com  

Amelia Moran: amelia@thisisstand.com | SpeechandLanguageUK@thisisstand.com 

 

About Speech and Language UK
For at least 1.9 million children in the UK, learning to talk and understand words feels like an impossible hurdle. We work to give every child the skills they need to face the future with confidence.  We design innovative tools and training for thousands of nursery assistants and teachers to use in their classrooms. We run two special schools for children with complex speech and language challenges, Dawn House in Nottinghamshire and Meath in Surrey. We give families the confidence and skills to help their children. And we put pressure on politicians to prioritise help for speech and language challenges. 

We demand a country in which every child with challenges in talking and understanding words has the skills they need to face the future with confidence. Together we can achieve it. 
 

About the research
The Family and Young People survey ran from 11 March to 17 May 2024. A total of 1,866 individuals responded to the survey. Of these, 57.3% (1,070 respondents) were either related to a child/young person with speech and language challenges.  The survey was supported by members of the Speech, Language and Communication Alliance. 

The Speech, Language and Communication Alliance has been formed to ensure that the UK government, and national and local policymakers are focused on the issue of speech, language and communication, and the potential impact of these on all children and young people when developing or reviewing policy, legislation and services.  Speech and Language UK provide support for the Alliance with the aim of seeking direct dialogue with members about policy positions and focus, as well as to drive timely, effective lobbying and influencing work around key policy issues.   

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