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Schools and education

Early Talk for York Autumn 2024 Update

Early Talk for York is an approach to improve speech, language and communication of children aged 0 to 5 years.

Good communication skills at 5 years of age are strongly linked with a range of positive outcomes in later life, including: reading and writing skills; employment and mental and physical health and wellbeing.

See information about Early Talk for York development and evaluation, including previous updates.


Current Early Talk for York progress

  • at least 4,000 children are benefitting each year from ETFY in some way
  • at least 2,200 children are benefitting each year from the full approach
  • 93% of York’s group based settings and schools are working at Step 1 or higher!
  • 45 group-based settings and schools are working at Step 3!
  • Step 3 schools have an average of 22.1% disadvantaged children, compared to 14.1% in non-Step 3 schools

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Early Talk for York updates

Evaluation completed

The University of York has completed an independent evaluation of Step 1 of ETFY with positive conclusions.

New resources

Resources are available for parents and carers on the Raise York Website.

Healthy Child Service

The Healthy Child Service screening and intervention programme has been fully implemented.

Look, Say, Sing, Play

Stay and Play Sessions are taking place across 6 locations, serving 230 families each week.

Student volunteers

101 volunteers from the University of York have supported ETFY.

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Early Talk for York impact

Outcomes for disadvantaged children are better than pre-pandemic!

  • there is evidence of better referrals to specialist services
  • there is better collaboration between services
  • practice and provision improvements are repeatedly noted by Ofsted
  • families are reporting that they feel better supported!

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Also see

Early Talk for York

Children's Services

West Offices, Station Rise, York, YO1 6GA