Responding to the DfE’s report, Donna Molloy, Director of Policy and Practice at the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF), said:

“We welcome the fact that the report recognises the importance of understanding and tackling the reasons that children come to be in need in the first place. We know that vulnerability is a complex picture and the challenges that young people face arise from various risk factors working at the individual, family, community and society level.

“The report is right to highlight support in and around schools as having a critical role to play. But it is important to remember that school settings and educational attainment outcomes are not separate from or independent of the wider context in which children develop.

"Supporting vulnerable children requires effective interventions available beyond the school gate, and which work with families or alongside other public services to provide a multifaceted response that fits with an individual child’s needs.

“Our past work has made it clear that schools across the country are often struggling to support vulnerable pupils. While they strive to intervene early, this can be difficult. Head teachers say they need much better access to effective early intervention services and a coherent local system that provides appropriate support options whatever circumstances an individual pupil is facing.”

*ENDS

Notes:

• The Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) is an independent charity that champions and supports the use of effective early intervention to improve the lives of children and young people at risk of experiencing negative outcomes. For more information, see: www.eif.org.uk
• The EIF report Realising the potential of early intervention outlines the key barriers to be overcome and changes to be made at national and local level, to ensure effective early intervention is available for the children and families who need it most. Available at: https://www.eif.org.uk/reports/realising-the-potential-of-early-intervention