Home Learning Environment

As you may be aware, Sheffield is one of 75 successfully selected local authority areas receiving funding to drive forward the delivery of the national Family Hub and Start for Life programme.1 The programme, currently funded to 2025, is jointly overseen by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Department for Education (DfE). It aims to support best-practice principles to maximise every child's potential and builds on the strategic vision outlined in The Best Start for Life: A vision for the 1,001 Critical days.2 One of the four focussed funded work streams of the Start for Life Programme is around the Home Learning Environment (HLE) and Early Language development. Priorities include families having quick access to quality HLE advice provided by fully trained Early Years (EY) practitioners. There is also emphasis on collaboration and connectivity between specialists including health visitors, speech and language therapists and practitioners in community, faith, private and voluntary sectors. More in-depth information around the HLE commitment and aligned expectations can be found in the Start for Life programme, pages 42 to 44. We know the impact of child developmental delays can be profound and enduring; The Sheffield Joint Health & Wellbeing Strategy highlights children not achieving good development by the age of 4 who continue to face ongoing developmental challenges, are less likely to have the necessary vocational, social and health assets to transition successfully into healthy adulthood.3 We also know typically, a child will spend 1095 days in the home before commencing nursery at the age of 3. Simultaneously, in this period, children will develop cognitively, physically and emotionally more rapidly than at any other time in their lives. The quality of creative activities, play, reading and language used by care-givers is crucial; some research suggests family influence accounts for 80% of learning acceleration and achievement.4 Instilling