A PILOT project to improve young children’s communication skills in York has been hailed as a success.

City of York Council says it has been working with a group of primary schools, early years settings and childminders in the west of the city to look at ways of improving the speech, communication and language skills of children under the age of 5.

A spokesperson said the 'Early Talk for York' pilot had focused on this area of childhood development because of its impact on outcomes in later life.

"Good communication skills at five years of age are strongly associated with a range of positive whole of life outcomes; including literacy levels, employment, mental and physical health and wellbeing,"they said.

Specific language support training had been given to staff in schools and early years settings and children given routine assessments to identify any speech or language problems.

"Children in the pilot cohort significantly improved speech and communication skills at age five years compared to children who did not receive the same programme of support,"they said.

Cllr Ian Cuthbertson, executive member for education, said: “We know that being able to communicate effectively can have a huge positive impact on a child’s life chances."