D is for Disadvantaged: What Does that Mean?

“Disadvantage” is one of those terms we bandy about in policy papers and conference keynotes, but what do we mean by it? Do we understand the lived reality behind the label?

Disadvantage isn’t a single, neat issue. It’s messy, multilayered and often invisible. It lives in overcrowded flats, empty fridges, and postcodes with no green spaces. It’s the child whose speech is delayed because no one talks to them, and the family who can’t access 30 funded hours because they’re not “earning enough.”

It can manifest at the level of the individual child (prematurity, health issues), the family (job insecurity, poor housing, low parental education), and the community (lack of safe spaces, weak social fabric). And yes, poverty plays a starring role. But let’s not confuse poverty with parenting capacity –plenty of loving, capable parents are battling economic hardship through no fault of their own.

But we can’t talk disadvantage without talking about attitude. Children don’t need pity. They need high expectations and trusted adults who believe in them. Research tells us that high expectations from staff can change a child’s life trajectory. Yet other studies (Simpson et al., 2017) show some educators carry deficit thinking, blaming parents and refusing to adapt teaching. That’s not just unhelpful –it’s unjust.

So, what can we do? Plenty. Here are my 10 tried-and-tested strategies:

1. Deliver a compassionate social justice pedagogy which includes strategies that support personal, social and emotional learning, language, communication and physical development.
2. Understand the art and science of play and help children find their voices through their play.
3. Think about your decoration palette and how to create a safe, calm, harmonious and peaceful environment. Reduce clutter and design the flow of the space so the children can manage independently. Calm is important to children who may be coming from chaotic homes.
4. Understand how to deliver safe, secure routines which help children regulate and ensure staff know how to use sensitive co-regulation strategies to help the children manage their day.
5. Train staff to build, nurture and sustain harmonious relationships with the children their parents and the local community.
6. Design language rich environments and use teaching techniques such as dialogic reading and helicopter story times. Ensure there are sofas to read with the children, calming them through talking, reading and storytelling.
7. Ensure the children are outside, so they can connect with nature. Encourage movement and outdoor play to support physical health and wellbeing.
8. Provide nutritious food, particularly for children at risk of food insecurity including malnutrition from undernutrition or obesity from unbalanced diets.
9. Ensure the children are represented in books, activities, and resources and that you are connected with their local communities.
10. Use assessments and observations to identify children at risk of falling behind, including those with speech, language, and communication needs. Help parents make timely interventions and complete relevant health checks.

To read more about what I have to say on the issue of ‘Disadvantage’, download the latest free guide from ConnectChildcare: ‘The ABC of Nursery Management’. This resource brings together 28 sector voices offering practical tips, advice and insight for nursery managers. Created with trusted professionals, it’s a valuable tool for the Early Years sector. 📘

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