The language skills of schoolchildren across Surrey are to be screened as part of a new study, it has been announced.

Researchers from Royal Holloway, University of London, are looking into why language difficulties develop and how they affect children’s academic and social development.

The four-year Surrey Communication and Language in Education Study (SCALES) is being funded by the Wellcome Trust.

It will see academics screen all of the children who started at Surrey County Council schools this academic year.

A group of 500 children will then be assessed in detail over three years.

The aim is to identify aspects of language impairment that are most likely to predict multiple behavioural and social difficulties.

A longer-term aim is to establish early identification procedures and potential treatment for children at greatest risk of multiple language and learning difficulties.

The research is being led by Dr Courtenay Norbury, head of the literacy, language and communication laboratory at Royal Holloway.

“It is now even more critical to identify those children at school entry who will have persistent language learning needs, what those needs are and how they impact on a child’s academic and social development,” she said.

“This will enable authorities to target limited resources more efficiently, while at the same time providing crucial data to argue for more service provision.

“Language problems can hinder children’s ability to read and write and there are strong links between poor language skills and a variety of problems later in life, including behavioural issues.”

Peter Martin, the deputy leader of Surrey County Council, said that the study will help the authority to ensure its schools unlock every child’s full potential.

“Although Surrey has some of the best-performing state schools in the country there is always more we can do, whether that’s working with schools directly or working as a team with other organisations,” he added.