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Are children less prepared to begin their
school journey than ever before?
For years, reception teachers have been saying that children have been coming into school less prepared than ever before. Then Covid-19 happened and made matters much worse.
A 2023 survey showed that 50% of teachers thought the issue of school readiness had worsened from the previous year.
But does it really matter if children aren’t quite ready? Haven’t they got plenty of time to catch-up?
Unfortunately, the statistics show that it does matter, very much.
Children who are behind in Reception are more likely to struggle through school and face lifelong difficulties. The early years of a child’s life are a time of crucial growth.
Even at 22 months, a child’s development is a strong indicator of their attainment as a 26-year-old.
What exactly does school readiness mean and do parents understand what is at stake?
Various surveys have shown that parents’ perceptions vary greatly about what is expected and who is responsible. There is certainly a difference between parents and teachers about what constitutes ‘ready.’
(In the recent Kindred² survey, 9 out of 10 parents believed their children were ready for school, whereas, by the teachers’ standards, this fell to around a third.)
Of course, schools need to be very clear about this as early as possible, but by the time they are involved it is often too late to make any meaningful changes.
Following, are some of the basic requirements teachers would deem necessary for children to be able to cope with the demands of their new school environment.
(To clarify, this is when a previously identified SEND diagnosis has not been made. A special educational need or disability could of course, make a huge difference.)
Dressing
Children should be able to dress themselves mostly independently. They might need a little help with trickier items of clothing but should be able to get themselves ready for PE for example or put their own coats on.
Basic verbal and communication skills
Children should be able to communicate their needs verbally in simple sentences. They should be able to hold a pencil, recognise some letters and numbers and know some nursery rhymes. They should know how to ‘read’ a book, in terms of holding it the right way and turning pages. (Many teachers have reported that children try to swipe the book, as if using a tablet.)
Eating
Children need to be able to eat independently and use cutlery. They might still need a little help to cut up some food, or open certain packets, but they should be able to eat their lunch without much help.
Toileting
Children should be able to go to the toilet independently, including cleaning themselves and washing their hands.
Independence
Children should also be able to cope away from their parents/carers for prolonged periods (i.e. a few hours) without causing them too much stress or anxiety.
Play
Children should be able to play with and alongside others and be able to take-turns and share. (This requires a level of communication and emotional regulation that many teachers report has not yet developed sufficiently.)
Concentration and following instructions
Children should be able to focus for short periods. They should be able to listen and sit still for short periods, as well as understand and act upon simple one or two-step instructions.
Why are children not as ready for school as they
used to be?
There are many reasons this might be the case and of course, no definitive answers. The following are thought to be contributing factors.
Which do you think are the most crucial reasons? Would you add any others?
What is the impact on schools?
Schools must address the issues – and it is not easy. They must develop the basic skills that children are missing before they can begin to teach what is in the curriculum. Early language skills, basic number skills and emotional regulation are all areas that need particular attention.
Some schools are staggering the start of the school day more than they used to and taking longer to build up to a whole day.
More teaching assistants are being employed.
The impact is on all children because the additional support required inevitably reduces teacher time for the whole class.
All of this has financial implications, but at least as importantly, can also take a huge toll on teachers’ mental health and wellbeing.
To conclude, addressing school readiness is by no means easy; it requires collaboration and forming good relationships between parents, teachers, and schools. The starting point must be to understand the challenges and be able to work out strategies that will help to give all children the best chance possible.
For further reading, this excellent report is well worth a look - kindredsquared.org.uk
