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The Independent
15-04-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Parents to get help teaching children basics to be ready for school with new website
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson will today launch a new website to help parents teach their children the basics so they are ready to start primary school. The new Starting Reception website, developed by education charitable foundation Kindred Squared along with schools and parents, is being launched to coincide with parents today learning about which primary school their children will attend amid fears that the 'covid babies' born during lockdown may be the least prepared for school yet. It follows growing evidence of four-year-olds starting primary school being unable to even climb stairs or take off their own coats. Advice on the new website on helping parents to teach their children essential survival skills for school such as going to the toilet on their own and even recognising their own names will be included. Speaking to The Independent, Ms Phillipson said: 'It's crucial to understand that giving every child the best start in life begins long before they walk through the school gates. That's why we're supporting Kindred on our collective effort to get tens of thousands of children school ready.' The intervention comes amid growing concerns over an information gap between what many parents consider 'school readiness' to be and the reality of what is needed for them when they start reception. The alarming gap was highlighted by teachers in the latest Kindred Squared annual report on school readiness. This year's survey found that teachers and parents have very different views on what school readiness means; with nine out of 10 parents saying they thought their child was ready for school, but according to teachers, only one in three children were actually ready. Meanwhile, one in five parents had not heard about school readiness at all. Worryingly the survey found many children were even unable to climb staircases while one in four were unable to go to the toilet themselves. Already schools are being asked by Keir Starmer's government to supervise brushing teeth because it is not happening in many homes. About one out of every four, external five-year-olds in England has had tooth decay - and in poorer areas, it is one in three. The latest findings were partially blamed on children being born during lockdown when interventions at home were at a minimum or non-existent. The new definition of school readiness will list recommendations in four categories for children arriving at reception, to help them develop a range of abilities and the confidence to get off to a flying start. These include growing independence, building relationships and communication, physical development and healthy routines. Each category will include links to expert organisations offering practical steps for parents or carers to try and build these skills into their child's daily lives. Activities with advice for parents will include how to teach their children to use the toilet by themselves; being able to take turns and share toys; recognising their names; hanging coats on pegs; paying attention for short periods of time; drawing, painting or colouring in; and talking about their feelings There will also be support to help their children to be active for at least three hours a day, limiting screen time, putting their own coats on, brushing their teeth twice a day, and being able to use cutlery. Ms Phillipson has spoken in the past about how important school was in getting her out of poverty when she was young. She said: 'Finding out where your child will be starting school is a big moment for any family, and it often comes with a mix of excitement and questions about what lies ahead. 'I want to reassure parents that this government is laser focused on ensuring we have the best education system in the world, with every child supported to thrive in life and work. 'To achieve this, it's crucial to understand that giving every child the best start in life begins long before they walk through the school gates. That's why we're supporting Kindred on our collective effort to get tens of thousands of children school ready. 'Because school readiness is more than a milestone — it's the foundation for everything that follows in a child's education and later life. That's why improving school readiness is at the heart of our Plan for Change. 'We will measure our progress through tens of thousands more children reaching a good level of development by the end of reception. To help get there, we're taking real action — rolling out free breakfast clubs from this month and expanding access to school-based nurseries in September, to give every child the best possible start in life.' Schools and nurseries working with millions of families are sending and sharing a link to the new Starting Reception website created by a unique, collaborative group of leading early years organisations in what is the biggest push to improve 'school readiness' ever seen. This is the first time that such a large group of organisations involved in education, parenting and early years have come together to define what being ready to start reception actually means, and what they recommend for parents, carers and children. Until now there has been no official description of 'starting reception' skills. Felicity Gillespie, director of Kindred Squared said: 'Our annual school readiness reports consistently highlight a persistent problem. There is a deeply worrying gap between what teachers expect children starting in reception to be able to handle from day one when compared with what parents say their children are able to do. 'This new definition, backed by many leading experts and trusted partners, will help parents and carers ensure their children reach school readiness milestones so that they can be confident they are ready to start school and thrive from day one.' Molly Devlin, Director of Early Years at Ark Start, a nursery group based in London, said: 'The Starting Reception website is an important resource for parents and carers, with clear, practical guidance on what starting school involves and how to help children feel confident and ready. At Ark Start, we work very closely with families and see the positive impact that the right support at the right time can make.'
The Guardian
11-03-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Toilet training and cutlery use key part of England's ‘school-readiness skills list'
Toilet training and the ability to use cutlery are two key checkpoints in a new list of 'school-readiness' skills developed by a coalition of early-years educators and endorsed by Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary. The group said the guidance was the first of its type, intended to help parents to prepare children starting in reception classes in England from the age of four and came after complaints from teachers of children arriving at school in nappies, lacking basic skills and unable to play with others. The coalition involves groups from the state and private sector and includes the National Day Nurseries Association, the Early Years Alliance and the Confederation of School Trusts. According to the skills checklist, children arriving in reception should be able to use cutlery; use the toilet by themselves; be able to take turns and share toys; recognise their own names; hang coats on pegs; put their own coats on; pay attention for short periods of time; draw, paint or colour in; be able to talk about their feelings; be active for at least three hours a day and brush their teeth twice a day. Parents should also limit their children's screen-time, according to the guidance on the website, Starting Reception, launched alongside the checklist. A survey by the charity Kindred Squared published last year found that teachers and parents had different views on 'school-readiness'. While nine out of 10 parents thought their child was ready for school, primary school teachers said that only one in three children had the necessary skills. Felicity Gillespie, director of Kindred Squared, said: 'Too many parents say they don't know what sorts of skills their children should be developing prior to starting school or where to go for help. 'I'm delighted this partnership of leading education groups and charities is trying to close that information gap to ensure all children get an equal start from their very first day at school. 'We want to see official backing for this new definition and for it to become the definition adopted by every local authority, primary school and early education and childcare setting in the UK as well as parents and carers.' Phillipson, in her endorsement, said the problem could not be tackled by the government alone. 'Children arriving at school without the skills they need not only limits their opportunities but the opportunities of every child in that classroom,' Phillipson said. 'This new resource will be a vital tool for parents as they navigate the myriad information out there to support their child's early development and it's brilliant to see Kindred Squared and the wider sector coming together on something so central to children's life chances.' The new guidance came as there were further concerns that children born during the Covid pandemic – 'lockdown babies' – have widespread speech and language difficulties, with teachers concerned that parents are 'in denial' about the problem. A YouGov survey commissioned by GL Assessment found that teachers were seeing increasing numbers of children starting school with poor speaking skills. The survey found that 44% of primary school teachers said that up to one in five children struggled to communicate at the expected level for their age, while 37% said up to two in five did so. Teachers largely blamed the deterioration on a decline in conversations at home and increased time watching screens. Three quarters of the 1,000 teachers surveyed said that parents 'are often in denial' about speech and language issues their children may have.
