A concerning new survey has revealed that a staggering number of children are beginning reception without the essential life skills needed to engage with the curriculum. The study, conducted by the early years charity Kindred Squared, found that around one in four children who started school in 2025 were not toilet trained.
The situation appears to be particularly dire in certain regions, with teachers in the North East estimating that over a third (36%) of their reception class lacked this basic skill. Staff also reported that approximately 28% of children were unable to eat and drink independently, while 25% struggled with other fundamental abilities like dressing themselves.
Felicity Gillespie, the chief executive of Kindred Squared, described the state of school readiness as having “reached a critical moment”, with 37% of children now arriving at the school gate without the necessary life skills. She warned that this is “no longer just a classroom issue; it is a systemic crisis” fueled by factors such as stretched school resources, low expectations, the rising cost of living, and parents lacking the right information and support.
The Government has set a target for 75% of children to be “school ready” by 2028, but the latest Department for Education figures show that only 67.7% had reached a good level of development by the end of reception in 2023/24.
Teachers also reported that around 28% of children were unable to use books correctly, with many trying to “swipe or tap them like a phone or tablet”. Over half of staff cited children’s and parents’ excessive screen time as a key factor in this lack of readiness.
However, in a separate survey of 1,000 parents of four and five-year-olds, 88% said their child was ready to start school this year, and more than a third (35%) believed their child was more prepared than most.
Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the school leaders’ union NAHT, acknowledged the findings and called for more support before children start school, both for pupils and families. He welcomed the government’s commitment to early years investment, but stressed that “more support is still desperately needed” to address the rising levels of need.
The government’s focus on early years as part of its “opportunity mission” includes distributing £12 million across 65 local areas to build Best Start family hubs, which will offer parenting support and youth services. However, Pepe Di’Iasio, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), warned that these measures are not quick fixes amid the decline of local support services over the past 15 years.
