Almost a third of children who started reception last year were unable to use books properly, sometimes attempting to swipe or tap them like smartphones, while around one in four were not toilet trained, according to a survey of primary school staff by early years charity Kindred Squared, which found that teachers estimated 37% of children are starting school without being “school ready”, up from 33% in 2024, with staff also reporting that about 28% of pupils could not eat or drink independently and 25% struggled with basic life skills, a situation more pronounced in regions such as the North East, West Midlands and North West; teachers said they spend an average of 1.4 hours a day helping with nappies or toilet accidents and lose 2.4 hours of teaching time daily due to pupils lacking basic skills, while over half blamed excessive screen time by children and parents, prompting Kindred Squared chief executive Felicity Gillespie to warn, “This is no longer just a classroom issue; it is a systemic crisis fuelled by stretched school resources, low expectations, the rising cost of living, and by parents who lack the right information and understanding early enough to truly support their children’s development,” as government figures show 68.3% of children reached a good level of development by the end of reception in 2024/25 and the government targets 75% school readiness by 2028, even as 94% of parents surveyed said they want national guidance on preparing children for school and union leaders called for stronger early years support and earlier SEND intervention.
