Many UK children begin school without basic skills
Recent research in England's early childhood education sector has revealed that a significant proportion of children starting primary school are not sufficiently ready for school. According to the annual survey conducted by Kindred Squared, a charity focused on early childhood, 37 per cent of children were considered not school-ready in 2025, based on the assessments of primary school teachers. This figure stood at 33 per cent in 2024.
The survey, conducted with 1,000 primary school staff and 1,000 parents, also showed that regional inequalities have deepened. In North East England, 45 per cent of children were reported as not being school-ready, while this rate remained at 34 per cent in the East Midlands, East of England, and London. The research further revealed that 26 per cent of children starting reception were not toilet trained, up from 24 per cent over the previous two years.
Teachers stated that one in four children lacked basic language skills, such as being able to say their own name. It was also reported that basic care needs, including nappy changing and toilet assistance, take up an average of 1.4 hours of teachers’ time each school day. Due to the need for catch-up support, pupils were found to be missing out on approximately 2.4 hours of daily classroom teaching time.
In contrast, 88 per cent of parents believe their children are ready for school. Representatives from Kindred Squared noted that this highlights a persistent gap between parental perceptions and classroom realities. Education unions, meanwhile, pointed to the long-term decline in family support services and insufficient school funding as key factors exacerbating the problem.