Tips To Help Prepare Your Little One For Reception Class

It is compulsory for children in England to start school at the age of four or five, depending on when their birthday falls. In some cases, the child may have a delayed start because of their particular needs, or alternatively the parents can choose to educate their children at home. 

However, the vast majority of children in England start school in the September after their fourth birthday. Most schools will request that before starting reception class, a child should have mastered a range of basic life skills, as well as some basic academic and social skills. 

For example, a child should be able to use the toilet independently, be capable of taking off and putting on their socks and shoes without help, use a knife and fork, interact with other children, follow instructions, and communicate verbally with staff. 

Despite these requirements being easy to find with online resources and usually made clear to parents when their child is registered for a place at a school, A new study reported in The Guardian reveals that there is a worsening of school-readiness among children. 

The study was conducted by the early-years charity Kindred and involved 1,000 primary school staff. Half of the respondents said that school-readiness had declined among their pupils over the last 18 months. 

Among the biggest issues were an inability of children to sit still, difficulty in playing or sharing with others, being unable to dress themselves, being unable to eat or drink independently, using books with swiping or tapping actions as if they were tablets or phones, and not being toilet trained.

Staff said dealing with these basic issues diverted resources away from teaching and learning, in some cases taking up around a third of the school day. Teachers also reported feeling demoralised in their roles and almost half were considering leaving their jobs. 

Another survey was conducted to investigate the views of parents. The results showed that 43 per cent did not know about school readiness until their child had reached the age of four, and 69 percent thought that they had not been given enough guidance about child development milestones. 

Children who arrive at school underprepared can be at a serious disadvantage that stays with them right up until their GCSE year, and continues to affect their onward path in life. 

Kindred’s director, Felicity Gillespie, said: “The shocking findings in this year’s report should be a watershed moment for schools and parents because we know that children who are behind before they begin reception are more likely to struggle throughout life. The 40% attainment gap we see at GCSE is already evident at age five.”

Cathie Paine, chief executive officer of REAch2, the largest primary-only multiacademy trust in England, added: “We are determined to work with families to ensure that children make the best possible start at school.”

“However, as a large trust we are witnessing first-hand the many challenges that schools face with young children’s readiness – this includes not yet having been toilet-trained, lacking some basic skills or simply having had limited exposure to experiences such as looking at books or basic counting.”

“Being clear about what we mean by ‘school-readiness’ and then knowing the best way to support families is an important challenge for the sector, but one that we cannot shy away from if we are to live up to our promise of improving children’s life chances.”

How you can help to prepare your child for school

Your child doesn’t need to be able to read or write when they start school, and all children have different interests and intellectual abilities. Some may be more emotionally and socially developed than others, and teachers will accept that some level of variation within a class is normal.  

You will naturally want your child to look forward to starting school and enjoy the experience, and therefore try not to communicate any concerns that you may have or turn it into a huge deal for them. Instead, gently introduce your child to the activities and life skills that they will be expected to perform at school, such as being able to use the toilet and wash their hands.

Encourage your child to dress and feed themselves independently, even if you feel impatient and want to help in order to hurry them up. If your child automatically expects to be helped in such situations, they will be much slower to develop independence. 

Take your child on playdates with other children if possible, or join pre-school groups where they will have an opportunity to meet and interact with other children who are from different backgrounds to their own. This will help them to develop social skills such as sharing, taking turns, listening to others and speaking. 

Read aloud to your child on a daily basis, and encourage them to ask questions and turn the pages of the book themselves. Choose books with plenty of colourful illustrations to keep them engaged. Don’t worry if your child wants to hear the same story over again, as this is a natural part of their development and it will help them develop phonological awareness. 

Show your child how to hold a pencil correctly and give them plenty of opportunities to practise making marks on paper, and introduce them to the alphabet. 

A Department for Education spokesperson told PA Media: “We recognise that children’s early years are crucial – which is why we are providing a package of training, qualifications and expert guidance for early-years workers, which includes support for them to improve children’s speech, language and communication skills.

“Parents can also access support to help with their child’s development via the government’s family hubs and Start for Life programme. This is part of our £300m investment to transform services for parents, carers, babies and children in 75 local authority areas across England.”

Remember that preparing your child well for school will set them on the path for success in life, but try not to make them too anxious or overwhelmed by the experience. 

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