One in four parents don't think children should be toilet trained before joining Reception
Bev & Andrew fume at schools deciding to stay closed due to snowfall
GB News
Only three-in-four parents believe children should be toilet trained before starting Reception, a new survey by early years charity Kindred2 has revealed.
The poll revealed that 24 per cent of parents do not consider toilet training a necessary skill before their child begins primary school.
The findings align with reports from primary school staff, who indicated that one-in-four children who started Reception in 2024 were not toilet trained.
The survey, conducted by Savanta in October and November last year, gathered responses from 1,000 school staff and 1,000 parents of Reception age children in England and Wales.
A new survey suggested one in four don't believe children should be toilet trained before school
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Primary school staff reported significant concerns about children's basic development skills upon entering Reception. The majority of school staff (54 per cent) cited excessive time on electronic devices as a key factor affecting school readiness.
Another 52 per cent pointed to parents not reading enough to their children as a major concern.
Only 44 per cent of parents believed children should know how to use books correctly by Reception, with the report noting proper book use means "no swiping or tapping as if using an electronic device."
Nearly two-in-five school staff (39 per cent) identified pandemic lockdown restrictions as contributing to reduced early childhood education.
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Fewer than half of parents think children should know how to use books correctly
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David Battersby, a primary school teacher in Rochdale, reported a rise in children arriving at school in prams and wearing nappies in recent years. He noted that staff cannot properly begin the curriculum until after Christmas, as they spend the first term addressing basic motor skills.
"Our early years department now are spending far longer getting children being able to hold pencils with enough strength and stability in order to form writing," he said.
Battersby added that children are increasingly "unfamiliar with how to use books" and "unfamiliar with stories being shared." Battersby attributed these issues partly to cuts in Sure Start centres and health visitors, alongside increased screen time and reduced interaction.
Teachers reported serious concerns about children's physical development and core strength. A deputy headteacher from the North West highlighted issues with "delayed walkers" and children being "quite clumsy, dropping things, unable to climb a staircase".
Another teacher from the North West revealed that some Reception pupils "physically cannot sit on the carpet" due to lack of core strength.
A senior leader in the East Midlands pushed back against attributing these issues to the pandemic, stating: "There's only so long you can blame Covid for that. I'm sorry, but a lot of it comes down to parenting as well."
Felicity Gillespie, director of Kindred2, welcomed the Government's pledge to improve school readiness but warned "too many parents are failing to support the development of their children".
She emphasised the need to "destigmatise how we talk about parenting in these critical years of development".
Tiffnie Harris from the Association of School and College Leaders described "an alarming disconnect between some parents and schools about what school readiness actually means".
NAHT general secretary Paul Whiteman suggested more support was needed for parents, noting:" High-quality early years education is really important and is vital in helping to narrow the gap between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers."
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