Survey highlights that children starting primary school are not ready to start school
Concerned are being raised by head teachers regarding the amount of children starting school who are unable to use the toilet or speak in full sentences.
A recent survey has found that many children starting reception are unable to take part in classroom activities, these findings have come from a new School Ready Survey that was commissioned by the National Association of Head Teachers and the Family and Childcare Trust.
The survey has shown that there are several issues around children’s speech, language and communication skills and their social, emotional and physical development.
It is suggested that children accessing early education are being given an advantage, as high-quality early education can help boost children’s outcomes and narrow the attainment gaps between all peers. However not all children are able to get this early education, therefore it is important that further help is done to ensure all children access high-quality early education.
One of the most common reasons for not being school ready was the failure to identify children with additional needs early enough, this can then cause several further problems for teachers.
It has been urged by the NDNA that settings such as school and early years settings should work more closely together. Creating a solid transition period will help all professionals involved, teachers will be able to understand children’s starting points, early years staff can share any concerns and it also allows measures to be put in place regarding extra support.
It is imperative that from the start children are given high-quality care and education and information is shared with schools regarding children’s development.
How in your setting to do help prepare children for school?
Why not express it differently and say that children starting school at 4 or 5 years old are still too young…
My goodness what’s happening to our children. It’s very sad (and concerning) that so much inappropriate stuff is expected of them so soon and that parents are being forced to work ever-longer hours at ever-earlier stage of their young lives, often making it impossible not to put their children in nursery and school.
Also, additional years of nursery – often from babyhood – is obviously not working and simply isn’t developmentally appropriate, not because of any failings on the part of staff or the environment, but rather because they need to be with the people closest to them in their lives – family – in order to thrive and flourish.
Wow a sensible person, how rare! In many Countries in Europe children don’t start until they are 6 or 7 years old and they are ahead of us. Children nead to figure the natural world and themselves out at that age and they nead to do it in the safe environment of their family. They have hundreds of questions a day at that age and no matter how great the teacher they can’t possibly answer those questions for all the children so they are learning from other 4 and 5 year olds.