Fewer than half of parents believe their children should know how to use books correctly before starting primary school, a recent survey suggests.
The poll, conducted for early years charity Kindred2, also revealed that only 76 per cent of parents think children should be toilet trained before entering Reception.
These findings come as teachers report children starting primary school with delays in basic motor skills and lacking core strength.
Last month, the Prime Minister announced his goal for 75 per cent of children to reach a good level of development by the time they begin school.
The survey, conducted by Savanta in October and November of last year, questioned more than 1,000 primary school staff and 1,000 parents of Reception-aged children across England and Wales.
Overall, 44 per cent of parents said they think children should know how to use books correctly by Reception.
The report said an example of correctly using books was when there was “no swiping or tapping as if using an electronic device”.
Primary school staff reported that 28 per cent of children who started Reception in 2024 “incorrectly use books” and one in four (25 per cent) are not toilet trained.
The majority of school staff highlighted children spending too much time on electronic devices (54 per cent) and parents not reading enough to their children (52 per cent) as key reasons why children may not be school ready.
Teachers participating in focus groups expressed concerns about children not meeting a range of their developmental milestones.
David Battersby, a primary school teacher in Rochdale, said there has been a rise in children coming to his school in prams and nappies in recent years.
He said staff are not able to properly start the curriculum until after Christmas as they are spending the first term “trying to backfill” motor skills.
Mr Battersby told the PA news agency: “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, and that delay is then having a knock-on effect on our ability to make progress with the curriculum.”
He added: “It’s becoming increasingly clear as the years go on that children are unfamiliar with how to use books. They’re unfamiliar with stories being shared and how to hold and engage with a book.”
When asked why he thinks more children are entering Reception not ready for school, Mr Battersby said: “I would definitely say cuts to Sure Start centres and health visitors has been a real factor in parents’ knowledge of school readiness. Screen time and a lack of interaction and conversation as well.
A primary school deputy headteacher from the North West said: “We’ve had a lot of delayed walkers. Their movements are quite clumsy, dropping things, unable to climb a staircase.”
Meanwhile, a teacher from the North West said there are children in Reception who “physically cannot sit on the carpet” as they lack core strength.
Nearly two in five (39 per cent) staff selected “less time spent in early childhood education due to lockdown restrictions” as a key factor of school readiness.
But a senior leader in the East Midlands said: “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, said: “We welcome the Government’s pledge to get more children ‘school ready’ but our report suggests that too many parents are failing to support the development of their children, in spite of – we know – having their best interests at heart.
“We need to destigmatise how we talk about parenting in these critical years of development and as a nation begin to grasp that we’re all learners from birth, and that these early years have a massive impact on all our futures.
“The role of parents and carers as their child’s first educator really is crucial to their later life chances and the success of our society and economy.
“Our latest annual report highlights that the problems are both significant and stubborn.”
Tiffnie Harris, primary specialist at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “This study finds an alarming disconnect between some parents and schools about what school readiness actually means.
“What we suspect lies behind this finding is that many families are themselves struggling with a range of economic and social pressures and there is a dearth of support for them.
“The answer must lie in an intense focus on high-quality early years education – not just in terms of free childcare, but sufficient funding rates to support this essential provision.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union the NAHT, said: “There is perhaps more that could be done to help all parents ensure their children are ready to thrive when starting school and are able to access support if and when they need it.
“The disruption caused by the pandemic undoubtedly had an impact on the development of some young children, and many school leaders have reported concerns around speech and language development in particular.
“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.”
