New school starters in England not ready for learning, says report

Across England, 33% of all children starting reception in the 2022/23 academic year were considered not school ready, meaning they lack the skills and knowledge they need to be successful at school. This number rose to 45% of children receiving free school meals.

The figures are presented in the latest Child of the North and the Centre for Young Lives report, which also sets out new evidence-based plans to tackle the lack of affordable early years provision and childcare which are contributing to children not being school ready.

Report series editor Professor Mark Mon-Williams, Chair in Cognitive Psychology in the University of Leeds’ School of Psychology, said, “The UK has forgotten that healthy trees grow from well nurtured seeds and saplings. The evidence shows clearly that many of the problems blighting the NHS, school and criminal justice system exist because we didn’t adequately support young children before they arrived in school.

“The cost to the children and families who are left unsupported is heart wrenching. But there are also immense long-term costs to our economy and our society. We need a radical overhaul of how we support children in their early years and especially in areas suffering from structural disadvantage. The time has come for everyone throughout the UK—including politicians—to help nurture the next generation through their early years so our country can enjoy the benefits of a healthy and well-educated population.”

Influencing policy

The report, “An evidence-based approach to supporting children in the preschool years,” is the ninth in a series of monthly Child of the North/Centre for Young Lives reports being published during 2024 to support the Government in its ambitious ‘opportunity’ vision for children and show how putting the interests and life chances of children at the heart of policy making and delivery is crucial to Britain’s future success.

The report launched today at an extraordinary meeting with pediatricians within the Healthier Together Programme. Healthier Together works in partnership with the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health to support integrated working across services to provide high-quality care and help to families. The meeting represents an unprecedented alliance across universities, health, education, and care to support the new Government and create a step change in approaches to child health.

The report highlights the alarming rise in early years developmental delays since COVID-19 resulting in huge numbers of children who are not ready for school. Schools report children arriving at reception in nappies, and recent surveys of schools and nurseries have shown high levels of concern around speech and language, with significant numbers of children below age-related expectations at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

Overwhelming evidence shows that the health and education of a population are greatly influenced by the experiences of children before they enter the formal school system, and there is a compelling economic case for investing in the early years.

The report warns that unless the Government acts quickly, there will be a downward spiral from poor spoken language through poor literacy and numeracy to longer-term effects on adult employability and the costs to society of intergenerational disadvantage. The report highlights how children from less affluent homes are more likely to enter education with poorly developed language abilities and children who enter school with poor oral language are at high risk of low educational attainment which, in turn, limits their later career opportunities.

It also reveals:

• Over half of children who were not school ready performed below expected in their Key Stage 1 reading assessment.
• An analysis of children deemed not school ready shows that they were nearly 2.5 times more likely to be persistently absent from school than their peers.
• Children not school ready are around three times more likely to be NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training) by 16–17.
• The percentage of school ready children varies across the country, from just 59% school readiness in Manchester to 84% in London.

The report sets out how high-quality early years settings play a crucial role in supporting successful development in young children, including their language, social, emotional, and physical skills, and behavior. However, the current crisis in preschool early years and childcare provision—with many nurseries closing over recent years and unprecedented recruitment and retention challenges—has jeopardized the quality of provision and opportunities for children.

The report calls for:

• Investment in Early Childhood Education Programmes that support the holistic needs of families in educational settings within the most disadvantaged areas.
• Improvements and extended training opportunities for professionals and families, as evidence shows that home visits by trained professionals to first-time, low-income parents leads to better pre- and post-natal health, fewer childhood injuries, increased intervals between births, and improved school readiness.
• Connecting public services, such as education, health, and social care to provide more integrated support throughout a child’s educational journey.

Realistic proposals

Anne Longfield, Executive Chair of the Centre for Young Lives, said, “I have heard many concerning experiences from school staff about children arriving at Reception wearing nappies, still using buggies, and unable to communicate at the expected level or to socialize with other children. Some of these children have developmental problems, struggle with speech and behavior, and can require significant extra attention and support from already overstretched schools.

“The Government’s commitment to 300 new state nurseries is an opportunity for schools and communities in disadvantaged areas to tackle these problems head on by establishing new early years support to boost children’s development and tackle poverty by providing childcare support to help parents work.

“None of these problems will fix themselves. Our preschool system is disjointed, is struggling with a recruitment and retention crisis, and has been historically underfunded. This report provides affordable, realistic proposals and shares best practice that will support a new focus on transforming support for children and families. If we get it right, we can transform the life chances of millions of children.”

Dr. Camilla Kingdon, Former President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said, “As a neonatologist I talk to parents in my follow-up clinic about parenting and how they can support the development of their baby. Most parents are desperate to do the best for their children and while common sense is often all that is needed, we all know that extra support and guidance can make a world of difference.

“The years leading up to starting school are fundamental to how a child transitions into education. The data is telling us that far more needs to be done—especially in our more disadvantaged communities. I am so delighted with this report and the examples, some of them really simple, of how we can turn our current situation around.

“The loss of human capital cannot continue. Our children deserve more—and we can do better.”