Brian Padgett: 'School readiness is collapsing – and headteachers are being left to pick up the pieces'
The former headteacher and team member of the INEOS Forgotten 40 Project, which provides funding to primary schools based in postcodes ranked in the lowest decile of the UK Index of Multiple Deprivation, says schools can't fix the 'school readiness crisis' alone, even with charitable support, and that Government investment needs to come earlier.
New research from the Kindred Squared charity has brought national attention to an issue headteachers have been raising for years: too many children are starting school without the skills they need to be ready for learning. Around one in four children are arriving in Reception not toilet trained. More than a quarter struggle with basic independence such as eating or using books correctly, and teachers estimate that over a third of children are not ‘school ready’ overall.
For those of us working closely with schools in the UK’s most deprived communities through the INEOS Forgotten 40 Project, the findings are deeply concerning – but they do not come as a surprise. What the research does reveal, however, is the scale of the challenge, and the extent to which schools are now being expected to absorb the consequences of a system that intervenes too late.
What ‘not school ready’ really looks like in classrooms
In Forgotten 40 schools, the term ‘not school ready’ covers a range of early years developmental challenges. Our headteachers report children arriving in Reception unable to sit upright for sustained periods, lacking the motor skills to hold pencils, and struggling to play or learn alongside their peers. Many describe heightened anxiety, limited speech and language, and an inability to follow simple instructions or take turns.
One headteacher working in one of our Leeds primary schools told us that many children born during or just after Covid have never learned how to wait, share or manage frustration. Another noted that teachers now routinely spend large portions of the day meeting basic care needs rather than teaching.
This reality disrupts learning for the entire class, not just the most vulnerable pupils, as the resulting loss of teaching time directly affects behaviour, attainment and staff workload, placing additional strain on early years teams already under pressure.
Why deprivation makes the problem harder to solve
While school readiness is a national issue, it is most pronounced in communities facing long-term deprivation. In Forgotten 40 schools, families are often navigating insecure work, poor housing and limited access to health services and early years provision. (and parental support)
Headteachers consistently tell us that schools have become the default provider of care, supporting families with potty training, hygiene, sleep routines and emotional regulation, often stepping in where early support has been reduced or removed altogether. As one Burnley headteacher put it, schools have become a “one-stop shop for everything”, holding together families under strain while still being judged primarily on educational outcomes.
The problem is not just about schools. It is a moral and cultural issue for us all. Teachers are not necessarily blaming parents. Instead, they are highlighting a growing gap in support for families who are trying to cope without the services previous generations relied upon.
Many headteachers point to the lasting legacy of (the pandemic) Covid. Children who missed early socialisation are arriving at school less physically developed, less resilient and with limited experience of structured play. Increased screen use, changes in parenting confidence and rising levels of anxiety have also all played a role in fuelling this crisis.
What works – and what needs to change
Through the INEOS Forgotten 40 Project, headteachers are provided with flexible funding, empowering them to respond directly to the realities facing their pupils and families.
Across the schools, we see the difference this flexibility makes. Funding has enabled targeted speech and language support, enhanced pastoral care for early years children, and family engagement initiatives that build trust and confidence. In one coastal community, investment in speech and language provision has accelerated the progress of children creating a strong foundation for learning that would otherwise not have been possible.
But schools cannot fix the school readiness crisis alone, even with charitable support. If we are serious about giving every child the best possible start, government investment must come earlier, into families, early years provision and joined-up support that prevents problems becoming entrenched. The stakes are high. A poor start to school often leads to a blighted future. Until then, schools will continue to pick up the pieces. The question is how long we can expect them to carry the weight?
Reference: Nursery World.