Teachers Waste 2.4 Hours Daily on Basic Care as School Readiness Crisis Deepens
Teachers are losing a staggering 2.4 hours of teaching time each day due to children arriving at school without basic life skills, with a significant portion dedicated to toilet training issues, according to alarming new research. The study reveals a growing crisis in early years education that is placing unsustainable pressure on primary school staff across the country.
Sharp Decline in School Readiness
The annual survey conducted by Kindred Squared found that 37% of children started reception without essential basic skills last year, representing a concerning increase from 33% in 2024. This means that almost four in ten children are beginning their formal education unprepared for the classroom environment.
Primary school staff reported that 28% of children arrive unable to eat and drink independently, while 25% struggle with basic language skills. Perhaps most strikingly, 26% of reception children are not toilet trained, creating significant challenges for teaching staff.
Regional Inequalities Widen
The research indicates that school readiness inequalities are widening across different regions of the country, with particularly sharp declines reported in the North East, West Midlands, North West and London. In the North East, the proportion of children not toilet trained reaches as high as 36%, highlighting significant regional disparities in early childhood development.
Despite these concerning statistics, 88% of parents believe their child is ready for school, suggesting a worrying disconnect between parental perception and classroom reality.
Impact on Teaching Staff
Teachers are experiencing mounting pressure due to the additional workload of providing basic care that traditionally falls outside their teaching responsibilities. The early years charity behind the research reports that many staff members describe high stress levels and low morale as a direct result of these challenges.
Some 57% of primary school staff believe parents should not be permitted to send non-toilet-trained children to Reception, indicating the severity of the problem from an educational perspective. More than half of staff identified children's excessive screen time as the primary cause of poor school readiness, prompting government action on updated guidance for under-fives.
Government Response and Targets
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has established a key target to ensure 75% of five-year-olds achieve "school ready" status by 2028. In pursuit of this goal, ministers have been implementing Best Start Family Hubs across every area of the country, designed to provide comprehensive support with parenting skills, early development and childcare.
The Department for Education is currently updating guidance for screen time for children under five, with new recommendations scheduled for publication in April. This comes as Kindred's research shows that 94% of parents desire national guidance on school readiness to better support their children's development.
Educational Leaders Voice Concerns
Felicity Gillespie, chief executive of Kindred Squared, described the situation as reaching "a critical moment," noting that "this is no longer just a classroom issue; it is a systemic crisis fuelled by parents who lack the right information and understanding early enough to truly support their children's development, overstretched school resources and the rising cost of living."
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, emphasised that "more support before children start school in the early years is crucial – both for pupils and for families. As this report points out, it can be overwhelming for parents to know where to start and what to prioritise."
Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, added that "these survey findings, while deeply concerning are, sadly, not surprising. We have long lacked any cohesive system of early support in this country - not just settings that are adequately funded to deliver the high-quality provision all children need to thrive, but also accessible, quality family services that can help parents support their own children's early learning and development."
Department for Education Statement
A Department for Education spokesman responded to the findings, stating: "We are tackling child poverty by lifting the two-child benefit cap, backing families with 30 hours of funded childcare, opening a Best Start Family Hub in every local area, and developing the first ever national guidance on screen time for under-fives to help parents support their children's development."
The spokesperson continued: "We are seeing early signs of improvement, with more children reaching a good level of development by age five, but we know there is further to go. We inherited a system where disadvantage was allowed to deepen, and these findings underline the scale of the school readiness challenge we are determined to tackle, so every child gets the best possible start in life."
The department pointed to figures showing 68.3% of children achieved a Good Level of Development in 2024/25, representing a slight improvement from 67.7% the previous year, though still far below the government's ambitious targets for school readiness.
