So, September is here, and our youngest pupils are now starting school. Most parents find this an exciting milestone, but also a challenging one. They wonder how their child will cope; will they be happy? Will they like their teacher? Will they make friends? And the big question – Are they ready?
It is not just parents who wonder this – teachers are often concerned too – there are enormous pressures on Reception class teachers to get their children settled in quickly, establish routines, teach the reading, writing, and Maths basics, develop their attitudes and behaviours, and get them to a ‘good level of development’[1] by the end of the year.
Social media is, unfortunately, full of alarmist posts about children not being ready for school, arriving in nappies, being unable to socialise or behave well, which conjures up images of teachers wringing their hands and saying, ‘They are just not ready!’ and of course, many people are quick to blame the parents.
You could, therefore, be forgiven for thinking this is a growing problem, that parents are not doing ‘their job’ and that standards in parenting are falling, but is this really true? My first Reception class was in 1980, and my focus was completely on the child, some had trouble remembering to use the toilet, many couldn’t socialise, share or play together, and it was my job to support them. I also taught them to read, write and use numbers well. That was the job and one that I enjoyed and there were many challenges, just as there are now.
So, what has changed? Why are we getting so worked up about ‘school readiness’ now? Have children and parents really changed that much?
Let’s stand back from this for a moment- what if this is not what we think – and we are, in fact, looking at this through the wrong end of the telescope? What if this is a false narrative? If we look at this logically, we should be able to at least consider the possibility that if children are not ready for what we are offering, then maybe we need to offer them something different. Who decided what the school readiness bar is set at anyway? Although the concept can be traced back to 1936 and Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, it is only in recent years that it has become some kind of yardstick that measures what a child should be able to do before they start school. This is a flawed approach as not all children start at the same age, there is in fact a 20% difference in age between the oldest and the youngest, and of course, we know that all children do not develop at the same pace. Why then would we expect them to be at an equal starting point?
One of the biggest factors that is clouding the issue, is the high accountability culture that has developed in schools increasing the pressure to get high results. This has resulted in the ‘earlier the better’ approach that has crept in in some schools. Children are now assessed on entry[2] and a further three times in key stage 1 and these assessments are scrutinised and used as a measure of the school’s performance, so they are high stakes and if you have a leadership team that doesn’t fully understand child development then Reception class teachers can find themselves under increasing pressure to introduce a formal pedagogy. This in turn, results in the approach that we must focus on getting them ready for Y1 and the introduction of developmentally inappropriate practice, which just exacerbates the problem. You cannot speed up child development, it has its own pace and every child is unique. Practising skills such as sitting still before a child is ready to do so, is as futile as making a baby practise walking before they are ready. Not only is it pointless it will impair development, therefore delaying the outcome you are seeking to achieve.
Another point to consider is that there has been in recent years a real erosion of support available for children and families. Years ago, families lived in communities that supported each other, as a child I remember all the Mums on the street helped each other out and parenting tips were often shared. This is rarely the case now, parents are often working and those that are not are often isolated from wider family and community, many struggling to meet their own needs and the needs of their children. With 1 in 4 children being brought up in poverty in the UK, [3] and all the issues that brings for parents, it is no wonder that some children struggle with the unrealistic demands that are often placed on them. Of course, Sure Start centres were enormously valuable in supporting parents and bringing back that sense of community, but they are few and far between these days. It is my belief that high accountability, unrealistic expectations, and the lack of support for families have all contributed to the narrative that children are not ready for school.
So, what can be done? We need to stop talking about school readiness and start focusing on the child and their family – where are they now and what do they need. We need to work to influence decision makers at all levels of the need for child centred practice and persuade them of the fact that this is what will give them the results they are striving for. As Early Years educators it is our job to promote and advocate for this and influence those around us. Challenging others is not always easy, but there is so much research now that backs up this up – use it as tool for influence and change and be confident in your practice. Children cannot advocate for themselves – it is up to us to be their voice!
Let’s start looking through the right end of the telescope!
So next time you hear about school readiness, why not say – ‘oh absolutely schools need to be ready for children!’
[1] A ‘good level of development’ can be defined as a child reaching the ‘expected’ level of development at the end of their reception year, at the end of EYFS. It is an outcome of a summative assessment based on learning outcomes in regard to the prime areas of learning.
[2] Children in state-funded primary and infant schools take a baseline assessment within the first six weeks of entering reception class.
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