Online parenting support can help children start school – ready to thrive

But, behind the welcome news of school places lies a growing challenge: too many children are starting school without the skills they need to thrive.

Recognising this, the government recently set an ambitious and important target – for 75% of children to be school-ready by 2028. While this is an admirable ambition, at present, we are set to fall far short of this objective with data revealing that the government requires 40,000 to 50,000 more children to achieve their development goals every year. 

If the government is serious about school readiness, there are outstanding issues they have to address.

Firstly, what does it really mean to be “school-ready”? It’s a question many parents are asking – and understandably so. In fact, Kindred Squared’s latest school readiness survey found that 49% of parents don’t see it as their responsibility to make sure their child is school-ready. That doesn’t mean they’re not invested – it simply suggests that many families are unsure about what school readiness actually involves, or how they fit into the picture.