Children in the UK less likely than their international classmates to be ready for school, global study finds
- More than a third of UK primary school professionals think that most children aren’t yet developmentally ready to start school on their first day
- Teachers warn of a significant proportion of four and five-year-olds unable to wash their hands or read simple words, even their own name
- More than a third warn that poor attendance at preschool is a reason why pupils are unprepared for their first day of school
A major global survey of primary school teachers has revealed that UK children are falling behind their classmates in other countries when it comes to being ready for school.
More than a third of primary school professionals in the UK – 37% – warn that most of their pupils are not developmentally ready when they start school.
Most UK primary teachers, according to the survey by global children’s charity Theirworld, say the problem is getting worse each year, with a significant proportion of four and five-year-olds unable to wash their hands, go to the toilet independently, identify numbers and letters, read simple words, including their own name.
The survey comes as tens of thousands of children across England, Wales and Northern Irelands start primary school for the first time this week.
A third of the UK teachers polled for the survey blame children’s developmental delays on low attendance of preschool and a lack of affordable childcare options.
Just over 40% of the UK teachers surveyed believe pupils are lagging behind because developmental delays in pre-school-aged children are not being identified early enough. The same proportion blame the pandemic for the fact that so many children in the UK do not appear to be developmentally ready for school.
Theirworld polled almost 2,600 teachers and school professionals across the UK, the US, Brazil, the Netherlands, South Africa and India.
Some 60% of the UK teachers polled told the charity that children had become less ready for school over recent years. In sharp contrast, teachers quizzed in India said the opposite – 70% believe their pupils are more prepared for school than they used to be. Only teachers in the US (78%) and Brazil (64%) share UK teachers’ concerns.
Most of the UK primary school professionals quizzed in the survey think only a small minority of pupils can go to the toilet independently or wash their hands when they start school. The survey found that only just over a fifth – 22% – of primary school teachers think that 80% or more of their pupils can perform these age-appropriate tasks.
A quarter of the UK primary school teachers polled say most of their pupils cannot identify simple letters or words, including their own name when they start school. [see table in Notes to Editors].
Sarah Brown, Chair of Theirworld, said that unless world leaders prioritised investment in the early years there would be “repercussions for the most vulnerable children for generations to come”.
The globally-renowned campaigner for children’s health and education said there was “currently no funded plan in place to achieve the target world leaders set in 2030 for every child to have access to high quality early childhood development, care and education so that they are ready for primary education”.
“90% of a child’s brain develops by the age of five, making the period between birth to school the most important time of their lives,” she said. “Failing to support children during these crucial years means setting them up for lifelong challenges. The lack of early years investment is a global crisis that if not addressed urgently, will have huge repercussions for generations to come. The evidence is clear: when we support children’s early years, we build stronger, healthier and more prosperous societies.”
Theirworld is urging governments to invest in early childhood and immediately commit $1bn (£782 million) in new funding by 2028 to kickstart progress and action for the youngest children. This investment must support the high quality proven packages of care and preschool that a child needs to thrive in the first five years of life.
Spending on early childhood development is very low across the world, according to the latest OECD data. Only 0.5% of UK GDP is spent on early childcare and education. In some countries, such as the US, Greece and Portugal, it is as low as 0.3% of GDP.
The survey, conducted by the insight agency Hall + Partners, is part of Theirworld’s Act For Early Years campaign, which is calling on governments to urgently prioritise spending on the first five years of a child’s life.
Purnima Tanuku OBE, Chief Executive of National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) said:
“The findings in this Theirworld report ring alarm bells and show there is much more to do across the country to support children’s development and learning in their earliest years.
“Although more money has been invested recently in early education and care places, it’s clearly not providing enough support to all children. It’s not just about children’s readiness for school – laying strong foundations for learning as well as personal, social and emotional development, gives them the best start in life.
“Our early intervention programmes, such as Maths Champions, have been shown to make a sustained difference to children’s knowledge and outcomes.
“NDNA is supporting Theirworld’s Act for Early Years campaign to encourage governments across the world to invest more in early education.
“Early years professionals are well placed to identify learning and care needs, but all too often are hampered by a lack of specialist resources to support them locally. They need more training and a joined-up system to put the right support in place for children with additional needs.”
Neil Leitch, CEO of the Early Years Alliance, said: “There is a wealth of research that shows just how critical the first five years of a child’s life are to their long-term development – and yet, all too often, education is seen as something that starts at the school gates. This simply must change if we are to ensure that all children, regardless of background, are given the best possible start in life.
“That’s why we’re supporting the #ActForEarlyYears campaign’s call for greater investment into the early years in the UK and globally. We’re clear that greater support for our critical sector is vital if we are to ensure that children are prepared not only for the transition to school, but also into adulthood.”
Sharon Walker has worked in preschools for 38 years and runs Little Pandas, a preschool in Tameside.
She said: “We’ve seen a steady decline in the number of children who are ready for primary school and this started at least 10 years ago. There are far more children now who aren’t ready for primary school than there used to be. A lot of this is to do with low attendance at preschool. The early years sector is very under-funded and needs urgent investment.”
Notes to Editors
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Email: [email protected]
Research Methodology
The findings are based on market research conducted by Theirworld, in partnership with Hall & Partners. A survey was carried out among 2,578 respondents from UK, US, The Netherlands, India, Brazil and South Africa all of whom were primary school professionals working as teachers or in supporting services. Fieldwork was conducted in July 2024.
The sample size of 2,578 primary school professionals is made up of:
UK: 500
US: 506
The Netherlands: 199
India: 503
Brazil: 507
South Africa: 363
Key findings
% of primary school professionals who say 80% or more children can do age-appropriate physical activities when they start school, such as hold a pencil, wash their hands or go to the toilet independently.
|
India |
South Africa |
US |
UK |
Brazil |
The Netherlands |
|
41% |
25% |
14% |
22% |
28% |
17% |
% of primary school professionals who say 80% or more children can do age-appropriate educational activities when they start school, such as identify letters or numbers or recognise their name
| India | South Africa | US | UK | Brazil | The Netherlands |
| 41% | 24% | 16% | 25% | 29% | 20% |
% of primary school professionals who say 80% or more children can do age-appropriate social activities when they start school, such as feel comfortable around unfamiliar people or basic sharing tasks
| India | South Africa | US | UK | Brazil | The Netherlands |
| 45% | 24% | 19% | 26% | 40% | 19% |
About Theirworld
Theirworld is a global children’s charity committed to ending the global education crisis and unleashing the potential of the next generation. Its mission is to ensure that every child has the best start in life, a safe place to learn and the skills they need for the future. www.Theirworld.org
About Hall & Partners
Hall & Partners is an insight agency known for weaving creativity with science.
We distil data through a strategic lens to reveal ‘uncommon insights’ – human truths tailored to individual brands, not blackbox data available to the masses.
Hall & Partners is a part of Omnicom’s Communications Consultancy Network. For more information, visit www.hallandpartners.com.