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School Ready? Charity Tackles Reception Skills Gap
2 Sep
Summary
- Charity classes boost children's readiness for school reception.
- North West has third highest proportion of unprepared reception children.
- Skills taught include toilet training, dressing, and communication.
A charitable project is ensuring children and their families are prepared for the start of reception year in school.
Led by teacher Catherine Desjardins from Manchester charity Family Action, the classes impart vital skills. These include toilet training, dressing independently, and communicating personal needs effectively.
This initiative comes in response to worrying statistics from parenting charity Kindred Squared. In 2025, the North West region recorded the third-highest percentage of children entering reception unprepared, with 39% lacking essential school-readiness compared to the national average of 37%.
Desjardins emphasized the project's goal: "We wanted to make sure every child was able to go into school on a level footing." The program aims to equip all children with the necessary skills for a successful start to their education.
