UK primary school readiness crisis: a survey by charity Kindred Squared found that nearly a third of children who started school last year could not use books properly, often swiping them like smartphones. The same study reported that 26 % of prep‑class pupils had frequent toileting difficulties, rising to 36 % in the north‑east, and 28 % could not feed themselves independently. Teachers say the lack of basic skills costs schools an average of 2.4 teaching hours per day and that parents’ excessive screen time is a key factor. The government’s aim is for 75 % of children to be “ready for school” by 2028, but current figures show only 68.3 % have satisfactory development at the end of 2024‑25, despite 88 % of parents believing their child is ready. Felicity Gillespie, executive director of Kindred Squared, described the situation as a “systemic crisis” driven by limited resources, low expectations and rising living costs.

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