Parents in East Yorkshire are being asked to help to prepare their children to be ready for school and are being urged to seek support if their children need developmental help. This is because too many children are arriving for their first year at primary school struggling to manage everyday tasks such as using cutlery and going to the toilet, education leaders believe.
Councillors say that although understanding children ‘develop at their own pace’, parents need to be more proactive in how they help their little ones get ready for their first years at school. And parents are being reminded that expert support and guidance is available through East Riding Council’s Family Hubs.
The message from East Riding Council comes at the same time as a national teacher survey from the charity Kindred Squared, which found roughly a quarter of children entering primary school reception in 2025 were not toilet trained. In response to this national study, the government has funded a successful pilot in York that has taught parents how to successfully potty train their children.
Following this pilot, twenty further councils around England are going to take part in a wider version of the scheme – including North Lincolnshire Council, North East Lincolnshire Council and North Yorkshire Council. Education leaders believe this is one of the best ways to boost the number of young pupils arriving at reception ‘school ready’.
East Riding Council is not currently participating in the potty training project, but is reminding parents that they can access advice and support about encouraging independence, communication, physical development and healthy routines through its Family Hubs. The specialist hubs can help with understanding what being school ready means and provide tips and advice on milestones such as toilet training.
East Riding’s Best Start Family Hubs are in different locations across the region. They can be found in Anlaby, Hessle, Hownden, Goole, Brough, Cottingham, Bridlington, Driffield, Market Weighton, Beeford, Beverley, Hedon, Hornsea and Withernsea.
The Department for Education has a national target of 75 percent of children achieving a good level of development as they begin school, by 2028. The East Riding target is 76 percent, and this year 71 percent of children started school with a good level of development.
Progress must be made at a local level
Cllr Victoria Aitken, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education at East Riding Council recognised there was progress to be made and explained the council had specialist staff available to help support parents and families. “We know that all children develop at their own pace and that some will need more help than others,” she said.
“We want families to know what school ready means and how they can support their child’s journey to Reception to be as positive as possible. It isn’t solely families’ responsibility, schools, early years settings, Family Help services and health visitors are all there to support children and their families during the early years and through the transition to primary school.”
An education conference held in East Yorkshire recently brought together childminders, practitioners, teachers and partner organisations, to share best practice to continue improving outcomes for pre-school children. The conference looked at the impact of the learning environment, how rhythm, movement and responsive interactions can support children’s emotional regulation, communication and overall development, and creative techniques to bring storytelling to life capturing imagination and enthusiasm for learning.
Felicity Gillespie, chief executive of the early years charitable foundation Kindred Squared, explained the focus on school readiness was vital to free up teachers time for the vital job of actually teaching. “We know from our annual school readiness surveys that, on average, teachers have been losing the equivalent of a day a week of teaching time helping children who are not able to go to the toilet themselves,” she said.
“We also know parents and carers have been calling for clear and concise advice, and this just shows that when the best resources are really targeted, everyone benefits. ” East Riding Council has shared some of the most important social, emotional and practical skills to help prepare children for school such as: using cutlery, sharing toys and playing with others, children putting on their own coat and shoes, and being familiar with books and talking about characters.
By: Paul Drury-Bradey, LDRS
