Teachers across England say they are increasingly having to “pick up the pieces” as more children arrive in reception without some of the most basic skills – from using the toilet on their own

to speaking in full sentences.

A new survey of more than 1,000 primary school teachers suggests the problem is widespread. One in three said they had at least five children in their new reception class still needing help with toilet training. Nearly all – 92% – said they had noticed a drop in children’s speech and language abilities over the past two years.

“Screens instead of conversations”

At St Mary’s Church of England Primary School in Stoke, speech and language therapist Liz Parkes works with the youngest pupils each week. On a recent visit, she sat with Gracie, a four-year-old in reception, helping her sound out rhyming words.

Liz says around a quarter of pupils at St Mary’s arrive needing extra help with speech and language. By Year 2, that number drops dramatically thanks to early support. She believes modern childhood habits play a big role in the challenges schools are seeing.

“Children are spending more time on screens and less time in conversations,” she explains. “When they come into nursery and reception, some of them just haven’t had enough back-and-forth interaction or exposure to rich language.”

The wider picture

Teacher Tapp, the survey tool used in this research, revealed:

- 85% of teachers said they had at least one reception pupil who still needed toilet help.

- 33% said they had at least five pupils in this position.

- 8% said it was 10 or more.

The government has set a target that by 2028, three-quarters of children should leave reception “school-ready” – able to dress themselves, use the toilet, pay attention in class, and meet other basic milestones. Last year, that figure was 68%, meaning about 45,000 extra children per year need to reach the expected level.

A Department for Education spokesperson said the government was investing £1.5bn in early years services and expanding childcare access so more families can benefit from high-quality provision.

Schools stepping in

At St Mary’s, staff have chosen to prioritise speech and language support even though it means cutting back elsewhere. Deputy head Catherine Miah says the impact is worth it:

“If children aren’t ready to learn, you can give them the best phonics lessons in the world – they won’t take it in. Early support makes all the difference.”

Toilet training is another area where the school works closely with families. “It’s not about pointing the finger at parents,” Catherine says. “We’re a team. We help each other so that by the time children are in reception, they’re ready.”

Families notice the difference

Diane, a mum at the school, says the support transformed her son’s start to education. He entered reception still in nappies and struggling with his speech.

“Within two weeks, he was out of nappies,” she says. “The teachers helped him at school, and I did the same at home. We worked together.”

Now in Year 1, her son is much more independent and confident. “Before, he relied on me for everything. Now he does so much on his own. School have been amazing – they’ve helped me to help him.” Photo by Lucélia Ribeiro, Wikimedia commons.