What Is School Readiness?
Starting school is a big step – and at YMCA Fairthorne Group, we believe school readiness is about much more than learning letters and numbers. School readiness means a child has the confidence, skills and independence they need to settle into school life and enjoy learning from day 1.
School readiness is a journey, built over time through play, relationships, routines and everyday experiences.
What Does School Readiness Include?
The government’s Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) explains that children become school-ready by developing skills across several key areas. Together, these help children feel secure, capable and ready to learn. These key areas include: Personal, Social and Emotional Development (managing emotions and understanding social cues e.g. taking turns), and physical development (correctly holding pens.)
Schools do not expect children to confidently read and write, instead, they are expected to have the basic skills that will help support their learning.
Why School Readiness Matters
Recent figures show that between 2022 and 2023, 1 in 3 children were not ready for school by the age of five. This means many children are starting school without the range of skills they need to feel confident and settled.
In response, the Prime Minister has set a national ambition to increase the number of children reaching a good level of development in reception to 75% by 2028. This highlights the vital role early years experiences play in shaping children’s futures.
At YMCA, we believe this is not about putting pressure on children. It’s about early support, nurturing relationships and giving children the right opportunities at the right time.
Our YMCA Approach: Little Steps, Giant Leaps
Through our Little Steps, Giant Leaps approach, we support children’s development in a holistic and child-centred way. We believe that:
- Children learn best through play and exploration
- Strong relationships help children feel confident to try new things
- Everyday routines build independence and resilience
- Small achievements lead to big progress over time
- Every child develops at their own pace
What This Means for Parents
You don’t need to “teach school” at home to prepare your child. Simple everyday moments make the biggest difference:
- Talking, listening and reading together
- Encouraging independence, such as dressing or tidying up
- Supporting friendships and play with others
- Offering reassurance, praise and consistency
School readiness is something we build together – parents, carers and early years professionals working in partnership.
At YMCA, we’re proud to support children and families to build strong foundations, helping every child take confident steps towards a happy start at school.
Contact your local YMCA Nursery-
For Forest School, please select Fairthorne Manor.
