School Readiness: Giving children the best start in life
In 25/26’s first episode of the Schools North East Podcast, we tackle one of the most urgent issues affecting education today: school readiness. Across the country, a third of children are starting reception without the basic skills they need to thrive; and in the North East, the challenge is even greater.
Teachers are spending valuable classroom time supporting children who aren’t toilet trained, struggle to sit still, or can’t communicate their needs. But this issue is bigger than schools. Many of the community services that once supported families, from health visitors to toddler groups, have been dismantled, leaving schools to fill the gap.
Over the most recent Easter break, Schools North East was invited to share our insights with the BBC on this pressing issue, so it was fantastic to sit down, four months later, with Alex Armstrong, Head Teacher at Bloemfontein Primary, and Anna Hughes, Head of EYFS, who are leading the way with a bold new solution.
Fantastic results are already shining through
Their school has opened a nursery and will soon launch a baby room, creating a birth-to-11 “joined-up journey” for children and families.
Alex and Anna believe that “better start, better journey” is more than a slogan, it’s a commitment. By offering funded places, toddler groups, and family workshops on everything from toilet training to bedtime routines, they are supporting parents as well as children.
Their approach is already paying off: Bloemfontein’s phonics results are well above national average, and pupils are entering Year 1 more confident, independent, and ready to learn.
If we get this right, the benefits will ripple through schools
But this isn’t just about one school’s success story. It’s a call for a systemic rethink of early years provision. Alex and Anna argue that we must go beyond childcare-as-workforce-policy and see early years for what it truly is: the foundation of lifelong learning. They call for proper funding, better training for early years staff, and universal access to provision that levels the playing field before children even step into reception.
If we get this right, the benefits will ripple through schools, families, and communities, improving attainment, boosting parental engagement, and creating children who are curious, resilient, and ready to thrive.
Listen to the full episode to hear Alex and Anna share practical strategies, lessons learned, and why they believe every school leader should be thinking about school readiness. Subscribe to the Schools North East Podcast and join us as we work together for every child, for every school, for the future of our region.
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