School readiness is slipping, and teachers say screens are the biggest factor

The latest Kindred Squared School Readiness Report paints a sobering picture of the September 2025 Reception cohort. Teachers report that 37% of children are not developmentally ready to start school, a significant increase from the previous year. Behind that headline sit very practical concerns: children struggling with basic language, emotional regulation, independence, and everyday life skills.

This is not about academic attainment. School readiness refers to whether children are developmentally ready to access the opportunities of the Reception curriculum. When they are not, the impact is felt across entire classrooms. Teachers estimate that 2.4 hours of teaching time is lost each day due to catch up needs, with more than half of that time spent supporting toileting alone. Budgets, staff morale, and learning for all children are affected.

Among the many factors identified, two stand out clearly in this year’s report: screen use and early reading.

What teachers are seeing
Primary school staff overwhelmingly identify screen use as the single biggest factor affecting school readiness. More than half of teachers surveyed said children’s use of electronic devices is having a negative impact on their ability to engage in Reception. Parents, however, are less likely to share this concern. Only 36% believe their child is spending too much time on screens, a figure that has fallen since last year.

This disconnect matters. Teachers report growing numbers of children arriving at school unable to use books correctly, tapping or swiping pages as if they were screens. While almost all parents say their child is read to at least weekly, and nearly half say this happens daily, classroom experience suggests that the quality, consistency, and context of early reading may not always be translating into the skills children need.

Staff also report rising difficulties with basic language skills, such as answering simple questions or saying their own name, alongside challenges with attention, emotional regulation, and independence. These are foundational skills for learning, communication, and relationships.

Why this matters in the early years
The early years are a period of rapid brain development. Language, attention, emotional regulation, and social skills are built through real world interaction, including talking, reading, playing, and shared attention with adults.

When screen use begins to displace these experiences, even unintentionally, children can miss out on opportunities that are hard to replace later. This is not about blaming parents. Screens are now embedded in family life, and many parents are navigating competing pressures with limited guidance.

What the Kindred Squared findings highlight is not a single behaviour, but a pattern. Where screens take up more time, and shared activities like reading and conversation take up less, children may arrive at school less prepared for the demands of the classroom.

A timely moment for national guidance
These findings land just as the UK government prepares to publish its first official guidance on screen use for under fives, expected in April. Government commissioned research shows that screen use is now almost universal in early childhood, with 98% of two year olds watching screens daily. Higher levels of screen use are associated with lower vocabulary scores, alongside increased behavioural and emotional concerns.

Importantly, this research highlights correlation rather than causation. But when viewed alongside the lived experience of early years practitioners and teachers, a consistent picture emerges: time matters, and what screens replace matters even more.

The upcoming guidance represents an important opportunity. Parents are not asking whether screens should exist, but how to use them well, in ways that protect children’s development while recognising modern family life.

The need for clarity and practicality
For guidance to make a meaningful difference, it must be clear, practical, and grounded in real world experience. Parents need advice that is easy to understand and realistic to follow, not conflicting messages or information that arrives too late.

The Kindred Squared report shows that information gaps persist. Teachers are often seeing the consequences of screen habits long before concerns are fully recognised at home. Bridging this gap requires guidance that reflects the insights of those working on the frontline, including health professionals, early years practitioners, and educators who support children and families every day.

Clear messaging should reinforce the importance of:

● Talking, reading, and shared play as foundations for language and learning
● Being mindful of how much time screens occupy, especially in the early years
● Understanding that passive screen time can crowd out experiences children need to thrive

Listening to those who work with children
Health professionals, teachers and early years staff are seeing similar patterns across different settings. Children are arriving at school with increasing needs, and schools are absorbing the consequences. At the same time, parents are navigating an environment where technology is ubiquitous, persuasive and often poorly regulated.

We therefore welcome the government’s commitment to publish national guidance on screen use for under-fives in April, led by Dame Rachel de Souza and Professor Russell Viner, with parents, early years practitioners and children themselves involved in shaping the recommendations. The stated aim is clear: practical, evidence-based advice that helps families balance screens with the everyday activities that matter most: talking, reading, playing and connecting.

Crucially, one of the leads on this guidance is a clinician. This matters. It helps ensure the advice is grounded in child development, health and real-world experience, not just theory. It is exactly the kind of approach Health Professionals for Safer Screens (HPFSS) has long called for: one that listens to those working with children every day and reflects the realities families are facing.

A shared responsibility
School readiness is not the responsibility of families alone, nor can it be addressed by schools in isolation. It sits at the intersection of health, education, policy, and family life.

The Kindred Squared report is a clear signal that more children are starting school at a disadvantage, and that screens and early reading are part of that picture. The forthcoming early years screen guidance offers a chance to respond with clarity, consistency, and compassion.

If we want children to arrive at school ready to learn, connect, and thrive, we must ensure parents are supported with evidence based advice that reflects both research and real world experience. Listening to those who work closest with children will be key to getting this right.