News, Views and Digest

Early Years Digest

Every fortnight we produce a summary of a selection of the work happening in the early years. If you would like to receive it, please add your details below.

Previous Early Years Digests

  • 9th April 2025

  • 19th March 2025

  • 4th March 2025

  • 18th February 2025

  • 5th February 2025

  • 21st January 2025

  • 7th January 2025

  • 17th December 2024

  • 4th December 2024

  • 19th November 2024

  • 6th November 2024

  • 22nd October 2024

  • 8th October 2024

  • 24th September 2024

  • 10th September 2024

  • 27th August 2024

  • 13th August 2024

  • 30th July 2024

  • 18th July 2024

  • 2nd July 2024

  • 18th June 2024

  • 4th June 2024

  • 21st May 2024

  • 7th May 2024

  • 24th April 2024

  • 9th April 2024

  • 26th March 2024

  • 12th March 2024

  • 28th February 2024

  • 13th February 2024

  • 19th January 2024

  • 3rd January 2024

  • 20th December 2023

  • 6th December 2023

  • 21st November 2023

  • 8th November 2023

  • 26th October 2023

  • 11th October 2023

  • 4th October 2023

  • 12th September 2023

  • 16th August 2023

  • 4th August 2023

  • 2nd August 2023

  • 18th July 2023

  • 4th July 2023

  • 21st June 2023

  • 7th June 2023

  • 19th May 2023

  • 9th May 2023

  • 25th April 2023

  • 4th April 2023

  • 14th March 2023

  • 1st March 2023

  • 13th February 2023

  • 27th January 2023

  • 9th January 2023

  • 16th December 2022

  • 5th December 2022

  • 21st November 2022

  • 7th November 2022

  • 7th October 2022

  • 23rd September 2022

  • 9th September 2022

  • 26th August 2022

  • 15th August 2022

  • 29th July 2022

  • 15th July 2022

  • 1st July 2022

  • 17th June 2022

  • 1st June 2022

  • 20th May 2022

Kindred Squared Media Coverage

LBC: Kindred Squared Director, Felicity Gillespie, speaks to Nick Ferrari about the Starting Reception website

April 17, 2025

Kindred Squared Director, Felicity Gillespie, speaks to Nick Ferrari about the Starting Reception website. Listen to the interview here [from 2:25:00] and the listener phone-in [from 2:38:00]

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THE SPECTATOR: It’s not the government’s job to prepare kids for school

April 16, 2025

On Primary School offer day, Cristina Odone writes about whose responsibility it is to prepare children for Reception, quoting information from the Starting Reception website.# Read the full article here.

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NURSERY MANAGEMENT TODAY: Government backs school readiness website

April 16, 2025

NMT shares a link to the Starting Reception website, reporting that organisations involved in the website include Kindred Squared, National Day Nurseries Association, the Early Years Alliance, LEYF Nurseries, Busy Bees, Ark Start and Pacey. NMT notes that the Department…

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THE INDEPENDENT: New website to help parents teach basic skills amid concerns over children’s school readiness

April 16, 2025

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson told The Independent new School Readiness website will teach skills such as going to the toilet and putting on a coat. Read the full article here.

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THE SPECTATOR: There’s an obvious reason pre-school children are falling behind

April 16, 2025

Kristina Murkett writes in The Spectator about school readiness including statistics and information from the Kindred Squared School Readiness report 2024, and links to the Starting Reception website. Kirstina concludes that: “The answer is, of course, screen time”. Read the…

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NETMUMS: Is your child reception-ready? New website teaches parents how to toilet train and prepare their child for school

April 16, 2025

On National Primary School Offer Day, Netmums shares a link to a new initiative to help parents prepare their children for school. The Starting Reception website developed by a coalition of leading early years experts, is being shared widely with…

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THE TIMES: Children should be using cutlery before school age, parents told

April 15, 2025

Ahead of Primary School Offer day, The Times article reports on the “government-backed checklist” that sets out the skills children are expected to have before starting reception, amid concerns over falling levels of school readiness. Read the full article here.

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NETMUMS: Parents given full list of 12 key skills they should teach their child BEFORE starting school, including being potty trained

March 11, 2025

Netmums reports on the recently published “Starting Reception” definition. The report states that a coalition of top education and childcare experts has unveiled a comprehensive checklist of 29 essential skills that children should master before starting school, including toilet training.…

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THE GUARDIAN: Toilet training and cutlery use key part of England’s ‘school-readiness skills list’

March 11, 2025

The Guardian reports on the recently launched “Starting Reception” definition resource, backed by the Department for Education. Noting that toilet training and ability to use cutlery are included as key skills for children starting Receptions. Read the full article here.

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TES: The 28 signs of ‘school readiness’

March 11, 2025

TES Magazine covers the “Starting Reception” definition, noting that the coalition of early years experts is calling on the government to adopt its definition of school readiness as it launches a new standard of skills for children starting school. Read…

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THE INDEPENDENT: Children starting school struggling to talk, teachers warn

March 11, 2025

The Independent covers Kindred Squared annual School Readiness Report and the “Starting Reception” definition. The definition was created by a coalition of Early Years experts, and is a list of skills Children should ideally have before starting reception, including basic self-care, social interaction,…

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THE DAILY MIRROR: New guidance released on skills kids should have when starting Reception – see list

March 11, 2025

The Daily Mirror covers the recent publication of “Starting Reception” defection. The definition sets out the personal, social, emotional and physical skills that most children will develop by the time they start school. The definition has been created by a…

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