Commenting as the government announce new help and guidance for parents, schools and early years settings on school readiness, including a new app, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

"School leaders have been reporting increasing numbers of children starting school without basic 'school readiness' skills, like being toilet trained. This new support will be helpful – it can be overwhelming for parents to know where to start and what to prioritise. But guidance alone, while helpful, won’t solve the problem entirely. More support and intervention well before children start school in the early years is also crucial.

“We have welcomed this government’s commitment to early years and its investment in family hubs and funded childcare hours – it is measures like these that will really make a difference. However, this must be just the start after years of under-investment in community and health services under the previous government – more support and investment is still desperately needed, especially as levels of need rise.”