The vast majority of primary teachers believe the government will miss its target of three in four children starting school with a good level of development, a poll shows.
A lack of affordable childcare is having a negative impact on children being ready for Reception, the survey of teachers for the child poverty charity Save the Children suggests.
In a poll of more than 2,500 primary teachers in England, 80 per cent said they do not think the government is likely to meet its goal of 75 per cent of children being “school-ready” by 2028.
The survey, carried out by Teacher Tapp in May, suggests 60 per cent of primary teachers in state schools think the government should increase access to childcare for low-income families to help meet its target.
Children not being ‘school-ready’
In December prime minister Sir Keir Starmer set a target of 75 per cent of five-year-olds in England being ready to learn when they start school by 2028.
The government will measure progress on this using the percentage of five-year-olds reaching a good level of development in the early years foundation stage assessment - which looks at language and personal, social and emotional development, as well as maths and literacy.
Some 81 per cent of primary teachers believe a lack of affordable childcare has negatively impacted children being ready for school, the Save the Children survey suggests.
An expansion of funded childcare - which was introduced by the previous Conservative government - started being rolled out in England in April last year for working parents with two-year-olds.
Working parents of children older than nine months are now able to access 15 hours of funded childcare a week, before the full rollout of 30 hours a week to all eligible families in September.
But charities have called on the government to do more to ensure that children from disadvantaged backgrounds can access high-quality childcare.
Call for more family support
When asked in the poll what the government should prioritise to meet its school readiness target, 85 per cent of teachers said access to family support services should be increased and 29 per cent said child-related benefit payments should rise.
Ruth Talbot, policy and advocacy adviser for Save the Children, said: “When 80 per cent of teachers are worried that the UK government won’t meet their target on school readiness, we know more needs to be done by ministers to fix this problem.
“Quality childcare that helps children prepare for Reception has been unaffordable and poverty has been allowed to fester for too long.
“Schools are witnessing the dual impact of these issues, and it’s time for the UK government to act.”
Ms Talbot added: “The upcoming child poverty strategy, due in June, must address the causes of poverty and its impact, starting by ending the two-child benefit limit and providing good quality childcare for all.
“Without meaningful action, this government will continue to preside over a rise in poverty while children’s outcomes decline.”
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