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What Should a Child Be Able to Do Before Starting School?

By Chaz Bagri23 September 20268 min read

A smiling girl in a white school shirt and black knitted tank top holds the straps of her backpack in front of a garden wall

What should a child be able to do before starting school in England? The short list from DfE guidance, and what Reception teaches instead.

Before starting school in England, a child should be starting to manage the toilet, handwashing, coat and shoes, feeding themselves, saying what they need, following a simple instruction, being around other children and moving every day. That's the Department for Education's answer to what a child should be able to do before starting school, and it calls these "suggestions, not a checklist". Reading and writing come later.

What skills should a child have before starting school?

School readiness, which the Department for Education's Best Start in Life guidance calls preparing for school, means a child has the everyday skills to feel settled in Reception: looking after themselves, saying what they need, getting along with others and moving confidently. It does not mean reading or writing.

The guidance was developed with Starting Reception, a coalition of early years organisations. It groups the skills into five areas: communication, independence, social and emotional skills, physical development, and healthy routines such as regular bedtimes and brushing teeth.

Its tone matters as much as its list. "It's not about ticking off a list," the guidance says. Children develop at different rates, and you're probably already doing more than you think.

What's on a school readiness checklist in the UK?

The nearest thing to an official school readiness checklist in the UK is the Best Start in Life list of skills to practise at home. Paraphrased, with one thing to try for each:

Toilet and handwashing. Practise washing hands after the loo, before meals and after playing outside, with a short song.
Getting dressed. Coat and shoes on and off. Give them time in the morning instead of rushing in to help.
Eating on their own. If they'll have a packed lunch, practise opening the lunchbox and wrappers at home.
Saying what they need. Asking for help, a drink or the toilet, whether spoken, signed or pointed to.
Following a simple instruction. Copy-me games, like "Can you touch your toes?"
Being with other children. Playing alongside others counts. Sharing and turn-taking come gradually.
Paying attention for a short time. A story or a simple puzzle, little and often.
Feelings. Starting to name their own and notice other people's.
Time away from you. Short periods with other trusted adults.
Moving. The NHS says 3 and 4-year-olds should be active for at least 180 minutes a day, including at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity. Our guide to what gross motor skills look like at each age has the detail.
Healthy routines. Bedtime around the same time each night, teeth brushed twice a day.

Does my child need to sit still on the carpet before they start?

No, not for long, and not yet. Sitting well on the carpet is a physical skill as much as a behaviour, and the Department for Education lists good sitting posture among the things children learn in Reception, not something they need on day one. So the way to prepare for it is to move more, not to practise sitting.

The Department for Education's guidance for early years settings defines core strength as children's "ability to keep their position and move from the centre of their body outwards". If it's underdeveloped, it says, children "will struggle" with gross and fine motor skills, stability and balance.

The department's Development Matters guidance then lists, among the things children in Reception will be learning, to "use their core muscle strength to achieve a good posture when sitting at a table or sitting on the floor". It's a Reception goal, not an entry test. For younger children, it says to look out for those who find it difficult to sit comfortably on chairs, because they "may need help to develop their core muscles", and its suggestions are scooting on sit-down trikes and jumping on soft play.

Climbing, crawling, swinging and balancing games all work the middle of the body. And on attention, Best Start in Life is reassuring: if your child's attention wanders, that's normal at this age. For more on how core strength leads to a pencil grip, see physical development in the EYFS.

Should children be able to read or write before Reception?

No. The early learning goals for reading, writing and numbers describe where a child is expected to be by the end of Reception, not at the start. The EYFS statutory framework says the goals set out "the level of development children should be expected to have reached by the end of the EYFS", and that they "should not be used as a curriculum".

The writing goal, for example, is to write "simple phrases and sentences that can be read by others", by the end of the Reception year, when most children are five. In the first six weeks, Reception teachers carry out the Reception Baseline Assessment, which the framework describes as a short assessment. It isn't something your child prepares for, passes or fails.

For a sense of scale: in the Department for Education's EYFS Profile results for 2024/25, 68.3 per cent of children in England reached a good level of development by the end of Reception. That's a measure of the end of the year, after a year of teaching.

How can I tell if my child is ready for school?

In England, readiness isn't a test your child sits before starting. Gov.uk says most children start Reception full time in the September after their fourth birthday, and a child doesn't have to be in full-time education until compulsory school age: 31 December, 31 March or 31 August following their fifth birthday, whichever comes first.

You can ask for a later start, part time or part-way through the year, but you still apply at the same time as everyone else. A child who starts in the September after turning five goes into Year 1, unless the council or school agrees to Reception. Gov.uk is clear that "they do not have to agree". Scotland and Northern Ireland have different rules.

Age does show up in the figures. In the same 2024/25 results, 61.1 per cent of summer-born children reached a good level of development by the end of Reception, against 75.6 per cent of autumn-born children. That's a fact, not a recommendation either way. Your child's nursery key person and the school are the people to talk it through with.

How can I prepare my child for starting school?

Through ordinary days rather than drills. Let your child put on their own coat and shoes, slowly. Practise the lunchbox. Play copy-me games for listening. And keep them moving.

Time with another trusted adult. Best Start in Life suggests building up short periods with family members, friends or a local playgroup if your child isn't in childcare. As an example, an afternoon a week at a grandparent's practises being apart, a different grown-up giving instructions, and someone else's toilet.

Moving every day. Development Matters says 3 and 4-year-olds are learning to "skip, hop, stand on one leg and hold a pose for a game like musical statues", and to remember sequences of movements. Musical statues needs nothing at all. If you'd like something to follow, our Sun Salutation mat has tree, airplane and dancer among its fifteen numbered poses, so "hold a pose" becomes a game a four-year-old can play from the pictures. Have a look at the mat, or start with our guide to kids' yoga at home. It's a game, not a school-readiness programme.

Starting school tips for parents: from now to September

By 15 January: apply through your council. Gov.uk says applications open in September and close on 15 January. Ask for a later start at the same time if you want one.
16 April: councils send primary school offers, or the next working day if it falls on a weekend or bank holiday.
Summer term: ask the school about visits or settling-in sessions, and practise the walk to school.
September: expect tiredness in the first weeks, and keep the after-school hour quiet.

Who to talk to about your child's development

If you have any concerns about your child's development, Best Start in Life says your health visitor, GP or the school's special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) will be happy to help. Your local SENDIAS service gives free, impartial advice, and Best Start Family Hubs offer support too.

On toilet training, Development Matters says most, but not all, children are reliably dry during the day by the age of 4, and points to a health visitor or GP for children who are struggling. Whatever your child finds hard, Best Start in Life suggests letting the school know what works for them, so staff can support them from day one.

Frequently asked questions

Does my child need to be potty trained for Reception?

The Department for Education's guidance lists using the toilet and washing hands as a skill to practise, not an entry rule. Development Matters says most, but not all, children are reliably dry during the day by the age of 4. If your child isn't there yet, talk to the school and your health visitor before they start.

Should children be able to write before Reception?

No. The writing early learning goal, writing simple phrases and sentences that others can read, describes where children are expected to be by the end of Reception, and the EYFS framework says the goals should not be used as a curriculum. Development Matters says 3 and 4-year-olds are learning to write some or all of their name and some letters, which is a start, not an entry requirement.

What should Reception children be able to do?

By the end of Reception, the EYFS describes 17 early learning goals, from speaking and reading to gross motor skills like balance and coordination, and teachers record whether each child is at the expected level. They aren't expected at the start. The list to aim for before school is the short one: self-care, communication and moving.

What age do children start school in the UK?

In England, most children start Reception full time in the September after their fourth birthday, according to gov.uk. They must be in full-time education by compulsory school age, which falls on 31 December, 31 March or 31 August after their fifth birthday. Scotland and Northern Ireland have different rules.

A present for the year they start school

If your four-year-old would rather be moving than sitting, the poses are engraved into our full-length yoga mats for children, £34.99 with free UK delivery. The mat comes with a carry strap, so it can live at a grandparent's as easily as at home. For more starting-school ideas, see our presents for a four-year-old starting Reception and other presents that keep them moving.

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