About one in four children who started reception in 2025 were not toilet trained, a survey of teachers has found, prompting warnings that growing numbers of pupils are struggling with basic life skills.

In an annual survey of primary school staff in England by the early years charity Kindred Squared, teachers estimated that 26% of the children in their reception class were having frequent toilet mishaps, rising to more than one in three (36%) in the north-east.

The survey also found that 28% of children were unable to eat and drink independently and 25% were struggling with other basic life skills.

Kindred Squared said increasing numbers of children were arriving at the school gate “without the basic life skills needed to engage with the curriculum”. Staff also reported that 28% of pupils were not able to use books correctly – for example, they were trying to swipe or tap pages like a phone or tablet.

The findings come as the government seeks to increase the proportion of children starting reception “school ready” – having met certain developmental milestones such as basic language skills, being able to eat, go to the toilet, and dress themselves independently, and the ability to sit, play and listen.

However, Kindred Squared’s survey of 1,000 primary staff found they estimated more than one in three (37%) children were starting reception not school ready, up from 33% in 2024.

The sharpest declines in school readiness were reported by teachers in the north-east, West Midlands and north-west.

Staff estimated they were spending 1.4 hours a day changing nappies or helping children who were not toilet trained, and that a total of 2.4 hours of teaching time was lost each day because pupils lacked basic skills.

Felicity Gillespie, the chief executive of Kindred Squared, said: “The state of school readiness has reached a critical moment, with 37% of children now arriving at the school gate without the basic life skills needed to engage with the curriculum.

“This is no longer just a classroom issue; it is a systemic crisis fuelled by stretched school resources, low expectations, the rising cost of living, and by parents who lack the right information and understanding early enough to truly support their children’s development.”

Ministers have set a target for 75% of children to be school ready by 2028. The latest Department for Education (DfE) figures show that 68.3% of children were judged to have a good level of development by the end of reception in 2024-25, a slight increase on the previous year.

More than half of staff surveyed said excessive screen time for children and adults was a significant factor in children not being ready for school.

By contrast, a survey of 1,000 parents of four- and five-year-olds found that 88% believed their child was ready to start school this year, with more than one in three (35%) saying their child was more ready than most. Almost all parents (94%) said they would welcome national guidance on preparing children for school.

Paul Whiteman, the general secretary of the school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “The findings of this survey reflect what we are hearing from our members – school leaders are reporting increasing numbers of children starting school without basic ‘school readiness’ skills, like being toilet trained.”

The government has been prioritising early years investment as part of its opportunity mission, including distributing £12m across 65 local areas to build Best Start family hubs offering parenting support and youth services.

Pepe Di’Iasio, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said there was “very obviously a huge problem with children not being ready for school when they start in reception”.

He added that while the expansion of family and childcare were welcome, they were not quick fixes after 15 years of decline in local support services.

A DfE spokesperson said: “This government has a clear mission to make sure tens of thousands more children start school ready to learn, and we are already taking action to make that a reality. We are seeing early signs of improvement, with more children reaching a good level of development by age five, but we know there is further to go.

“We inherited a system where disadvantage was allowed to deepen, and these findings underline the scale of the school readiness challenge we are determined to tackle, so every child gets the best possible start in life.”