About
Starting Reception is a single, shared definition of the practical skills children need to thrive from their very first day in Reception.
It was created by a coalition of organisations from across the early childhood sector and aims to address confusion about what it really means for a child to be ready for Reception (some people call this school readiness).
It offers expert-led and consistent guidance for everyone supporting young children - allowing us to set clear expectations for families.
Launched in March 2025, Starting Reception is welcomed by the UK Government and signposted from the Best Start in Life website. It is already being widely used by local authorities, schools and early childhood settings across England.
This definition was created collaboratively by
Following the launch of Starting Reception, we responded to feedback for more support around areas of early childhood development – potty training and developing good oral health habits.
In response to this, the coalition – along with experts in bowel and bladder health and oral health – created መምርሒ ስልጠና ባዞ and The Children’s Toothbrushing Guide.
Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, said:
"This new resource will be a vital tool for parents as they navigate the myriad information out there to support their child’s early development, and it’s brilliant to see Kindred Squared and the wider sector coming together on something so central to children’s life chances."
