As the deadline for primary school applications draws near, our Delivery Officer, Catrin Doe, was published on SSAT suggesting numerous ways in which schools can help ease the transition. She begins:“In May 2016, school leaders service The Key released their annual State of Education report. One of their findings grabbed headlines. After surveying 1,188 primary school leaders, they found that 31% agreed more than half of pupils are not “ready for school” when they make the transition into primary.Over 50% of the primary school leaders surveyed said that children were under-prepared, arriving with reading, writing and numerical levels below the standard they would expect. They were also displaying poor resilience, social skills and personal hygiene.Clearly, this is a significant problem. But how to target pupils before they’ve even began school? In 2003, Professor Charles Desforges at the University of Exeter published a paper on parental involvement. He found that parental involvement in the form of ‘at-home good parenting’ has a significant positive effect on children’s achievement and adjustment, even after all other factors shaping attainment have been taken out of the equation.’You can read the full article here: https://www.ssatuk.co.uk/blog/supporting-transition-into-primary-school/