What is school readiness?
Find out what we mean by school readiness
Children have the potential to become school ready when families, early years providers and schools work together to support the development of children’s confidence, resilience and curiosity.
These are some of the characteristics of school readiness:
- Self-regulation
- Sensory processing
- Receptive language (understanding)
- Expressive language (talking)
- Articulation
- Executive functioning
- Emotional development/regulation
- Social skills
- Planning/sequencing
The Early Years team has developed a comprehensive toolkit of resources to support busy leaders and practitioners in early years settings and schools. The toolkit can be accessed via our dedicated website on an annual subscription basis.
School readiness newsletters
The home learning environment
- The home learning environment
- How to prepare your child for school - BBC Tiny Happy People
- 50 Things to Do Before You're Five in Oxfordshire
- Support for parents from baby to preschool | Oxfordshire County Council
- Health Visiting - Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Oxfordshire Family Information Service
- Support groups for parents of disabled children
- Special educational needs and disability: The local offer
- Learning together at home
Families and communities readiness for school
- Preparing for school
- Road to school (PDF)
- Being school-ready (PACEY website)
- Primary admissions guidance
- Libraries
- BookList (oxfordshire.gov.uk)
- 100 best books for children
Settings and schools readiness for children
- Early Years Foundation Stage Transition Pack | Oxfordshire County Council
- Home matters: making the most of the home learning environment (ncb.org.uk)
- Good attendance in an Early Years setting poster
- Promoting Inclusion – Supporting the personal development of young children
- Working with Parents to Support Children's Learning
- Improving the home learning environment
Research and information
Links to other services
Health
- Linking with your health visiting team and the health and development review
- 2-2 ½ year integrated process for Early Years settings (oxfordshire.gov.uk)
- Children’s Integrated Therapies – Oxfordshire - Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Early years toolkit | Oxfordshire County Council
- Family Information Service | Practitioner Toolkit (oxfordshire.gov.uk)
- Community around the setting (pdf format, 404 KB)
- Oxfordshire school readiness and lifelong learning strategic plan (pdf format, 1Mb)