As children across the UK prepare to start school this September, new research commissioned by CBeebies Parenting, the BBC’s new parenting offer with expert advice, tips and activities to support parents and carers with all aspects of parenting – suggests that many parents feel overwhelmed, under-supported, and unsure about what “school readiness” really means. The nationwide survey of 3000* parents found over a third (38%) of parents admitting they don’t know what school readiness skills are.
Top-ranked skills parents think are important for starting school are speech, language and communication, going to the toilet by themselves and talking to other children
But only 5% of parents rank putting on a coat as an important skill to have for starting school
Establishing routines is the biggest cause of stress for more than a third of parents and the hardest part of getting their child ready for school
CBeebies Parenting has teamed up with special pup friend Dodge, to create a fun way to remember some of the simple things to make this big milestone easier: watch Get Ready To Go with CBeebies.
Parents do recognise the importance of their child being able to communicate independently and go to the toilet by themselves, but the survey indicates that some parents are less aware of the other skills that help make the start to school life easier. Only 5% ranked putting on a coat and shoes as an important skill, the same as holding a pencil, and 8% for sharing and playing with others.
According to the research, when it comes to finding guidance, over half (53%) of parents rely on schools for information, while 48% turn to family and friends. But support isn’t always enough, as over a third (36%) say they don’t feel they get the help they need to manage school readiness effectively. Parents are also concerned about separation anxiety (25%), their child adjusting to not having nap time (22%) and screen time (19%) as their littles ones start their education journey.
Parenting expert and clinical psychologist Dr Martha Deiros Collado says: “Starting school is huge milestone for families and CBeebies Parenting research suggests that parents need support to find clear expert advice. Being school-ready doesn’t mean your child can hold a perfect pencil grip, write their name, count to 100, or has started to read. If your child can do any of that, that’s amazing! But the foundation of school readiness is the emotional and social skills that allow them to thrive in a classroom environment. Things like being able to label their emotions, having, good social skills (like turn-taking), knowing how and when to ask for help, and having some independent skills they are proud of.
Self-care such as children being able to put their coat on independently, using the toilet and opening lunch boxes are important skills to help the transition go smoothly. They can help children feel confident, give them a sense of control, and help to reduce separation anxiety.”
The start of school also means more pressure, with 43% of parents saying that the hardest part of getting their child ready to start school is the fear of the morning rush. The logistics of managing childcare and buying uniforms also cause stress, with 8 out 10 parents feeling the pressure of the practical costs of starting school.
CBeebies Parenting is here to help
To combat stress and support parents, CBeebies Parenting is launching new resources and content to help parents across the UK support their pre-schoolers as they prepare for school, whether it’s this year or in the coming few years. As well as a wealth of expert-led resources for parents and carers, favourite CBeebies characters are on hand to help develop those skills including special pup friend Dodge creating a fun way to remember the some of the simple things to make this big milestone easier. Parents, carers and children can sing along to ‘Get Ready To Go with CBeebies’ to make the morning rush fun and a little less stressful.
Dodge is also back with a brand-new series of Dodge’s Pup School, which follows CBeebies’ favourite canine Dodge and friends on their daily adventures at pup school, where no two days are alike. At the heart of the series are the relationships between Dodge and his hilarious pup classmates. Primarily a laugh out loud comedy, each episode offers insight into the excitement of what it’s like to be at nursery or primary school. According to Dr Martha, co-watching an episode with your child can open up the conversation about school, give your child permission to ask questions, and allow them to talk through any worries, fears, or exciting things they are looking forward to.
Senior Head of Commissioning for CBeebies at BBC Children’s and Education, Kate Morton says: “We know parents are feeling the strain of starting school and the morning rush is a big pressure point, so our favourite pup Dodge has created a song to help make getting ready to go to school a little bit easier and more fun every morning. As little ones settle into their classroom routines over the next few weeks, we have plenty of their favourite CBeebies friends to get them prepared and excited for school. And lots of expert advice, tips and resources to help parents with the practical and emotional elements of this big change.”
More new CBeebies Parenting content to help parents and children prepare for school can be found in the Starting School Collection and new episodes of the CBeebies Parenting Helpline podcast, fronted by celebrity mums Holly Hagan-Blyth and Charlie Hedges with an expert guest each episode. The next batch of episodes features topics to help parents prepare for school readiness such as potty training, language development and fussy eating. The new episodes are available on BBC Sounds and iPlayer now.
CBeebies is also home to a variety of content to help with school readiness, across family favourites such as Hey Duggee, Bluey, Bing, Playtime Towers and Time for School. From learning to brush your teeth independently with Duggee, to helping learn about spending time away from parents in Time for School and learning how to share toys and express feelings with Bing – some of CBeebies most well-loved friends are on board to help little ones as they prepare to start school. All of this content is readily available as a collection on the CBeebies Parenting website and BBC iPlayer now.
Dodge’s Pup School series 2 is on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer from 8 September and new episodes from Hey Duggee series 5 start on CBeebies and iPlayer from 15 September.
*The survey of 3000 parents of children aged 0-6 was conducted by Survation for CBeebies Parenting in May 2025.
More advice from Dr Martha is available on CBeebies Parenting.
CBeebies Parenting can be found www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/parenting and on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds.
Parents and carers can join the CBeebies Parenting WhatsApp channel for the latest information and updates.
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