Families, carers, education settings and communities are being asked for their thoughts on laying the right foundations so Dorset’s children have the best opportunities to thrive.
Through an online survey, Dorset Council wants people to think about the skills pre-school age children need to learn so they are ready socially, physically and intellectually to start school.
One of the main aims of the survey is to prioritise a set of statements showing what are considered to be the most important skills and knowledge children need when they enter school.
Councillor Andrew Parry, Portfolio Holder for Children, Education, Skills and Early Help, said: ‘’We all have a role to play in giving children the best start, so we want to hear from people from all walks of life on what they think children should be able to do before they go to school.
“This consultation will bring together views and help us define how we want children to thrive and be ready for school. It will also help us to ensure we have the right services to meet the needs of children at this crucial stage of their development.’’
The council also wants to use feedback gained through the survey to help it better define what is meant by the term ‘school readiness’.
Traditionally, ‘school readiness’ is the term given to describe how ready children are socially, physically and intellectually ready to start school, usually in their reception year, aged 4 turning 5 years old.
Theresa Leavy, Executive Director of Children’s Services for Dorset Council, said: “We believe ‘ready to thrive’ better describes a child’s whole journey pre-birth until they are 5 years old and this would sit alongside the term ‘school readiness’.
‘’We don’t think talking to expectant families about school readiness is necessarily appropriate language at that stage, although we know that we need a baby to grow and develop well in order to be ready for school. So we think the term ‘ready to thrive’ better describes this growth and development.
“School readiness’ will describe the skills and knowledge that we believe children need when they enter school, at that moment in time”.
All responses will be anonymous unless you choose to provide your email address to be part of future conversations.
The deadline for the survey (which will take approximately 15 minutes to complete) is 31 March.
All views and opinions will be collated to help Dorset Council produce a clear definition that can then be widely shared.
Take part
