City play sessions help children get 'school ready'
BBCFamilies in Peterborough are being invited to free baby and toddler groups as part of bid to ensure children are "school ready".
The city council is spending £35,000 on playgroups and online resources to help more children become developmentally prepared for the classroom.
Leader Shabina Asad Qayyum said: "We have seen a generation of young children, babies up until toddler age who were just not prepared for school," adding that some were "still in nappies".
Last year, 65% of children in Peterborough reached a good level of development by the end of the Reception year, compared with 67.7% nationally.
The government's ambition is for 75% of children nationally to reach that standard.
Among the parents at one messy play session was Maysun, 37, who said she was impressed by her 17-month-old daughter Nusaybah's confidence.
The little girl has been getting to grips with mud castles, digging in shaving foam and using pipettes to squirt water mixed with chia seeds.
"She's really surprised me of how comfortable she's got, pretty much straight away," Maysun said.
"She's done really well here and I really think it's because of the environment, it's quite relaxed."
The messy play session has a more serious message, too.
There are concerns that too many children are starting school without some of the communication, social and self-care skills expected by age five.
Skills linked to school readiness include communicating needs, following simple instructions, getting dressed independently, using cutlery and managing toileting without help.
Robyn Macklin, one of the group's organisers, said messy play helped with the "big change" of going to school.
"You're basically building the foundations so they can adapt and move up in school," she said.
Macklin helped to set up several stations where children could explore different textures to find hidden objects - or just get their hands dirty.
She said messy play introduced children to new experiences, while also helping them learn routines such as sharing, taking turns and tidying up afterwards.
"It's really important that you have those little implements of structure which they will soon later learn in school," she said.
Lindsay Roberts, Peterborough secretary at the teaching union NASUWT, said she supported the scheme.
"We welcome any initiative that supports children's transition to school and allows our members to do the job they are trained for," she said.
"Teachers should teach, not toilet."
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