A report on primary school classes by Ofsted has concluded that there is no clear curriculum for reception aged children.

The study, which looked into 41 schools across the country from a varied range of areas, including Thrupp School in Gloucestershire, focused on how the reception year of primary school prepared children for Year 1.

It found that head teachers all over the country considered reception year to be a crucial period of school, which could determine the child’s life chances, and that it shouldn’t just be a “repeat of pre-school experiences”. It also found that many newly qualified teachers weren’t well prepared to teach mathematics, reading and writing, at reception level.

Ofsted recommended that primary schools should ensure that children are taught how to correctly grip a pencil and sit at a table, as well as concentrate on core subjects like maths, reading and writing. It also said that trainee teachers need to be taught a better understanding of how key reception year is to a child’s progression.