A DARLINGTON headteacher has backed Government calls for parenting classes after seeing a rise in children who are not ‘school ready’.

This week, former Darlington MP Alan Milburn expressed shock at the number of children who start school unable to put on their coat or go to the toilet.

Figures showed just 26 per cent of the poorest pupils – and 48 per cent from wealthier backgrounds – were school ready at the age of five.

Darlington headteacher Chris Metcalfe is now backing Mr Milburn’s call for parenting classes at school.

Parenting classes at Cockerton Church of England Primary School were launched more than ten years ago in a bid to help children perform better, whether through assistance with school work or with more basic skills like using the toilet, bonding with peers or eating at a table.

Recent years have seen an increase in need, with Mr Metcalfe and his team seeing more children than ever struggling to be school ready.

He said: “Maybe because we are close to an area of deprivation, we see children coming into school from very diverse starting points.

“A lot of children can’t do their coats up but that’s normal at their age. We offer support around toileting for some children and in being able to eat in a social setting and at a table.

“For some children, that’s not a normal thing to do and for others, their parents work and sometimes can’t offer a sit down meal.

“It appears our support is needed more than before and I don’t know why – perhaps there’s been an absence of support for parents in the past.”

The school’s parenting classes have helped hundreds of children achieve their potential while strengthening relationships between staff and families.

The classes offer general workshops and activities where families are encouraged to take an active part in their children’s learning while more targeted support is offered to individual families around a child’s specific needs.

Mr Metcalfe said: “There’s a view that parents should be responsible for home and school just for education but we need to work with families to make sure children can achieve and become successful young people with high aspirations.

“It’s a fact that some children don’t get a lot of support at home and I’d say to other schools, get over that and do something about it.”