Do you remember your first day of school? Perhaps you remember the new stiff clothes and unfamiliar shoes, the special book bag or lunch box you had chosen, perhaps you can recall a sense of nervous anticipation as the big day approached? As parents and educators, we believe starting in a school setting is the beginning of a big adventure, one every child should enjoy. However, in recent years there has been increasing pressure to formalise learning in Reception classes. The imposition of pedagogically inappropriate assessment practices and intense focus on systematic synthetic phonics have reshaped the Reception year and made transition from early childhood settings to school settings increasingly difficult for many children. Since the pandemic, research suggests that growing numbers of children are less ready for school settings in terms of their socio-emotional development, speech and language and self-care (Bakopoulou, 2022; La Valle et al, 2022). We suggest that the term ‘school readiness’ needs to be rethought in the light of the societal and systemic we have seen in recent times. We have called on colleagues from different educational institutions to help us put together this text exploring what ‘school readiness’ really means and how we can support transition. Our aim is to ensure a shared understanding of school readiness, offering insights, advice and support for families and educators in early childhood settings and school settings so that every child enjoys the big adventure that awaits them and that school settings are ready to welcome them.