Key facts
- A potty training scheme piloted in York will be rolled out to 20 more local authorities in England.
- The initiative aims to increase the number of children who are toilet-trained before starting school.
- In York, the proportion of reception pupils not toilet-trained fell from 11% to 6% after the pilot.
- The government aims for 75% of pupils to reach a good level of development by the end of their first year in school by 2028.
A successful potty training initiative piloted in York, which saw a significant reduction in the number of children starting school without being toilet-trained, is now being expanded to 20 more local authorities across England. The scheme, developed by Kindred Squared, provides parents with guides and workshops, and offers training for early years staff.
In York, the pilot resulted in a 43% decrease in children starting reception class untrained. Last September, 11% of pupils (148 out of 1,364) were not toilet-trained, a figure that fell to 6% (85 out of 1,374) this year. This improvement has been noted by reception teacher Jo Mould, who stated that children are more ready to learn and settled when they arrive at school.
Parents like Natalie and Lucy have welcomed the additional support, with Natalie emphasizing the importance of children's independence and confidence when starting school. She suggested that the widespread use of disposable nappies might contribute to parents delaying potty training.
Councillor Bob Webb described the scheme's impact as "so positive" for both families and schools, while acknowledging a potential support gap for parents between health visitor interactions and school entry. He highlighted the success of collaboration between health visitors, schools, and community settings.
The government has set a target for 75% of pupils to reach a good level of development by the end of their first year in school by 2028, a measure that includes communication skills, physical, social, and emotional development. Early Education Minister Paul Waugh expressed encouragement for the pilot's role in fostering children's confidence and independence.