York Potty Training Pilot Sees Sharp Rise in School-Ready Children, as 20 More Councils Sign Up

A city-wide campaign to help parents potty-train their children before they start school has produced a marked improvement in school readiness, according to figures shared exclusively with the BBC. The pilot, run across York, involved sending potty training guides to families alongside their first school offers, as well as running workshops for parents and providing specialist training for early years staff. Officials say the results are strong enough to justify expanding the approach elsewhere in England.

The data from York's 55 mainstream primary schools shows that the proportion of children arriving in reception class without being fully toilet-trained fell sharply compared with the previous year. Last September, 148 out of 1,364 reception pupils — roughly 11% — were recorded as not toilet-trained when they began school. This year, that figure dropped to 85 out of 1,374 pupils, or about 6%. That represents a 43% reduction in the number of children starting school without full toilet training.

The scheme has been running since April, with information and support reaching families through a wide range of everyday settings, including GP surgeries, pharmacies, family hubs, schools and nurseries. The aim was for every child starting reception in September to be able to use the toilet independently, with exceptions made for children with medical issues or special educational needs. Guides were distributed to all families across the city who had a child beginning reception this autumn.

Parents in York have welcomed the additional help. Natalie and Lucy, both of whom have daughters starting reception next year, said the support had been valuable. Lucy noticed drop-in sessions on potty training at her local children's centre and described the idea as a really good one, adding that it was important for children to be better prepared for that aspect of starting school. Natalie said getting her daughter Freya toilet-trained in time for school had been a priority, though she acknowledged the pressure parents can feel.

Natalie said starting school is difficult enough for young children, and that she wanted her daughter to be confident and independent enough to use the toilet without relying on teachers who already have many children to look after. She also suggested that the popularity of disposable nappies may be one reason some parents delay potty training. When she was a child, families used terry towelling nappies that had to be washed and hung out to dry, which she believes made the process feel more urgent.

Teachers in the city have reported a noticeable difference in pupils' readiness. Jo Mould, who teaches reception at Robert Wilkinson Primary Academy in York, said she has seen an improvement this year. She said staff had spent more time teaching in the first three weeks of term than in previous years, because the children arrived more settled and better regulated socially and emotionally. She described it as a very positive start to the school year, with pupils ready to learn.

The ability to follow instructions and listen is another skill that helps children get the most out of reception class, and teachers say toilet training is closely linked to that broader readiness. Being able to manage toileting independently means children can focus on classroom activities rather than depending on adult support for personal care. For schools, that shift frees up staff time that would otherwise be spent changing nappies and managing accidents.

The issue is not confined to York. According to the latest research from the children's charity Kindred Squared, around one in four children started school in England and Wales last year without being fully toilet-trained. Teachers reported spending more than an hour a day changing nappies as a result. The charity developed the model used in York, and its findings have helped push the issue up the political agenda.

The government described the pilot's results as encouraging, and confirmed its commitment to 75% of pupils reaching a good level of development at the end of their first year in school by 2028. That target places school readiness, including independent toileting, at the centre of early years policy. The York pilot is now being viewed as a potential template for how local areas can intervene earlier and more effectively.

Twenty local authorities across England have now signed up to launch similar schemes based on York's approach, using the Kindred Squared model to encourage earlier potty training. The expansion means families in those areas can expect to receive information and support through health and community settings, mirroring the York campaign. The hope is that earlier intervention will reduce the number of children arriving at school without this basic skill.

York councillor Bob Webb said the impact of the scheme had been so positive for both schools and families. He acknowledged, however, that there may be a gap in support for parents between seeing health visitors when their child is a toddler and the child later arriving at school. He said the key to success was collaboration across health visitors, schools and other community settings, but added that there was always more that could be done at an earlier age.

The York results suggest that a relatively simple, coordinated approach — reaching parents through the places they already use, and giving them clear guidance at the point of school admission — can change outcomes. By linking the offer of a school place with practical advice on potty training, the pilot tackled the issue at a moment when parents are already thinking ahead to their child's next step. That timing appears to have made a difference.

For families, the message is that support is available and that starting early can ease the transition to school. For schools, the benefit is a reception class that is more settled and ready to learn, with less time diverted to personal care. For policymakers, the pilot offers evidence that targeted, low-cost intervention can move the dial on school readiness, even on an issue as everyday as potty training.

The expansion to 20 more areas will test whether York's success can be replicated elsewhere, in communities with different demographics and different pressures on early years services. If the results hold, the scheme could become a standard part of the support offered to families as their children approach school age. The coming months will show whether the early promise of the York pilot translates into lasting change across England.