Potty Training Pilot in York Cuts Number of Untrained Pupils by 43%, Prompting National Rollout

A city-wide experiment aimed at helping parents toilet-train their children before they begin school has produced striking results, and its approach is now set to be adopted in 20 local authority areas across England.

The pilot scheme in York targeted families whose children were due to start reception classes, providing potty training guides alongside primary school offers, workshops for parents, and specialised training for early years staff. Data gathered from all 55 mainstream primary schools in the city, shared exclusively with BBC News, shows a 43% reduction since last year in the number of children who arrived at school not fully toilet-trained.

In September last year, 148 out of 1,364 reception pupils in York — roughly 11% — were recorded as lacking full toilet training. This year, the figure dropped to 85 out of 1,374 pupils, or about 6%. The government described the pilot's results as encouraging and reaffirmed its commitment to having 75% of pupils reach a good level of development by the end of their first year in school by 2028.

Since April, families across York have been reached through GP surgeries, pharmacies, family hubs, schools and nurseries. The campaign offered information and support on how to prepare children for using the toilet independently before they start school, with exceptions made for those with medical issues or special educational needs.

Potty training guides were sent to every household in the city with a child starting reception in September. The ambition was straightforward: that as many children as possible would be able to manage their own toileting by the time they walked through the school gates, reducing the burden on teaching staff and helping pupils settle more quickly into classroom life.

Two mothers whose daughters are due to start reception next year, Natalie and Lucy, both welcomed the additional support available in their community. Lucy said she had spotted drop-in sessions on potty training at her local children's centre and considered it a really good idea. She said it was important that children are better prepared for that part of starting school.

Natalie said getting her daughter Freya ready in time for school had been a priority, though she acknowledged the pressure parents often feel. She noted that school is difficult enough for young children as it is, and that she wanted Freya to be confident enough to use the toilet independently, without relying on teachers who already have many children to look after.

She suggested that the widespread use of disposable nappies may be one reason parents sometimes delay potty training. When she was young, terry towelling nappies had to be washed and hung out to dry, which she believes made the process feel more urgent, whereas disposables make it easier to postpone.

The issue extends well beyond York. According to the latest research from the children's charity Kindred Squared, around one in four children in England and Wales started school last year without being fully toilet-trained. Teachers reported spending more than an hour each day changing nappies, time that would otherwise be devoted to teaching.

The charity Kindred Squared developed the model York has been using, and its wider adoption reflects growing concern about school readiness. Twenty local authorities across England have now signed up to launch similar schemes, using York's approach to encourage earlier potty training.

Jo Mould, a reception teacher at Robert Wilkinson Primary Academy in York, said she has seen a marked improvement in pupils' readiness this year. She said her class had spent more time learning in the first three weeks of term than in previous years, and that the children arrived ready to learn because they were more settled and regulated both socially and emotionally. She described it as a very positive start to the school year.

The ability to listen to and follow instructions is another skill that helps pupils make the most of learning in reception, and teachers say toilet training is closely linked to that broader readiness. Children who are comfortable managing their own needs tend to be more independent and less anxious in an unfamiliar school environment.

York councillor Bob Webb said the impact of the scheme had been overwhelmingly positive for schools and families alike. But he also acknowledged a possible gap in support for parents between the time they see health visitors when their child is a toddler and the moment that child arrives at school.

He said the key to the programme's success lay in collaboration between health visitors, schools and other community settings. Even so, he added that there is always more that could be done at an earlier age to help families establish routines before the school years begin.

The York results offer a rare piece of positive evidence in a policy area that has worried educators for years. If the 20 local authorities now adopting the model achieve anything close to the city's 43% reduction, the national picture could shift meaningfully, giving teachers more classroom time and helping more children start school confident and independent.