Why are so many four-year-olds not potty-trained before school?

Filed by Dirk Danger

A survey by Kindred Squared found nearly a third of children starting school in the West Midlands last year were not fully toilet-trained, with 42% of reception arrivals deemed not school-ready by staff. A pilot potty-training scheme in York cut the number of non-toilet-trained reception starters by almost half, and the program is now expanding to Solihull. Early years specialists caution against blaming parents, citing factors such as income, underlying health issues, and limited access to support, while teachers report children arriving with broader needs and schools requiring more resources.