Growing Number of Young Children Entering School Lacking Basic Toilet Skills

A notable portion of children beginning their school journey are not yet fully toilet-trained, presenting a significant challenge for parents, educators, and the children themselves. In the West Midlands last year, nearly a third of children entering school were not proficient in using the toilet independently, according to a survey by the charity Kindred Squared. Furthermore, 42% of these reception-aged children were considered not ready for school by primary school staff.

To address this issue, Kindred Squared has launched a potty-training scheme that will be implemented in Solihull, offering resources and support to nurseries, schools, and professionals. A pilot program in York, initiated in April, provided parents with potty-training and school readiness guides alongside their children's school placement offers. This initiative included workshops, distributed resources, and offered support through various community channels such as GPs, pharmacies, and libraries. The pilot saw a near halving in the number of children starting reception who were not toilet-trained.

Parents often face considerable difficulty in toilet training, which can be exacerbated by a lack of accessible support. One mother, a teacher herself, described the challenge of trying to toilet-train her son who experienced issues with withholding stools. She noted that informed parents can still struggle, emphasizing that the difficulty is not due to parental laziness but rather the effort and complexities involved. Her son did not receive funded support until he was in his second year of primary school, despite early difficulties that may have been linked to developmental aspects.

Experts suggest that underlying issues can contribute to toilet-training difficulties. Health visitors and children's nurses point out that repeated accidents can stem from a child's fear of the toilet, leading to constipation. They advocate for investigating the root causes of these struggles rather than assuming a lack of parental effort. Trauma, embarrassment, or negative reactions to accidents can also play a role in a child's hesitation or difficulty with toilet training.

Inequalities in school readiness are also linked to socioeconomic factors. Access to information and resources, such as parenting books, can be limited for families on lower incomes. Some early years professionals suggest that free toilet-training resources could be provided to families when children reach two years old. Public services are considered essential, particularly for families who cannot afford private support, to ensure timely and consistent assistance before difficulties become deeply entrenched. Factors such as financial stress, parental anxiety, limited play opportunities, and difficulties accessing early years provision can all make the process of preparing for school more challenging.