Why are so many four-year-olds not potty-trained before school?
A third of school starters in the West Midlands last year were not toilet-trained, a survey suggests.
By BBC News
Almost a third of children starting school in the West Midlands last year were not fully toilet-trained, according to a survey by children’s charity Kindred Squared.
The findings also suggested that 42% of children arriving in reception in the region were considered not to be school-ready by primary school staff.
Kindred Squared said the West Midlands had experienced one of the biggest declines in school readiness in the country. Teachers reported that more children were arriving at school without basic skills, including being able to use the toilet independently.
The charity’s wider research found that around one in four children starting reception in England and Wales last year were not fully toilet-trained. Teachers said they were spending more than an hour a day changing nappies or helping children who had not yet mastered toileting.
The survey also pointed to pressure on families, with some parents saying they did not have enough time to focus on potty training.
A separate initiative in York offered parents potty-training guidance alongside primary school offers. Results from the scheme suggested that the number of children starting reception unable to use the toilet independently fell by almost half.
The scheme is now due to be extended to more areas of England, with councils considering similar support for families before children begin school.