Overview
- City of York ran a pilot in April 2026 that sent potty‑training leaflets to about 1,700 families and offered parent workshops plus teacher training at community sites such as libraries and GP surgeries.
- Project organisers and the charity Kindred Squared said on Monday that a September comparison of 55 mainstream primary schools found a 42% fall in the number of children starting reception who were not toilet trained.
- Teachers who took part reported spending less time changing children under safeguarding rules that require two staff, which freed adults to spend more time teaching in classrooms.
- About 20 local councils, including Suffolk, North Lincolnshire, Hampshire, Rotherham, Halton, Redbridge and Solihull, are now considering adopting the York blueprint and the minister for early education welcomed the pilot's reported impact.
- The scheme was funded and promoted by Kindred Squared and the current results come from participating schools and organisers rather than an independent national evaluation, so formal studies will be needed to confirm wider benefits if the model is scaled.