One in four children still in nappies on first day of school as potty training scheme rolls out to 20 more councils

From the Newshound archive · first published 6 October 2026 · last updated 7 October 2026.

A York pilot that reduced reception-age children arriving without toilet training by 42 per cent is being rolled out to at least 20 councils across England; guidance leaflets will accompany school place offer letters sent to families. Teachers have warned that nappy-changing duties — requiring two staff per child for safeguarding reasons — are costing the equivalent of a full day's teaching time each week. Kindred Squared, the charity that funded the York scheme, says parents want clear, practical guidance rather than blame.

The York pilot reached 1,700 families; untrained children dropped from 148 to 85 in a single year.

Councils including Hounslow, Rotherham, Hampshire and North Yorkshire are among those set to adopt the scheme.

Jo Mould, a teacher at Robert Wilkinson Primary Academy, said the scheme's biggest impact was 'we don't have to spend so much time changing children now.'