The City of York Potty Training Pilot 2026
A partnership approach to school readiness that saw a 42% reduction in the proportion of children starting Reception not fully toilet trained.
In 2026, Kindred² funded an eight-month pilot programme led by City of York Council in partnership with Ebor Academy Trust, exploring how a coordinated, city-wide approach could help more children start school confidently and independently.
Using The Potty Training Guide, developed by the Learners from Birth coalition, the pilot brought together schools, nurseries, childminders, health professionals and community organisations to provide families with consistent advice, practical resources and additional support.
The results were encouraging. The proportion of children starting Reception not fully toilet trained fell by 42% compared with the previous year, highlighting the potential of a joined-up approach to improving school readiness.
Why potty training matters
Starting school is a major milestone for children and families. Being able to use the toilet independently, where developmentally appropriate, helps children feel confident, participate in classroom activities and make the most of their first experiences of school.
Since 2020, Kindred²'s annual School Readiness Reports have highlighted concerns about the number of children starting Reception without the skills they need to thrive.
Our 2025 research found that 26% of children were starting Reception not fully toilet trained, with teachers reporting that, on average, the equivalent of a day a week of teaching time was being lost to managing toileting needs.
To help address this challenge, Kindred² brought together a coalition of early years organisations and experts to agree a shared definition of the skills children need to start Reception with confidence.
Building on this work, the Learners from Birth coalition launched The Potty Training Guide in December 2025, providing families with clear, practical advice on when and how to begin potty training.
A city-wide approach to supporting families
The City of York pilot tested what could be achieved when families received the same trusted information and practical support from the services and professionals they encountered in everyday life.
The programme combined universal access to The Potty Training Guide with targeted communications, practitioner training and additional support for families.
Activities included:
- Reaching families across the city: The Potty Training Guide was distributed through schools, nurseries, childminders, libraries, Best Start Family Hubs, GP surgeries, pharmacies and community partners.
- Supporting the transition to school: Approximately 1,700 families received The Potty Training Guide and Starting Reception resources alongside their primary school place offer letters in April 2026.
- Training practitioners: Teachers, nursery staff, childminders and other early years professionals received training to help them support families with potty training.
- Providing additional family support: Drop-in sessions and workshops offered parents and carers practical advice and opportunities to ask questions.
- Running a coordinated communications campaign: Posters, postcards, digital resources and local advertising helped raise awareness and reinforce consistent messages across the city.
By working together, local partners were able to reach families through multiple trusted channels, making information and support more accessible.
DfE Minister for Early Education, Paul Waugh, said: "Toilet training can be one of the biggest milestones in a child's early years, so it's encouraging to see this pilot helping more children develop the confidence and independence they need before starting school.
When children are supported to take these important steps early, it can make a real difference to how they settle in, make friends and start learning. It's great to see the positive impact this support is having for children, parents and teachers."
Cllr Bob Webb, City of York Council’s Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: “The results show the significant impact the campaign has had in York. But behind each data set are real success stories: a toilet-trained child who feels confident amongst their classmates; pupils who can get the best learning experiences from their school day; and teaching staff who can focus on teaching.
I’d like to thank parents and carers across the city who have supported the campaign, as well as schools and childcare and health professionals who have helped families at every step of the way. This really has been a citywide effort, and I’m delighted that we’ve been able to work with Kindred Squared to make a real difference to children in York.”
Gail Brown, CEO, Ebor Academy Trust, said: "We really are seeing the difference in the classroom, with all our reception children and dedicated staff able to spend far more time on the reception curriculum, providing the very best learning environment for our youngest children to flourish in. The new, improved ways of working across all our schools in our city have been brilliant and ensured families have consistent messaging and information to support their children to make the best start to school possible.”
Felicity Gillespie, Chief Executive, Kindred Squared, said: “These impressive results are making such a huge difference. We know from our annual school readiness surveys that, on average, teachers have been losing the equivalent of a day a week of teaching time helping children who are not able to go to the toilet themselves. We also know parents and carers have been calling for clear and concise advice, and this just shows that when the best resources are really targeted, everyone benefits. No wonder dozens of other councils are now showing interest in repeating York’s pioneering project around the country.”
The results: 42% fewer children starting school not fully toilet trained
Comparing Reception intake data from September 2025 and September 2026, the pilot recorded a 42% reduction in the proportion of children who were not fully toilet trained when they started school.
This represented a fall from around one in nine children in 2025 to around one in sixteen in 2026.
The findings offer encouraging early evidence of what can be achieved when local services take a coordinated approach to supporting families.
As a time-limited pilot, the programme was designed to test and learn rather than provide a fully validated delivery model. Further implementation and evaluation will help establish which elements are most effective and how the approach can be adapted for other areas.
Sharing the learning nationally
Following the pilot, Kindred² has developed a Local Authority Implementation Guide, capturing the practical steps taken in York, the lessons learned and the resources developed through the programme.
The guide is designed to help other local authorities explore how a similar partnership approach could work in their communities.
It includes learning on programme planning, working with local partners, communications, practitioner training, family engagement and measuring impact.
The approach will continue to evolve as further evidence emerges from York and other local areas.
Explore the York pilot and access the Local Authority Implementation Guide.
The pilot in the news
The City of York Potty Training Pilot attracted national media attention, with the BBC leading coverage of both the launch of the programme and its subsequent results.
Our partners
Kindred² would like to thank City of York Council, Ebor Academy Trust and the many early years, health and community partners whose collaboration made the pilot possible.
We also thank the Learners from Birth coalition for their contribution to the development of The Potty Training Guide, which provided the foundation for this programme.