(Image: City of York Council)
THE number of children starting school in York without being toilet-trained has almost halved in just one year.
City of York Council said the news follows a citywide campaign in partnership with national charitable foundation Kindred Squared, which aimed to support families in preparing children for Reception in September.
A council spokesperson said the scheme formed part of York’s Best Start in Life programme and brought together schools, health professionals, early years providers, and community partners to set clear, citywide expectations for school readiness.
Councillor Bob Webb, executive member for children, young people and education at City of York Council, said: "These results show the positive 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 for supporting the campaign.
"As well as the schools, 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 and partners to make a real difference to children in York."
Last year, 148 out of 1,364 Reception pupils in York were not fully toilet trained, the council said.
This year, that number fell to 85 out of 1,374—a 42 per cent reduction.
'This just shows that when the whole community gets behind a single, targeted message, it can really work well'
The campaign was officially launched in April, with support from GPs, pharmacies, schools and charities, the council said.
Around 1,700 families received copies of The Potty-Training Guide and a Starting Reception leaflet with their school offer letters.
A range of resources was distributed to 56 pharmacies, 11 GP surgeries, and six community hubs across York.
Drop-in sessions were held at locations including Clifton SEND Central, Hobmoor Primary School, Headlands Primary School, and various family hubs.
Parents said the campaign provided a clear, unified message about school readiness, and many reported feeling empowered after attending the sessions.
Felicity Gillespie, chief executive of 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.
"This just shows that when the whole community gets behind a single, targeted message, it can really work well."
Gail Brown, CEO of 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."