Knowing when to start toilet training and how to go about it can be daunting for parents, especially when a child has additional needs. It’s important for early years professionals to be able to support families appropriately, but also to have policies and procedures in place for their settings.
See our guidance on managing children's personal care and supporting self-care in Lambeth settings and schools (PDF 221KB)
ERIC has created a free potty training package to support and enable early years professionals to work together with families.
The package includes a toilet training policy, toilet training flowchart, healthy bladder and bowel assessment, toilet training record and many other user-friendly resources.
Toilet training and children starting primary school
There are a high number of children starting primary school who are not toilet trained. It is important that schools are aware that they are not allowed to turn children away or delay admission due to continence difficulties.
Schools should work collaboratively with parents to address and support any child that may need toilet training so that less disruption is caused during the school day.
Schools should also ensure that staff are provided with clear guidance on how to deal with both toileting incidents and the rising number of continence problems, so that they know what is expected of them.
Bladder and Bowel UK and ERIC have teamed up to offer practical information for education settings on bladder and bowel issues as well as toileting in schools.
Topics cover:
- how to promote good bladder and bowel health in schools
- hygiene standards
- managing incontinence in schools
- national legislation for the UK
- safeguarding
- continence policy and care plans.
Read more about managing bladder and bowel issues in nurseries, schools and colleges.