One in four children starting reception are not toilet trained and the same proportion cannot eat independently, a new survey suggests. An annual poll of 1,000 primary school teachers found a rise in children failing to master the basic skills they need for school. The worst-affected area was the North East, where 36 per cent of school-starters were not toilet trained. The researchers also surveyed 1,000 parents, with 22 per cent saying they did not think a child needs to be toilet trained by the time they start reception. However, the teacher poll found 37 per cent children are starting reception not school ready, up from 33 per cent in 2024.

Source: Daily Mail January 22, 2026 08:07 UTC