Preschool saying my son has to toilet trained otherwise he can't start there

[Shark85]

My son (3 years) is due to start pre-school in Sep.

He does most of his wees in the loo, but absolutely is terrified of doing poos in the loo. He asks for a nappy and then goes to the loo and is happy to stand next to the loo to do it. But he won't sit on it without going crazy.

The preschool is ofsted registered and is says in the contract that they can refuse to let him go if he isn't toilet trained. Is that actually allowed? He's only just turned 3, and they take them from 2.5. I mean - surely there are lots of 2.5 years old who aren't toilet trained? I am looking on ofsted website but can't find anything.

[Yaleamanda]

No, they cannot do that !

[CheshireMama]

My daughters preschool said they wanted them to be out of nappies when they started & they all were. But accidents were commonly & dealt with by the staff. Please don’t worry. Does your son have any issues with bowel movements or is it just a preference to poo in a nappy? You will need to talk to the school and explain the situation. It should be a good prompt for you to try and crack the poo habits though. Peer pressure should help as they love to copy their friends - but lots of resources on Eric website ahead of school starting. Good luck!

[Guod20]

They cannot refuse a child if not toilet trained as you can challenge this on two fronts:

1) it may be a medical issue (which a GP note would support)

2) the UN Children’s Rights Charter clearly states that every child has a right to education, free of prejudice.

I’d be surprised if their own contracts were in contravention of international law!

[FranAdam]

It is actually illegal to refuse a child education on the grounds of continence. I would talk to ofsted about it.

[Melody3]

WTF! Just NO!!!!! They cannot refuse a child that’s in nappies.

[14crosstitch14]

Have you tried, the toilet song a book. I did a toilet game with my 2 girls useing toy dolls and bears. Colour some paper and chop it in different shapes, put in the potty with a bear/ doll. Hope that helps

[ERIC-Charity Partner]

Hi Shark85 Have you looked at our Help at School Section? There's guidance on exactly this situation: eric.org.uk/help-at-school-... contact our Helpline if you need more advice, best wishes ERIC