New nursery expects all potential pupils be potty trained, even the 2 year olds.

[FundraisingPTABitch]

That's it really. I'm new to this part of town, and so is this nursery.

When I enquired with the admin about this policy, they said every potential pupil must be potty trained.

AIBU to think this nursery can just fuck off? I will potty train my little child when both the child and I are both ready.

Ludicrous. Irresponsible! Elitist!

Or older in fact.

Some of the children they would be refusing to take would be disabled. Ofsted would not be happy with a nursery having it as a policy.

If the nursery is receiving government funding (which it will be) then the EYFS framework is statutory:

3.60: Providers must ensure there is an adequate number of toilets and hand basins available. Except in childminding settings, there should usually be separate toilet facilities for adults. Providers must ensure there are suitable hygienic changing facilities for changing any children who are in nappies and providers should ensure that an adequate supply of clean bedding, towels, spare clothes and any other necessary items is always available."

An Ofsted inspection will pick this up.

It's also illegal - against the Disability Discrimination Act

Yanbu. Is this some sneaky way of almost guaranteeing they can exclude 2yrs olds? Something to do with the new funding?

Most children are trained between the ages of 2 and 3. There's a lot of difference between a 2 years and 1 week old and a 2 years and 51 week old.

If you aren't happy with their rules, don't send your child there.

That said, I would want any childcare setting dealing with pre-schoolers to be able to cope with accidents and to be willing to clean up and change clothing, as appropriate.

I'm glad to hear this isn't allowed, it is clearly discriminatory to children with additional needs. Does anyone know how the op can report the nursery? Would Ofsted be interested?

Mine had to be potty trained - but they went at three. I think it is quite a reasonable policy for a nursery taking kids from 3 upwards.

I always thought there were exceptions for SEN kids. I knew a couple were in nappies at school and had to be changed by the TA.

Many children with additional needs won't have been diagnosed at 2 or 3 (or 4 or 5) years old.

The 'exceptions' policy doesnt work though as at 2 or 3 children with additional needs may not have a diagnosis on record yet.

The way you say 'pupils' suggests this is a nursery attached to an independent school, rather than a private day care provider.
In which case this restriction is normal. All the independent schools I've seen insist upon potty-training for the kindergarten.

Children train at two. If there are additional needs then it's likely to be later, yes.

Do they mean that children must be potty-trained already or that children starting the nursery will be potty-trained with immediate effect ?

Both mine started nursery the day after their 2nd birthdays, and by the end of the second day for each of them, the nursery asked me to provide pants. I was a bit until they told me that having seen the small loos, my DC were desperate to use them like the big children and that they were struggling to pull nappies up and down. We had a couple of weeks of lots of accidents with DC1, but only 2 accidents on the first day with DC2 and he's had maybe half a dozen in total (nearly 4 now). Our nursery is definitely not a pushy one but they do now ask all parents to provide underwear as well as nappies if used, so that the DC can decide when they're ready. They still have some 4yos in pull-ups though.

I always thought there were exceptions for SEN kids.

There is however due to being unable to state at that age whether not being potty trained could be due to a developmental delay or a later diagnosed SN there is a ban on a blanket policy of having to be potty trained. Op ask for a copy of their inclusion policy and report them to Ofsted.

This is not inclusive practice. It would ring alarm bells for me. It demonstrates that the nursery is not 'meeting the needs of individual children.' Ofsted speak ...

That's ridiculous. None of my children were trained at that age. DS3 was 3y 10m, DS1 and DS2 were both 4.

It's odd, though, that nurseries and pre-schools can demand this if they wish but schools accept children who aren't toilet trained yet. I know that by the time a child starts school they'll probably be toilet trained unless there are specific issues or additional needs, but if schools can't discriminate why on earth can nurseries?

Both of mine trained early, but DS2 (almost 5, started school in September) has a friend who is still in nappies. No additional needs, he's simply not interested or ready.

Years ago dd had her name down for a nursery who moved to new premesis just before she was meant to start. They rang me up a week before her start date saying that due to the new building all kids now had to be potty trained. Dd was 2yo and nowhere near ready, certainly not do'able in a week.

They also said they wouldn't sort accidents and would ring parents to come and sort accidents. Which seeing as I worked was impossible.

So I had a week to find a new nursery.

Dd had spina bifida and we'd been told by the Drs that we wouldn't know if her bladder nerves were affected until she was old enough to potty train. So it wasn't going to be something I pushed u til she showed an interest. And the nursery wouldn't even make an exception for her.

Most kids can be trained before they are 2, but that doesn't mean all kids should be. Most urologists these days recommend waiting until the child shows an interest, as teaching a child who isn't ready can result in withholding defecation and incomplete bladder emptying with an associated increased risk of urinary tract infections. So of course some children are ready at 18months (a small number), some won't be ready until well over three and most will be ready at some point in between. Now the data isn't entirely clear here- it may be poor training techniques rather than early training that causes problems. The jury is also out on whether elimination communication is a good idea or not for similar reasons. (My DD has a very high risk of UTIs due to a congenital kidney abnormality so I've done a lot of reading, and discussed it with a few urologists).

In was a nursery nurse for years and in my experience lots of children were out of nappies at two. However, I wouldn't call them potty trained, they were just children whose parents made a half arsed attempt at training then stopped putting nappies on them claiming that they'd cracked it. Poor child may wet themselves 3/4 times a day. Some get it earlier than others but some take just that little bit longer.

I guess a private nursery can have whatever criteria it wants. If the criteria are unsuitable for a lot of children they would lose money. I would have thought that as childcare for 2 year olds isn't obligatory in the way that school is then the rules would be different.

No, private nurseries are covered by the same laws as any other business or service.

Okay I will spell it out. It's illegal to discriminate on the grounds of ability, and that includes physical ability.

Whothef that is completely out of line that the nursery would not make an exception!
My DS was only just trained in the summer hols b4 starting school nursery but he was set back due to the change in routine. The nursery trained him to use their loos; we gave them a toddler seat to begin with. A few accidents but by Xmas he was on top of it.

It's discriminatory but there isn't a disability discrimination act any more. It's covered by the Equality Act 2010.