Is this normal and/or allowed? Preschool and nappies

[HueyBleeler]

My DD turned 3 yesterday making her the absolute youngest in her year group. She is starting preschool on Monday. Today we went for a familiarisation visit at the preschool which is attached to older DD’s primary. DD did a poo while we were there and I needed to change her. The preschool teacher got very funny at this point and asked why she was wearing a pull up. I was a bit WTF but then she said that they don’t take children at preschool unless they are fully potty trained so she wasn’t sure DD would be able to come on Monday unless we could train her between now and then. I had absolutely no idea about this stipulation. I’ve rechecked their website and all of their literature and there’s nothing in there about it. There was nothing in the information evening. I’ve never heard of a preschool with this requirement! Is this even allowed? What if she had some medical reason for not being trained? IMO she’s nowhere near ready. V different to older DD who was done and dusted at 2y3m. In a total panic now about preschool on Monday.

Such discrimination against certain children on the basus of their mastery of toileting is illegal. If schools / nurseries do not require parents to come in to interpret for deaf children, or push a physically disabled child’s wheelchair, or teach a child with dyslexia their letters, then they cannot ask a parent to change a child who is not yet toilet trained.

Whether it takes time away from other children is irrelevant - and I would argue, much less time than changing a child who has multiple accidents - as the child has a legal right to the same access to nursery / pre-school education on the same terms as their peers, without any assumption that a (potentially working) parent must be available for changes.

Wether the parent works or not is irrelevant the ERIC guidelines would suggest l its negligent.

And illegal.

Yep totally.

I'm quite glad the children in my son's class are lovely and don't even notice his pull up!

I'm so was nearly 4 before he was potty trained! I tried and tried and he just wasn't ready. When he was he was dry day and night. He was able to go to school in a nappy but if he needed it changing I would have to go in and change him. He was only part time then so tbh this didn't happen. Maybe speak to the school again and explain the situation (again) and see if they can come up with something. Hope it's sorted

My daughter is 3y6m and started in a state school nursery this year in nappies. She is one of three in the class and just isn't ready. They ask she wears pull ups instead of normal nappies we use at home and that's fine and they change her up to 3 times a day during breaks. It doesn't affect her or her classmates learning. What they can't help with is supporting potty training which makes it difficult to get out of nappies still for the next few months until we have a longer time at home