The city where primary school offers come with a toilet-training guide

Parents receiving offers for primary places in England are being reminded to help ensure their children are fully ready for school by September. The government wants 75% of children to have reached a good level of development by the time they leave reception, but teachers say an increasing number are starting reception without basic skills like being toilet-trained, or having the communication abilities they need to learn. A new government campaign aims to inform parents of the key skills to practise at home before the autumn school term begins. As part of a pilot scheme, City of York Council has sent out informational leaflets about potty-training to 1,700 families, alongside their school place offer letters. The council is also putting on parent workshops, special training for teachers and nursery staff, and putting up information in pharmacies, GP surgeries, and community hubs. The aim of the pilot is to have all children in the city potty-trained by the time they go to school in September. Jo Mould, who has been a reception teacher in the city for more than 30 years, says it's an "ambitious" target - but also a realistic one. "I think this is a really exciting opportunity," she