Is there an age threshold where boys and girls need seperate areas to change for PE?

[SlightlyMadSpook]

As the title says

[crazymum53]

Not officially but my dd did start saying in Y5 that she didn't want to get changed in front of boys any more. We had a word with the teacher (OH is parent governor so that might have helped) who admitted there was a problem (most of the girls were saying this) and soon the boys and girls were getting changed separately but still having Games together.
Boys and girls PE is definitely separate at secondary school though I remember having different lessons from Y3 onwards.

[SlightlyMadSpook]

Hmmm....we are talking yr5

Tbh the bigger 'issue' is them getting changed in front of window at home time with parents watching....

[RatherBeOnThePiste]

In Year 5 they spilt at my DC school.

In Year 5 they had a couple of girls in DS's class who were considerably well developed, and by Year 6 they had started their periods. I think maybe they should have started changing separately even earlier.

If they were changing for swimming ( school had their own pool ) they were split from the nursery class.

[SlightlyMadSpook]

The male parents are feeling uncomfortable that there are virtually naked 9yo girls "on show" when they do the school run (because they are getting changed after PE) and whilst they are looking away it prompted the discussion as to whether there is a "legal" age at which they should be getting changed seperately from the boys.

[pointythings]

My older DD is in Yr 5 at middle school and they have separate changing rooms.

Single-sex PE? What's the reasoning behind that? I grew up in Holland and had mixed-sex PE right up until A-levels and there were no issues.

I had my biggest shock when at school for one year in the UK (parents on secondment) and as soon as spring came along, the boys were doing football and cricket and the girls were doing rounders and netball. I remember thinking that it was ridiculous and unfair then, and it still is now.

[SlightlyMadSpook]

I am not talking about single sex PE, I am talking about letting them change in single sex area's

[freshmint]

at our school they have separate changing rooms from year 3

I think year 5 is too late actually, a fair number of 10 year old girls have gone through puberty, are menstruating, have breasts/breast buds etc

I wouldn't have wanted to get changed in front of boys when I was in year 5 and I was not an early developer

window
definitely unacceptable! Is there no consideration for the childrens' privacy? apart from safeguarding issues...

[crazygracieuk]

Year 3 for swimming, year 5 for pe. I guess it's earlier for swimming as underwear is removed where as well developed girls will be in a bra or cropped vest so not so bad when it's general pe.

[polarfox]

yr3 3 for swimming and yr4 for PE.

[SE13Mummy]

No age threshold but probably a commonsense one, from all sides...

The majority of primary schools won't have the facilities or available adults to facilitate separate gender changing and for the majority of children it won't be an issue. I teach children how to get changed at their chairs without stripping off - if everyone's legs are under the table and bottoms are on chairs then there is very little dawdling or silliness and body parts are revealed to nothing other than the chair/underside of the table. T-shirts can be changed with minimal exposure too.

This year I have an enormous classroom so the boys change at one end and the girls at the other. It works well for them and avoids the risk of clothes/PE kits/shoes etc. ending up on the wee-soaked floor of the toilets.

I find children are quite sensible about changing for PE and those who are uncomfortable about it will usually ask in a roundabout way if they can do something different. If it's a child whose size/stage of development is an issue or a child who has scars/eczema etc. etc. I usually suggest they come in 5 minutes before the bell goes so they can change in the classroom whilst I go to collect the rest of the class - if it matters to them they happily opt for that.

IME parents seem to have far more of an issue with the concept of mixed gender changing than the children which is a shame. If children are uncomfortable with it then it's something to bring up in class/school council. Yes, privacy is important but so is a sense of proportion and I do worry about the messages that are being given to some of the children, girls in particular, by the parents I've had speak to me about it.

[BendyBob]

I think it needs to be around yr3/4 onwards really although our junior school makes them change together right through all years.

Dd (now yr7) was saying from yr 5 that her and her friends felt awkward about it.

Wouldn't like to think they were having to change in front of a window either SlightlyMad. That sounds embarassing too

[SlightlyMadSpook]

My dd was literally 20cm from window (its a temp building so no window sills to add distance).

She doesn't like wearing a vest cos they make her too jot.

When I was equivalent to yr 4 girls got changed in cloak room, boys in classroom. So you don't have to have separate facilities, not completely private but at least an effort.

In this instance closing the blinds would be a start....

[pilates]

Y5 in my daughter's school.

[SE13Mummy]

Not all schools have cloakrooms; my class hang their coats on pegs by the outside entrance. It's freezing cold, small and in full view of the playground and street outside!

Other classes have coat pegs inside the classroom.

[lexcat]

Their is no illegal requirement at primary school to there to be separate changing areas for girl and boys

It's only so in secondary school, that a school has to have separate changing areas.

I'm so pleased that dd (y5) is lucky that Y4 plus do have separate changing areas. Dd has started to develop and is already a little embarrassed about getting changed with the other girls let alone boys as well.

[Hulababy]

DD is in a single sex school so this isn't an issue for her anyway. However, I do think that DD - she is 8 (9 in April) and in Y4 would find it very uncomfortable to change in front of boys now. She is starting to develop physically and it is becoming more obvious, She already insists in wearing a cropped vest for school having never worn any form of vest since babyhood. But in front of boys as well she would feel very embarrassed from what I know of her.

[zanzibarmum]

Age threshold for separate changing? Definetley by the age of 17

[Earwigging]

Do they still have to strip to vest/knickers for PE in infants? This was the norm at our school and I never thought twice about it till a new kid arrived not used to it. When he refused the teachers held him down to strip him, god help any teacher doing that nowadays.

[Hulababy]

Earwigging - I have vague memories of pants and vests for PE, but only at infant age, not by the time we got to junior age and def not by the time we went to middle school (Y5).

DD's school has a PE kit which they ue from reception age.

At the infant school I work at it is up to the parents- they can send in PE kit of wear pants and vest. Most have PE kits tbh.

[BettyDouglas]

When I taught Y4, we let the girls use the toilets for changing. Definitely by Y5! Many girls in Y5 are wearing bars and have started their periods. Adults can be so dismissive of these things but they are so important to youngsters. Getting changed in front of boys at 9 or 10 can seem like the most horrific thing possible.

I'd go in and speak to school in a non-confrontational way.