Quick reassurance needed please

[BlackAlys]

Return to school today and pupils toilets have changed to unisex toilets.

This surely isn't legal? Furious.

What age are the kids?

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will come along but I think you're right it's not legal but I think I remember there being a law (or maybe DfE guidance?) linked to age.

11-16

This link gives some useful information.

Could you ask to see the equality impact assessment?

Do they have to have one?

Not being a twat - just want to appear to know my stuff

It depends on the implementation really

If there is a chance that s girl could be scared of going in case boys hear the san pro unwrapping , that's not good

If a girl with blood on her hands would have to wash them in a shared sink area that's not good

Have they just changed the existing normal loo set up? That's unacceptable.

I have seen school loos where the washbasins are open to the main corridor and the cubicles are floor to ceiling and lockable, often with a mini basin inside. Those are fine to be unisex generally although I would still prefer single sex options due to boys peeing everywhere.

Floor to ceiling locked doors, no sinks inside. Sinks in a row opposite the loos.

Yes, just changed signage to unisex.

One in five may suffer very heavy bleeding

Safe schools Alliance safeschoolsallianceuk.net/resources-2/letter-templates/#Mixed-sex_Toilets_letter
Good luck

@BlackAlys

Do they have to have one?

No I don’t think they are required to, but it could start a conversation. You could point out that certain protected groups (girls, those with particular religious beliefs etc.) are especially negatively affected.

Thank you all.
In a meeting and hard to text.
So angry.

Not sure link worked

An email from a supporter to her child’s school regarding mixed-sex toilets

Dear [School name]
Regarding your announcements earlier today about the installation of mixed sex toilets at [school] I would like clarification of the following points.

1. Please provide me with a copy of the consultation (with results) that you undertook with children and parents prior to making the decision to install mixed sex toilets. As a parent of a [year] student I am concerned that neither myself of my daughter received a copy of this.
2. Please provide a copy of the impact assessment you undertook prior to making this decision. I refer specifically to the impact of using mixed sex facilities on the safety and privacy of female students. For example what consideration has been given to the specific biological needs of girls?
3. What safeguarding measures are you putting in place to safeguard young girls in an enclosed space with males? I’m sure you will be aware that when sexual assault, harassment and voyeurism are carried out against women and girls in toilets that 90% of the time this occurs in mixed sex facilities. How has this been taken into consideration?
4. How have you assessed the physical and psychological impact on female students of being forced to share toilets with males? Please provide details of all the steps you will be taking to mitigate the negative impact of mixed sex toilets on female students which have been seen in other areas of the UK where these have already been introduced. I refer to reports of girls missing school during their period and deliberately dehydrating themselves in order to not have to urinate in the presence of boys.
5. Plan UK International have recently found that between 48 and 56% of girls (depending on age) experience period shaming at school. What are you doing to counteract this and how can you ensure that mixed sex facilities will help reduce this? How do you plan to ensure that young girls who are just getting used to menstruation can deal with this in privacy and with dignity? Have you ensured that the mixed sex toilets have private, enclosed wash spaces where girls can deal with accidents relating to menstruation discreetly?
6. What have you done to ensure that the installation of mixed sex toilet facilities complies with the Equality Act 2010 which states that children over the age of 8 years are entitled to have access to single sex toilet facilities? This includes separate toilets, wash basins and sanitary disposal units.
7. The Education (School Premises) 1999 Regulations state that - ‘Except that as provided in regulation 4(3) (which relates to toilets for disabled students) separate facilities for males and females over the age of 8 years must be provided. Again how are you complying with this?
8. Please advise whether any existing single sex toilet provision has been converted to mixed sex or are these facilities entirely new? What is the exact number of male only, female only and mixed sex cubicles available and in the case of the mixed sex toilets how many have enclosed washing facilities?
9. If existing single sex toilets have been converted have the numbers of male only and female only toilets been reduced? If so this is again in breach of the Equality Act 2010 as it discriminates against one protected characteristic (sex) in favour of another. As boys are less likely to be made to feel uncomfortable using mixed sex facilities than girls how can you be sure you have not effectively doubled the toilet provision for male students whilst not doing the same for female students?
10. How do you plan to keep the mixed sex facilities clean? Are girls expected to wipe urine off seats before using the toilets themselves?
11. Please provide details of any third party organisations e.g. charities that have been involved in making this decision and why you felt it was appropriate to include them. I would like to see details of the amount of input these organisations have had and what advice they given the school particularly in relation to equality legislation.
12. Can you confirm if there are any plans to remove single sex toilet provision from the school completely and if so when parents will be consulted about this.
13. Please confirm whether single sex toilet provision will be available for all students at all times of the school day and if it is equally accessible from all areas of the school.
14. Finally please confirm whether your mixed sex policy will also be extended to changing facilities and sleeping accommodation on residential trips and the safeguarding and impact assessments you have completed in relation to this. I’m sure you can appreciate my concerns regarding the safety, privacy and dignity of my daughter whilst she is in your care and I look forward to receiving your responses to my questions.

I think you have every right to be angry. How dare they do this to young females during what is, a difficult time in life. I wouldn't want to have unisex toilets at my place of work, and knowing how awful teen boys can be I wouldn't want to use them if I were a teen girl. It's another step in the wrong direction for females.

Oh, wow! Excellent letter!

Presumably your children have texted you?

I might start the conversation with a simple “this is unacceptable” and ramp it up later. Many others might also complain and if so, it might change back quickly. Plenty of time for calm arguments about the law later?

In my workplace

Excellent letter.

Have yet to find out if this is across the whole school or just in my teaching area.

I'm grateful for all your help here.

If existing single sex toilets have been converted have the numbers of male only and female only toilets been reduced? If so this is again in breach of the Equality Act 2010 as it discriminates against one protected characteristic (sex) in favour of another.

Not completely clear whether this applies in op's case so op might want to establish the reason for the change before mentioning other protected characteristics.

Have they all been changed to unisex?

Another member of staff has asked - there are still single sex toilets around school.

These are our new, shiny and brave unisex toilets.

Ffs.

Are you England/Wales or Scotladn?

@BlackAlys

Another member of staff has asked - there are still single sex toilets around school.

These are our new, shiny and brave unisex toilets.

Ffs.

If there are still single sex toilets as well then I really don't see a problem I thought this is the solution to the toilet issue most people wanted.

I'm in Wales.

Yes, I am satisfied that all other toilets are single sex. Still wary though, we already had 2 designated gender neutral toilets, so this push towards increasing that number is getting harder.