Mixed Sex Toilets in Schools

I would focus on costs of providing suitable facilities

So we pay per a sanitary bin for collection, so if every cubicle has a sanitary bin (and it really must if its for both sexes otherwise its just a single sex toilet) - it will increase your costs of collection and disposal quite a bit - not to mention the cost of bins. School budgets are really tight and its suprising how much things like bins add up too.

Then focus on blood on your hands and washing, so again each cubicle must have a hand basin in it as you can not expect a girl to wash bloody hands in full view of everyone. which again is really expensive compared to sharing a few wash bins.

I think you'd also need extra to replace those missing urinals (or is it just girls that are losing their facilities?)

So basically be really, really supportive of the most expensive option and basically bar anything cheaper

Our primary school moved to mixed >> their reasons were space & bullying.

The bullying thing is because they got rid of rooms with toilets in and instead had them open off the corridor in an open space - so anyone walking past can see what is going on rather than them being shut away spaces.
I asked questions about privacy, and about the boys weeing everywhere issue.
The replies I got satisfied me and the kids are happy with them. In the end I think it ended up being girls one side and boys the other as well, even though in the same space.

Periods is a big difference though >> this is a primary ,and girls who start are allowed to use the staff toilet.

In general I think that having them more open does reduce bullying / iffy behaviour in them.
However at a secondary, there are periods to think of. Disposal, and if you get blood on your hands you have to go to basin to wash it off. I vaguely remember waiting in the cubicle until I thought the loos were empty so people wouldn't hear "rustling". Boys outside would have been worse? Girls getting to grips with using tampons >> you feel self conscious even when you're on your own, let alone with blokes outside!

In short, not sure. I think if well designed and the blokes don't piss everywhere etc then maybe... BUT what about sanitary disposal and hand washing? These need to be addressed properly before moving forward IMO.

Let's face it, female needs are currently rarely considered in toilets (they never design them to fit a sanitary bin) so all of this, I'm not confident it will work for girls.

Could they have the open plan and one side girls with sanitary bins in cubicle and one side boys?

Won;t the boys miss having urinals?

Have they asked the children?

So is every cubicle going to contain a Tampax dispenser as well as a sanitary disposal bin? Or will young girls have to buy tampons from a machine in a communal area in front of sniggering teenage boys? And wash bloodstained hands in a communal sink area after changing their sanpro? Or ditto washing out a mooncup in front of boys?
Why should the whole population of schoolgirls have to be embarrassed and inconvenienced, not to mention put at risk of assault, purely to kowtow to a tiny minority of aggressive trans activists? And why would any school governor in their right mind countenance this crock of shit?

Nicknamesalltaken

Don't worry about backing out for a bit. We all need to step away at times from this. The level of delusion and the sheer awfulness when you look at the interests and histories of some of the 'leading lights' who have the government's ear is very distressing. Especially when you know what the threats are to children and women. BUT, there is some progress and as no debate is no longer working for the TRAs more and more people are becoming aware. Thank you for persisting.

I mean totally unisex. No single sex cubicles. Cubicles around edges, handwashing facilities in middle, all open to the corridor.

There was one incident in which some boys fished out a tampon from the sanitary bin after a girl had been in the loo, and walked out in to the playground, twirling it by the string, calling her a dirty bitch. She was then subject to people saying that she was not a virgin, as she used tampax.

That's appalling

Where do the children change for PE? When I was at school the girls went to the girls changing room/toilet area and boys to the boys.

Also worth noting that a few girls will have started their periods by y6. I remember being embarrassed by noises of wrappers etc when I was changing sanitary towels in an all girls environment. I imagine it will be even worse with boys present too.

As for the bullying, I'd suggest it might be worse for those girls who have started periods having to get sanitary products out of their bags in front of boys and change in toilets also used by boys. Some boys can be a bit silly about things like this at that age and therefore may be more likely to "make fun" of a girl for this?

There's also reports of girls not drinking all day to avoid the need to use the toilets presenting health risks.

As some people appear to believe that an 11 year old girl is happy dealing with her first periods in the company of 16 year old boys ffs then try asking whether they have actually consulted pupils? We've spent the last few decades insisting on the importance of pupil voice yet suddenly, as soon as a few middle aged men transitioning to women start making demands, all sense goes out of the window as adults roll over to remove sex segregated spaces from children as quickly as they can.

ASK THE PUPILS AND PARENTS !!

Sorry for shouting but really...
This is the most recent guidance (brief and to the point) for schools (June 2018) - guidance about toilets and washing facilities so that's sinks and changing rooms) are the last point:

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/719398/Gender-separation-guidance.pdf

I started at ten, in junior school. Learning to cope with periods does not need boys in close proximity.

Male toilets smell different - I do not like the smell and would not like to make children accept it.

And there are cases of sexual assault being reported in schools, including younger children:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-41836303

I wouldn't have an issue with it as long as there is a full time loo assistant to monitor things, otherwise whats stopping boys and girls mucking about, bullying each other and deliberately using the wrong toilet. How do they think it reduces bullying? Is the design planned one huge area with a door, another door inside leading to girls one side, door leading to boys the other side and mixed area for handwashing?

Has anyone
Asked the girls if they would be comfortable sharing loos with boys

What is the thinking behind the idea that it will stop bullying? Girls are too often used by schools to help address the behaviour of boys. For example, being seated between disruptive boys to help mediate their behaviour, at the expense of the girl’s own education and social experience. It’s not girls’ responsibility to mediate boys’ behaviour. Equally, girls should not lose privacy and dignity as an easy means to improve the behaviour of boys.

Mixed sex toilets were brought in when I was at high school.

It was awful.

The toilet seats were always covered in wee from the boys.

There was one incident in which some boys fished out a tampon from the sanitary bin after a girl had been in the loo, and walked out in to the playground, twirling it by the string, calling her a dirty bitch. She was then subject to people saying that she was not a virgin, as she used tampax.

More than one couple allegedly had sex in there.

The school ended up putting a red rope down the middle of the room, and having a boys side and a girls side, with separate entrances.

They also installed CCTV -IN. THE. BATHROOM. (not in the stalls of course!)

Shouldn't school governors know that schools must provide single sex toilets by law?

I've worked in a Secondary school with mixed-sex toilets. There were issues with pupils using them inappropriately (sexual activity), girls not wanting to use them when they had their periods (and choosing to use the disabled toilets instead). Staff also had unisex toilets, and there were big issues with differing standards of hygiene (filthy toilets left, which hadn't happened before). They did not have floor to ceiling doors, if I saw a male member of staff going in as I was approaching, I'd either go to the disabled toilet on a different floor or go later. I absolutely hated them, felt so uncomfortable/anxious using them (have been assaulted multiple times before, was assaulted as a child).

I honestly can't understand how anyone involved with girls over 8 doesn't understand that some of them will be dealing with periods and need privacy. I will raise merry hell if this ever comes up in any of the schools I work in, and it's by no means a "modern thing" because there were girls who'd started in my own primary back in the 80s. That's why the law says "separate facilities from 8yo".

Get hold of the pastoral lead and point this out to them, in no uncertain terms. Talk to the Y5/6 teachers and TAs - you'll find the female ones at least quite often have a stash of pads just in case. Get them onside.

gylly - that type is legal.

But the ones the OP is describing, the sinks are outside so mixed washing hands space.

Not legal.

I think self contained unisex are ok. I remember at work they announced that the new showers would be mixed and everyone was but they are like self contained bathrooms.

The loos at my child's secondary school are mixed but they are also self contained and private, the teachers also use them too.

There is no door on the toilet area so no opportunities for having a secret ciggie like everyone did when I was at school. The loos have doors that go from floor to ceiling (I hope that makes sense) so no peering over. Inside each cubicle there is a a wash basin and sanitary bin.

Before I saw the loos I was sceptical about unisex but changed my mind after seeing them. The pupils use them for their intended purpose and it stops the hanging about and messing about that can go on.

And go on and on and on about periods.

And also, talk about the prevalence of sexist bullying and how it's ignored by everyone.

They are not allowed to have single sex toilets for children over the age of 8, the law is perfectly clear on this, schools have a statutory duty to provide toilets segregated by sex for children over the age of 8

Well, until there is a change of law, this trumps everything, doesn't it