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Original poster

Separate changing rooms in primary.

39 replies

Evenquieterlife33 · 04/02/2020 17:34

Hi, I’m just asking here because I’m sure some clever woman here will know! Is there any legislation to get schools to facilitate separate changing for mixed sex primary schools. My child is aged 10 and the mixed sex changing is now throwing up some issues around privacy particularly for the girls in class. I know they have to have separate loos over 8 and that is in place at the school. Thanks 😊

OP posts:
TheProdigalKittensReturn · 05/02/2020 01:01

I'd ask for a meeting with the head, print out the NSPCC leaflet, and take that in with you. By age 8 children definitely need to be separated by sex, which is why that's traditionally been the cutoff point in general (for parents taking kids into opposite sex spaces with them and so on).

WomanBornNotWorn · 05/02/2020 00:27

I was in bra and periods mode in my last year at junior school. I was way ahead of the others partly because of my height - 5'8" by the time I was 11. Others looked like much younger girls. Luckily lunacy had not kicked in, and we had completely separate girls' & boys' changing/loos. Can't imagine what this is all doing to kids.

HopeClearwater · 04/02/2020 22:44

@JellySlice I certainly hope so. Not holding out much hope that my local education authority will back them up.

FemaleAndLearning · 04/02/2020 21:44

Our primary school uses a curtain in the classroom to divide boys and girls from year 5 it seems to work well. To be honest I think it would be better from year 4. Some girls are quite developed by year 4 let alone year 5. My girls both wear a bra top on PE days even with the curtain. Definitely bring this up with the head. If the girls are feeling uncomfortable then something should be done. Privacy and dignity.

midclegs · 04/02/2020 21:42

Isn't it still the law that a GRC can only be granted over the age of 18. And that the becomes a protected category? But for now at least females are protected? Or am I being stupid.

JellySlice · 04/02/2020 21:25

Because when that happens the parents can ask "You agreed that female children should have privacy from male children. What has changed?"

HopeClearwater · 04/02/2020 18:42

What’s the point in insisting on this when any little boy who reckons he’s a girl will be able to insist on using the girls’ changing room?

Lipperfromchipper · 04/02/2020 17:59

I am baffled as to why children need to get changed in school in the first place...here in Ireland they go to school WEARING their tracksuit on PE days...much easier and makes more sense!!

Original poster
Evenquieterlife33 · 04/02/2020 17:57

Mac- the weird thing about the situation is that there is a perfectly good set of changing rooms that are empty at the time that the kids are changing in the classroom. Some of the kids have raised it with the teacher who has said that will raise it with the head. This is also year 5. Reading tha NSPCC leaflet it really should be good practice to separate after age 8. They all develop at different rates now-days, seems like the lack of legislation needs addressing.

OP posts:
TulipCat · 04/02/2020 17:55

Ours are separate in years 5 and 6.

Original poster
Evenquieterlife33 · 04/02/2020 17:53

Thanks very much, I can use the links you posted though. Thanks again.

OP posts:
MacaroonMama · 04/02/2020 17:53

Sorry, not legislation, but your school might listen to parents' concerns without them. Hope so.

MacaroonMama · 04/02/2020 17:52

Might it be worth raising concerns with your Head? We had similar from Y5 or so, and a few of us emailed the Head explaining. They found a very small room down the corridor for one sex to change in and the others change in the classroom. And they swap every week to keep it fair.

Might that be an option?

Thelnebriati · 04/02/2020 17:41

No there isnt. The NSPCC used to say best practice is single sex but the leaflet they published seems to have gone missing.

www.icmec.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/NSPCC-factsheet-best-practice-for-pe-changing-rooms.pdf

www.surreycc.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/136008/Best-practice-for-PE-changing-NSPCC-advice.pdf