Quick reassurance needed please

If a school already has single sex toilets for its pupils and staff that, bar the odd horror story regarding lack of cleanliness especially in the boys’ loos that my DS tells me about, what’s the justification for constructing new mixed-sex toilets when, as you say, schools are constantly fund raising for new sports equipment, holding bake sales and raffles for new materials etc? I just don’t understand how, from a purely financial point of view, these non-essential structural works are approved?

@BlackAlys link sent via DM (gobeithio!)

(Totally thread-irrelevant whoop here as I’ve been trying to learn Welsh for about a year and could read that!)

Ahem. Sorry. As you were.

@BlackAlys there's a big thread on this very issue on Twitter at the moment - I've never had so many Twitter notifications. Dwi'n dilyn rhywun gydag enw tebyg i ti ar Twitter (a hithau'n dilyn fi) - falle taw ti yw e?! Fydde ti'n fodlon danfon neges breifat i fi gyda enw'r ysgol os gweli di'n dda? Diolch a phob lwc gyda'r cyfarfod yfory.

Is it because they're members of Stonewall's schools champion scheme, and Stonewall are telling them that this is 'progressive'?

And how, when schools are constantly fund raising , asking for donations of tissues, loo.roll, soap, toys, spare clothes etc and there's zero money for equipment desperately needed, there is sudden money fir stonewall subscriptions, new mixed sex toilets and staff magically appear to supervise these new mixed sex areas.

I presume there's suddenly more staff because these staff weren't present when the areas were single sex and allegedly rife bullying .

And also what is it about thse new mixed sex areas that mean more supervision is required so that nothing happens and it can be declared success🤔

It's not the children. They all seem to hate them.

It's not the parents. They seem concerned about it, especially when their daughters say they don't drink during the day to try to avoid having to use them.

It's not the teachers.

Is it because they're members of Stonewall's schools champion scheme, and Stonewall are telling them that this is 'progressive'?

Definitely a good idea to ask to see the minutes of the meeting(s) where this was discussed and decided.

It was my understanding that these mixed sex toilets opening to the corridor are nothing to do with privacy and dignity but disguised as a deterrent to bullying and loitering? As the wash area has no doors off to the corridor it apparently prevents this. But it is still a shit idea.
Girls (and boys) need to seek out the single sex provision to give a message.
I like the idea of the survey. Can also be done free on Survey Monkey. Does the area have a Spotted Facebook? Perhaps this could be used if an in school one is not possible.
Could you ask to see the minutes of the meeting where this was discussed? There must be some kind of paper trail to explain the decision, it would have still cost some money to take the wall down and change the basins and alter the entrance. Good luck with your meeting tomorrow. Is there anyone that could go with you to take notes (and moral support). Print off hard copies of the Safe Schools Alliance stuff if you can.

At op school.

They have repurposed a boys toilet-
Ok.
They need sanitary bins.

And if it's a standard block. Cubicles in room with door. IMO they need to have done risk assessment for bullying/ sexual harrassment assault etc

If you don't know the school then it's all moot really.

I am well aware of the issues and was happy with what they did.

Secondary, or a larger primary. No way.

But who is asking for these toilets in schools

Are the kids saying we need theses toilets.

It’s strange how this happening and just why this is happening

You /the school could do a little survey using a free one like surveyplanet online. Anonymous statistics of liking / not liking and suggestions / priorities can easily be seen in percentages...a bit like AIBU with the 95% of women never wanting men in our toilet/ changing rooms prisons etc.

There should be a way of capturing girls’ and boys’ experience of using unisex loos. Perhaps ask the headmaster if he would support anonymous feedback from the school children and possibly parents. Might capture some of the experiences talked about above.

The kids toilets at that school have never had sanitary bins. In the context of that school. The number of pupils and the space. It made sense

How can it make sense. I mean whatever the size if the school you have no control over who starts each year and what their bodies may start doing by yr 4.

It can never make sense to not have basic facilities for half your pupils.

F

We have loos in our school which aren't exactly unisex - open to the corridor, two rows of fully enclosed cubicles plus sink - girls (with sanitary bin) on one side, boys on the other.

High number of girls ask to leave lessons to use the loo because there is no privacy at break when the loos are busy.

I once did a design lesson and asked the kids to redesign any aspect of the school they chose - they ALL chose the loos!!!

And finally, sometimes the (fully enclosed and always clean, unisex) staff loos are busy so we often use the student loos. And once I was changing my sanitary pad in there, and a load of boys started banging on the door and cheering when they heard the wrapper. They ran off when I emerged because they did not expect a teacher!!! Girls waiting told me it happens all the time.

Op the point that boys don't like this either seems never too occur to anyone. Which is another thing that is shit.

My DDs both started periods before year 6.

In the context of that school it worked. I emailed the head when I heard and she called and addressed my concerns.

It is a tiny tiny school.

The girls had used the visitors toilet before anyway.

Both DDs were not fussed.

And ok I might be fine with it what about others.

The other mums I spoke to were baffled by my concerns. I explained to one and she was... Oh yeah 🙄

The kids toilets at that school have never had sanitary bins. In the context of that school. The number of pupils and the space. It made sense.

Girls are starting their periods younger it's really not uncommon for 8/9 year olds to start menstruating. Often the body is ready but emotionally they're not. Do we really want to make things harder for them?

I've already had the phone call from my DD, who was hiding in the toilet, to pick her up as she had leaked on her trousers and wanted to be picked up. She was too embarrassed to ask for help from staff. She would hate mixed sex toilets. It would just add to her embarrassment.

She started high school this year and guess what? All her friends are not drinking water in school as the toilets are not very nice. It was well into her second week before she had her first pee in school. And thats the normal toilet. Can you imagine if she had to share with the boys?

Why are we making things so difficult for our girls????

Makes me so mad

Excellent letter pickles am saving this for when my kids schools / work decide to go woke

Pickledonionsfortea

Fantastic letter x