Children not allowed to use the toilet in school

[JanetAndRoy]

My DSs are 8 and 5. Both came home from school today with soiled pants.
Apparently the boys are only allowed to use the toilets at lunch and break times because someone has been blocking the toilets and flooding them.
Also all the boys had to miss playtime earlier in the week because no one would admit to flooding the loos.

I am so angry that my children had to sit in pooey pants almost all afternoon. DS1 told his teacher he was desperate, but teacher still refused to let him go. Also annoyed that half the school are being punished for one boy's behaviour. (The girls are not restricted BTW)

AIBU to send a sharply worded email to the Head?

Also might CC in the SENCO as DS2 is being seen by the encopresis clinic.

Ridiculous. No wonder you are mad. Tbh I'd photo it and include on email. Call ht.

Not a poo troll! Honest!

MN scarf-wearing, Pom bear eating oldie with a recent name change!

Photo it?

DS1 was quite embarrassed and so probably spent the afternoon with his back to the wall and not getting too close to anyone.

ffs!! ridiculous, see the head, write a complaint and copy to the governors but after you check it's as your dss say it was.

kids do get mixed up.

....Human rights and all that

I don't see why an 8 year can't wait and use the toilet at break or lunch. Or the 5 year old. Lessons are only, what, an hour at most. Shouldn't be a problem unless they both had upset stomachs, in which case they shouldn't have been at school.

Half the school? So this means a few teachers were doing this, decided by who and did the ht actually know? I would find out the actual facts first.

Perhaps suggest toilets are monitored. They should keep a record of which children leave lessons and when.
You can't tell a 5 year old they can't go to the toilet. Madness!

My friend had an issue like this and when she went to the LEA, they said that they cannot stop children going to the toilet! I'd start with the head and go upwards if needed.

That's out of order.

I would phone the head tomorrow ! Poor little lambs

Being a mean, nasty, hearty mummy, I do think 8 yos should be able to hang on until break time (unless your school has seriously weird break timings).

But I would expect a more flexible approach to KS1 pupils. Especially a 5 yo with a known relevant diagnosis.

Harriet if a child needs the toilet then they need the toilet,saying it is reasonable for a 5 year old or even an 8 year old to wait until lunchtime is not acceptable as a blanket rule.
Have you never had an urge to go to the toilet quickly?you don't have to be unwell to sometimes quickly need to go.
I would be livid if this happened to my children.

When I need to poo, I need to poo I couldn't wait an hour. Eo i wouldn't expect a child to. Yanbu. I would be furious

Everyone staying in cos no one owned up to doing it is fine (IMO)

Not letting them go to the toilet is so far from okay I can't even begin. I'm usually all for trying to be cooperative with the school (even when they're blatantly being stupid, which happens a lot here) but I would hit the roof.

I think this is totally unacceptable. Are there different rules for girls? That is also totally unacceptable. Also even if it was ok to ban boys from the toilets, it is unfair to punish your boys for other children's bad behaviour. I teach year one and we send all children to the toilet at break and before lunch by rote but also they are allowed to go during lessons if they need to. The only time I would make a child wait would be for a couple of minutes if I knew the toilets were already occupied.

I would first send an email to school asking exactly what the situation is regarding the toilets.

Only breaks/lunch is fair enough I think, to be honest.

Yes, occasionally you can be desperate for a poo but medical conditions aside, it is generally possible to wait! Rotten that they both couldn't hold on though.

That's outrageous! I'd def be going to the head