Is it legal for a teacher to deny a child access to a toilet?

[NotTheMrMenAgain]

I have a friend whose DC, age 13, recently soiled themselves in class because the teacher repeatedly refused to allow them to go to the toilet (and were fairly dismissive about it, by the sound of it). It wasn't a small mishap - the rest of the class were dismissed and my friend called to collect DC.
Understandably, DC is mortified and horrified and my friend very upset and angry. There's been a verbal apology from the head of year to my friend, who said how upset the teacher involved was - but no apology from the teacher to the DC - the teacher had since ignored the child/incident.
AIBU to think this simply isn't good enough? My heart goes out to the poor kid, who knows what kind of mark it will leave and what sort of bullying/mockery it will set them up for.
Is it against a child's basic rights to deny them access to a toilet? It seems like cruelty to me. It this a common policy at secondary school? Apparently they aren't allowed to pop to the loo in between classes, only at break/lunch. When I was a teenager my periods were heavy and I wouldn't have made it til break without an accident!

I have more children asking out in an average one hour lesson than there are in Needasock's ds' class
I have learned some good ideas on this thread, the phone collection or the sign out sheet are good. It's not an easy problem to solve

In contrast his has very very few. It's unusual for it to happen for pretty much any reason. And that's spread over all the classes, it's seen as no issue and no big deal at all so none of them can really be bothered to make a thing of it

You mean poo and piss to order to suit the timetable techteach.

your dc doesn't get essential course work or curriculum completed for their GCSEs - will you be happy with that outcome?
I would expect if my ds shat himself in class it would have such a negative impact on him - GCSEs would be the least of my worries. He hates missing school and I trust he would only leave class in an absolute emergency and I feel he does have the right to do that. All children are not liars!

Many years ago a teacher refused to let my sister in Year 6 go to the loo - she had cystitis and she wet herself - my parents had very firm words with the teacher and the year she taught me she never refused a child.

Is it true that having the runs is one of your only legit excuses for illegal parking?
You can plan diahorea or vomiting around a certain teacher's classes - it's not something you learn after a few events - what a fucking stupid thing to suggest.

If a child said they were ill, or a girl had a period, or a child was so desperate they were unable to wait i would allow them to go.

However with 6 sets of toilets each for boys and girls, and 8 chances to use them in a school day, it should be rare occasion that pupil is unable to wait. Hence why most requests are refused during lesson.

I think if you aren't happy Ithaca he rules in a school, perhaps you'd like to teach your child yourself?
I don't think most parents realise what secondary schools are like, yet they all seemingly want good results for their precious moppets.
Setting fire to the toilets is a regular occurance in my children's school too. Yet in my DDs nice private school, no such issue. (They sat with water bottles on their stomachs for period pain in class.) they didn't have the element that is trying to avoid work...

Have to say, as a HCP working specifically with children and adults with bowel conditions at their worst, needing hospital treatment, I have never had anyone need to leave my hours consultation session to go to the loo or have an accident in many years. I'm not saying that one day they might, just that it's not prevalent.
As a teacher however, I found children unable to stay the whole lesson. Ever.

However with 6 sets of toilets each for boys and girls, and 8 chances to use them in a school day, it should be rare occasion that pupil is unable to wait. Hence why most requests are refused during lesson.

Techteach. What if there weren't 6 sets of toilets each available for boys and girls and what if they didn't have 8 chances available to use them during the school day?

This has reminded me of when DD was in reception. She'd had 2 days off school the week before Christmas because of vomiting, went back on the Wednesday, did forest school and had Christmas dinner, then I got a phone call from her teacher to collect her because she had diarrhoea. The teacher's theory was that Christmas dinner was too rich after her tummy bug. Was I supposed to keep her off just in case? I would have got a shitty letter about unauthorised absence.

If she had a stomach bug and you kept her at home that's authorised illness.

Piece - how is one day a prolonged absence? Have you missed that what I complained about was the school's requirement for sickness certification for every day off school and they phoned me to tell me about the rule when DS had one day off?

Need - if your child is registered with a school they are legally required to attend it. If you were home educated you would have free access to a toilet. Children attend school for a number of years and schools seems to be able to change their rules willy nilly during that time.

Poor lad. How awful

I have IBS. I'd never be able to make it if I needed to go. I think I'd want the teacher to apologise too. Given the humiliation and bullying he could get from it.

We've not got to the secondary school stage yet but I have had to have words with DDs previous primary school. She's a model pupil, always gets all the behaviour awards etc at the end of term. But she's on some preventative medication which increases her risks of UTIs. The one time her teacher refused to let her go to the toilet all afternoon and she came out crying in pain from holding it. I let them know in no uncertain terms that I wasn't happy.

Have to say, as a HCP working specifically with children and adults with bowel conditions at their worst, needing hospital treatment, I have never had anyone need to leave my hours consultation session to go to the loo or have an accident in many years. I'm not saying that one day they might, just that it's not prevalent.

My late friend had double incontinence. She would always stock up on Imodium before an appointment which is probably how many haven't had to leave your consultations to 'go'.

Completely different when unexpected. My IBS flares up out of nowhere. It happened to flare up out of nowhere the other day on the way home from an appointment. "I'll be fine" I told myself. I'm going straight home.
I lasted two bus stops, so roughly around five minutes before I had to get off.

Ofred no school I have ever worked in have asked for medical certification unless the pupil has a low attendance. Then it would kick in

University

Then i would change my policy and allow children to use the toilet, providing it was not soon after or before a break, and i was not at an important stage in the lesson.
Only one boy and girl at a time though.

But soon after a break when they haven't been able to have access to a toilet at the break? Can you see what I'm trying to say? You'd still refuse after a break but in DS school, they didn't get access to toilets at break. They had assigned break rooms and depending how near the start of the caretakers amble determined whether or not they could get to the toilet at break.

University

In your DS case, if he explained he really needed to go and was unable to wait until an appropriate time, he would be allowed to go.

I have found this in secondaries and it drives me bonkers.

In dc old school one had a toilet pass thankfully but toilets were locked so they still had to find someone with a key to unlock them leading to many issues for her.

I Hate it. Kids in secondary have periods to deal with and especially when they first start and they are irregular and shouldn't have to tell a teacher in front of people or sit in blood.

Dc new school does the go but you have five minutes or we investigate and you make time up which works. Why would they go to mess about if they Have to stay in at lunch to make it back.

I've never work anywhere where if i was truly desperate I couldn't go to the toilet.

Dc old school had 1500 pupils and three blocks of toilets with 8 toilets in each. You do the maths of why everyone cannot go in break time before you even get to how intimidating it is for the year 7s who are frightened of walking into loos full of older kids.

Oh and sometimes one of dc classes would be at the other side of the school and they don't have time.

School

Most teachers would allow a child to quickly nip to the toilet, if they explain they didn't have time, at the changeover.
In my school toilets are situated in every block, so that should not be the case for my pupils.

DS school didn't have toilets in every block and they were locked.

Why is that so hard for you to understand? Not every school is like yours.

I'm surprised at all these teachers who cannot go to the loo in class time. Every school I have worked in teachers have gone. If secondary or upper juniors with a strict warning to behave and asked the teacher next door to listen out or asked a staff member (Head /TA /receptionist) to watch for two minutes if little ones.

Of course in teachers breaks we had access to clean uncrowded staff toilets were we didn't risk being bullied by our Co workers or the toilet door climbed over or kicked open...

University

Locking the loos is wrong, but why are they locked at break?

In your DS case i would have to allow a one a time policy and then start refusing if requests got out of hand.

I already answered that teach. 8-9 years before DS started at the school one block of toilets was deliberately flooded and the school management decided to lock all toilets