Changing for PE

[HingedBroccoli]

I don't think I'm BU - more for traffic.

How does your school navigate changing into PE kit? I believe some schools allow children to go in dressed in kit on PE days.

DD and her mixed class all change clothes together. She is in Y3 and I think the DC are becoming more aware of their bodies (and the difference between genders) at this age. DC sometimes asks for privacy from me when changing at home which I obviously allow.

Yesterday DD told me a classmate (boy) told her to pull her pants down while they were changing. I'm of the mind that is it natural to be curious at this age, but I feel it is more than likely becoming uncomfortable for the class.

I think I should raise it with the school...

Yes I think a conversation with the school is needed. At this age, it is not unreasonable to ask for separate changing. Is there a teacher supervising?

All schools allowed them to go in in PE kit during covid but most have phased it out now.

ask for separate changing.

I think that by y4 or y5, boys and girls will change in different rooms

Yes, i think it's a legal requirement for schools to have separate changing areas for boys and girls from Yr 4 onwards

Ours go in in PE kit which is much more time efficient. As others have said from year 4 it's a requireto have seperate changing areas. My year 2 daughter changes for swimming in a mixed area and fine with it, but I can definitely understand how it can feel uncomfortable for an older in year, year 3 child. If both classes in year group do PE at same time, could all the girls go in one classroom and boys in another?

Mine goes to school in her PE kit on PE days. It works really well for all ages.

Our primary they go in in PE kit. There are times when they do need to change sometimes (forest school if they get muddy). They change together to a certain age, and then separately after. My youngest is in Y3/Y4 (combined class). I would think this is the year when they are too old to continue changing together. I would be putting this in writing to the head and the safeguarding lead.

Our school still has them going in wearing their kit on PE days. Much easier all round, and less uniform needed too as they only wear it 3 days a week!

Ours all changed in the classroom up to P3. After that the boys got changed in the classroom and the girls got changed in the toilets.

I would absolutely let the school know what the other child said, and request that they start separate changing early going forward. Annoying but there it is. They could also instigate being in PE kit all day on those days if space was an issue, it would save time as well.

The school definitely need a heads up on that kid though

Really
You are labelling him a pervert at age 7

Your concerns are valid. A conversation with the school will help.

Tell the HT about the incident where a boy asked your daughter to pull her pants down. You do not need to spell the following out, but the school should already know this could indicate one or some of the following:

1. safeguarding concern - where is the boy getting his ideas from?
2. a need for more education about privacy - curiosity about bodies is a natural thing for children
3. a need for more/better supervision - who was overseeing and making sure everyone was concentrating on changing and not larking around?

You will not necessarily be told what the response has been (because it pertains to another child), but you should be told that they have taken action.

Ask the leader about their plans for PE changing for older pupils who are starting puberty or feeling anxious. Some children (SEND or different ethnicities for example) go through puberty early. If you are not satisfied, go to the chair of governors.

FYI there are differences in behaviours based on whether children only have younger sibling (seeing pants being pulled down for a nappy change) or whether children only have older siblings (learning early on to be self-conscious about bodies).

Many schools synch their PE timetables to enables children to get changed in own-sex environments. It’s very difficult for schools due to limited room though. I recommend a simple, friendly conversation. The HT will appreciate a friendly and proactive approach. Think of it as working together with the school.

Quote me on where I said he was a pervert?

I'm not labelling anyone anything. Children who say stuff like this at his age are more likely to have adults behaving/speaking inappropriately around children at home. And I did say more likely not definitely does. It needs taking note of, not castigating the child. It might just be that he has an elder brother who says stuff like that, but who knows?

Not really labelling him a pervert, but allowing the school to know he has said something inappropriate. Then the school can address the situation by separating boys and girls, and talking to them more about privacy and appropriate conversations with each other.

It's likely the boy hasn't meant anything untoward by it but it isn't fair on the girls if they are made to feel uncomfortable.

You need to tell the school about the pants incident. Both to protect your daughter and others but for some kids at this age making sexual type references it’s a red flag that inappropriate stuff is happening at home.

Because this kid could be vulnerable and being subjected to sexual stuff outside of school because it is unusual sexualised comment from a 7 year old. Not because a 7 year old is a pervert.

No, she isn't calling the child a pervert because he is a silly 7 year old, not a grown man with perverse ideas. But that sort of thing needs nipping in the bud quickly so he doesn't keep saying it.

I would raise that with the school. When I was in primary, girls and boys had changing rooms.

We used to send kit in on P.E days and they would get changed. The positive change they've kept since covid is that, as mentioned in your OP, on PE days they just go in in their PE kit. Must save loads of lesson time because I imagine getting 30 primary school children changed twice really eats into the day. Similarly less clothes to wash so happy all round.

No of course she isn't but it made her daughter uncomfortable.

Are you saying young girls shouldn't be able to voice concerns when in uncomfortable situations incase it upsets males ?

DDs school change seperately from yr4.

Whichever sex matches the teacher changes in the classroom and the other sex changes in the cloakroom next door.

There's the risk that the boy is seeing inappropriate sexualised behaviour somewhere.

It needs to be raised with the school as a potential safeguarding issue. For him and the girls in the class too

DS is in year 3 and this year the school has started getting them to change at school (up until last year they came in wearing PE kit on PE days). Y3 all change in the classroom, but boys on one side of the classroom facing the wall and girls on the other side facing the other wall apparently. Teacher stays in the middle to supervise.

Ours never did, including in covid. It may have been common but it wasn't universal.

Ours go in in PE kit.

id not be happy with that at all. In fact my reception class girl would refuse to change in front of a boy. She’s big on privacy! By year 3 or 4 that’s not on at all. Just tell the teacher that moving forward, your child won’t be doing that.

I'm a primary school teacher. I've been doing supply teaching full time since 2018.
In my experience of a LOT of schools, post-covid, MOST schools now expect the children to come into school dressed for PE, and they then stay in those clothes all day. I'd say 85% do that.
Of the schools who change in school, I'd say that KS1 change in class all together, but KS2 tend to separate into boys and girls changing in different rooms.

The last school I taught in permanently, I had a mixed year3/4 class together. They changed in one room, until we had an "incident" when a Yr4 boy smacked a Yr3 girl on the bum when she was only in her knickers. It caused a whole ruckus, and ended up with girls changing in the library, and the boys changing in the classroom.

I'd mention it to the school that your DD is feeling uncomfortable. It really isn't the norm any more for KS2 classes to change all together, even at the lower end of the phase.