no toilet breaks in year 1

[Sassyfrassy]

I'm a teacher myself but don't teach ks1 so this has left me a bit flummoxed.

Dd1 started year 1 a week ago. The regular teacher is ill and they have secured a replacement for the first term. She is (according to dh who is stay at home dad) a young teacher and he suspects quite new.

Yesterday children who needed a wee during lessons had to stay in extra during break to make up for it. Today this has changed to no toilet breaks at all during lessons, only during break and lunch. This seems awfully strict to me, for 5 and 6 year olds. DD1 came out ready to burst yesterday. I've now coached her in how to tell her teacher that she really does need to go and that she's about to burst. But, she is really keen to please and to be good, and she wont want to ask to do something that isn't allowed.

So, I've asked DH to make an appointment to see her on monday (can't just see her impromptu unfortunately) and have a chat about it. Anyone else had similar issues?

No I have never heard of it. It is stupid and I bet the Head of the school doesn't know its happening. I would go straight to the Head.

I agree I would go straight to the head, never had the problem with my dd but I would be fuming if someone refused her a toilet visit!

They shouldn't even have to ask to go in Y1, surely?

Speak to head of KS1 initially I think.

Of course they need to ask to go! How would the teacher know where they are, fgs? What if there was a fire? What if 20 kids decided to go at once?

But in Year 1, the answer would usually be yes, unless it was a direct teaching time (15 minutes tops).

See entire recent thread on similar.

Thanks,

I teach year 4 myself,where I do encourage children to not go during lessons. If they really need to they certainly can though. I think DH will have a chat with the teacher first to "clarify" what we have been told. If it doesn't get better I'll contact the head myself.

It's ridiculously harsh, imo - I wouldn't treat Y5 and Y6s like this. Like you, I would encourage them to wait, but say if they can't, they should go. Punishing Y1 kids for having 'been' is ludicrous. Complain!

oh, I see - at my kids' school the combined Reception/Y1 classroom had its own loos (with partitions, not walls) so the staff could see who'd gone where (& they didn't have to ask)

I work in year 5 & 6 and even there they are allowed to go if they really can't wait till break/lunchtime. To expect year 1s to wait is totally unreasonable and I suspect this teacher is going to have to deal with a fair amount of accidents if she doesn't lighten up a little.

Let them wee on the carpet ... she'll learn soon enough!!!

Even with the Y7 kids I teach, I don't enforce this yet - maybe by Christmas, or Feb half term.

For the record, though, even 15 and 16 year olds will try it on and our lessons only last one hour. A lot of the kids try to tell me that I am unreasonable for expecting a Y9, 10 or 11 student to be able to survive ONE HOUR without using the toilet. And yes, for known medical problems, we do allow exceptions and if I think a girl is being genuine about her period I will of course allow her to leave the room (suffered heavy periods myself as a teen). Even on that score, some girls will try it on, and I think that's really bad form.

The other thing that they will try is to tell me that they'll get a kidney infection if I don't allow them to leave the room immediately that they feel the slightest twinge in their bladders. They forget that I am a biologist - I know about the conditions that will create a kidney infection.

I don't know for sure, but I've always got the impression that the more lenient attitude in Primary School leads to this sense of entitlement that the students have.

Anyhow, just wanted to put another POV across, but for such young kids, this teacher is being an arse. Please remember though that until you have heard from the teacher themselves, you never know how the "rules" have been misinterpreted by your DD.