Is there an age threshold where boys and girls need seperate areas to change for PE?

[SlightlyMadSpook]

As the title says

Op, you have some mixed issues going on here. Does your daughter mind changing all together? Or in front of the window?

Or is it you? Or the Dads on the school run?

I can remember changing in the classroom until Y6 age. TBH this was less embarassing than having to strip for a shower at high school.

Our year 5 and 6 girls change separately - in the toilets, which isn't ideal but I don't think it's at all fair to expect them to change in front of the boys when some of them are quite developed. The boys don't seem to care yet.
Surely there are blinds / curtains that can enable the girls to change away from the view of the parents. I agree that's inappropriate.

haven't read every post here. We split the class for PE changing at Y5 & 6. Classrooms (not used for class teaching iyswim) for privacy, girls in one room on one side of the building, boys on the other. We decided not to use next-door rooms to avoid pranks. Not ideal, but better than many others at primary level. Gender-appropriate supervision, generally not exactly inside the room iyswim, we tend to stand in the doorway (door slightly open) or end-of corridor classroom door open and teacher in corridor for help with laces, tie-fastening and such.

oh btw lots and lots of safeguarding laws and policies, children SHOULD NOT be getting changed next to a window with potential for people outside

Boys and girls change separately from year three in dd's school, although it might be because they are mixed y3/4 classes.Teacher supervises the girls and male TA takes the boys.

At my DDs' school they change separately all the way through from reception onwards

we have a mixed yr 5/6 class and they still chnage together, it can be amusing to watch them getting changed (if that's not too dodgy!!!) they look like they are acting out the Mr Bean beach sketch!

I am utterly shocked at Y5 & Y6 changing in unisex changing rooms.

Reception all get changed together at our school and from Y1 they get changed separately.

Someone said by the age of 17 ? Nearly all girls have periods, boobs etc by then and would you like sex obsessed 16/17yr old lads gawping at them!?

I would say by at least 8/9 - at the latest!

I think girls are maturing earlier than they did in my day ... I certainly can't remember anyone starting their period or developing boobs in primary in fact not in the first year at grammar school but it's quite common now.
Schools weren't built to accommodate separate changing areas so it is a problem to find space and supervision.

At my sons' school they change in the classroom all together right through year 6. I agree with the consensus that they should change separately from year 5 onwards.

If there is no other place to change, could not the girls be asked to sit quietly in the hall while the boys change and then have them swap? Yes, it would take more time, but if given something useful to do, like practice spellings in pairs, it doesn't need to be wasted time.

I grew up in America, where children didn't actually change for PE until they were 12 or 14 anyway. We did PE in our white school shirts, just changing our bottom half into shorts. We girls pulled a pair of shorts on under our skirts and then took the skirt or pinafore off. No modesty issues at all. Boys changed their trousers, but the shirt tails covered their pants, and now that they make boxers for boys, they could be completely covered. (A very selfconscious boy could even wear a pair of small pants under the boxers.)

Do they really need to change for PE? They play just as hard in the playground at playtime and we don't worry about their uniforms -- why do they need special clothes for PE? Some schools even have soft collar uniform shirts, which other schools have for PE. Where is the logic in that?

I say have them pull on shorts or trackies, take off their ties, change their shoes and be done with it. Less time wasted changing, no embarrassment for the children, and less stuff for parents to remember and wash and haul back and forth.

If schools have summer dresses for girls, they can choose to either forgo the dress on PE day in favour of a skirt and blouse, or deal with taking it off. If a girl is selfconscious she will be happy to have a modest option.