changing for PE - NSPCC guidelines

[idril]

I've know boys and girls changing together for PE in primary school is often discussed on Mumsnet and I thought anyone having to discuss this with their own school may be interested to know that the NSPCC have just released best practice guidelines which recommend that boys and girls be separated either by using separate rooms or where that is not possible to use screens or furniture as a divider.

www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/information-service/schools-factsheet-best-practice-for-pe-changing-rooms.pdf

Thank you for posting this

link doesn't work?

That's odd. I think they changed the location. Try this:

pe changing

I think they have just formalised existing good practice. The age of 7/8 for separate changing seems slightly lower than most schools would separat5e as it implies y3 whereas I get the impression that many schools don't do this until sometime in y4 or at y5.

Don't like how they are talking about gender when they mean sex though.

7 can be year 2, that seems a little young to be thinking about separate rooms imo. I may be biased in that there are only 2 staff in each class at my school and many of my year 2's still need some help, so i feel its better if they are all together with 2 adults, for the staff as much as for the children.

Personally I think separating from year 5 is also fine but all schools in our area change together right up to and including year 6.

At my school, parents have raised the issue a few times over the time we've been at the school and we suggested having boys and girls change on separate sides of the room (no divider) but feels little less personal if not stood right next to a boy but we were told it would create too much fuss. Then a new headteacher started and was much more sympathetic and co-incidentally was sent these guidelines and the school has now purchased 4 screens to be shared across classrooms from year 3-6 but it's a junior school so makes sense to make the change when they all move up from the infants as the kids will just accept it as just another thing done differently from the infants.

At DDs old primary they used to do PE for y5 & y6 in the same afternoon, so all the girls got changed in one classroom and all the boys in the other which worked well.

Interesting. My eldest is in y2 and wouldn't need separate changing areas, I'm surprised though that by y6 some schools don't separate the kids. There would be girls developing breasts and starting their periods so I would have hoped completely private areas would be available. (I know girls who were early developers and were mortified at even changing in front of other girls).

I think at year 3 they should be separated, it was another thing I didn't partucularly like about dd1 schooling in the UK

At both my DD and DS schools, they go to different schools, they wear their PE kit to school as it less faff helping them getting changed and clothing often went missing.

Am glad this is the case. If think by year 3 they should be separate but I'm sure it's hard to staff sometimes.

My DC's school had separate changing areas from year 3, so I'd now idea that communal changing was even a thing in upper primary until I read MN.

I personally think Year 3 is probably the right age - I don't think it's actually "needed" at that age, but would suggest you should aim to separate before it becomes an issue so it's just accepted rather than a talking point.
DD was wearing a bra in year 4 and didn't much like changing in front of even other girls - and she wasn't the only girl in that position, and plenty of the girls were wearing crop tops to cover burgeoning breast buds. So Year 4 or later would be too late IMO.

I teach Y4 after having taught KS1 for the last few years, and didn't really think about separate changing until I saw one of the girls clearly very uncomfortable at having to change with the boys so obviously I allow them to change separately. I'm lucky in that we have a resource room attached to the classroom which we can use.It's normal practice in our school to allow separate changing in Y5/6.

It's usual practice

I agree that Y3 is a bit early for most to need separate areas but better to do it early so it's probably a good age.

People saying 7 is young to have separate rooms why I do agree there are certain kids who are more inquisitive than others. A boy and girl in my daughters class have been caught looking under the table at my daughter getting undressed for pe.

I think year 3 onwards is best. My DD 8 isnt conscious of anything yet but i know some are already in her class

I started my period at 8. Wore a proper bra at 9. Had a callous and uncaring DM who never bought me new underwear, just gave me hers. I was wearing ladies knickers at primary school and mortified by anyone seeing. We had to change in the classrooms, of an open plan primary school where all classrooms were in corners with 2 sides open to a main classroom in the middle. Hated. Every. Second. Of. PE.