Children in class hear foghorn noise reverberating through the wall on daily basis

[Dovechic]

Is it an unreasonable request to have the school repair and fix the above noise that lasts for more than a minute every time someone flushes one of the toilets next door?
My daughter's class and teacher(s) have been subjected to this noise since September 2018. I only found out about it when we went in for a special topic day and heard this noise for myself. I am surprised and shocked that the school has allowed 29 children including the teachers to be subjected to this horrible noise on a daily basis. The children seemed oblivious to it, as it was towards the end of term probably due to the fact they became normalised by the situation. The noise level in class actually went up which made things worse in the classroom!

I fortunately had a meeting booked and went in to discuss a few concerns around noise and low level class disruption. So I requested this noise to be rectified, as to me it's a wellbeing and safeguarding issue.

I received an email yesterday saying that the issue was fixed and it was rectified. I asked my daughter if that was the case she said no. I then got confirmation from the teacher, today, that the noise 'came back'. Hmm did it actually go away?

Incidentally I asked how long this issue had been going on for and apparently to my dismay it has been an ongoing issue since early 2018! I'm not sure how to follow up. Do I just keep on at them until it is fixed? Do I spread the work to all the unaware parents about the foghorn noise? Should I suggest that they move the class to another spare classroom temporarily until it is fixed? Are kids allowed to be taught in what I class as a substandard environment. One of the school's policies states that they provide a pleasant environment for the children to develop and learn emotionally and mentally but is the classroom exempt from this rule?

Really?

Do you really have nothing better to do with your time?

Yes I do but when one's daughter comes home looking drained, white as sheet, complains of headaches and is sometime physically sick due to the noise levels and the constant shouting by a teacher, as a mother I need to work out why as this never had in the 3 previous years she's been at that school and her brother is doesn't have that issue in his class!!!!!!!!!!!!

Apologies for typos and yes forgive me if I am concerned about the welfare of my kids at school. Forgive me for looking out for my kids. And forgive me for you actually stopping and reading my post. Obviously you have a lot of time on your hands to make very unconstructive, flippant, prejudicial comments that are quite arrogant and hurtful.

Plenty of things it could be as more of the class would be like it if that was the problem.

Maybe try a GP or given that she has headaches and school use screen time, an optician. Also if you're that bothered, try asking the school if you can make a donation to the plumbing repairs as we all know schools are tight on money as it is. :)

They could try stopping all children using the loos during teaching time. Why are the toilets being flushed so often? I’m bemused!

I think you are somewhat over stating the annoyance. It’s certainly not safeguarding. Write to the governors premises committee or ask the Head when effective repairs might be carried out. I would have thought the teacher wouldn’t be happy either!

The children seemed oblivious to it.
So your problem is?
Constant shouting? Drained and white as a sheet and vomiting? From a noise everyone else is oblivious to? The toilets aren’t the issue.

I would be very concerned if the noise was affecting her so much, have you taken her to the GP?

You say
I only found out about it when we went in for a special topic day and heard this noise for myself. and The children seemed oblivious to it

yet
one's daughter comes home looking drained, white as sheet, complains of headaches and is sometime physically sick due to the noise levels and the constant shouting by a teacher

they can't all be true? Is she oblivious to it or not?

I'd be very surprised if this toilet is being flushed more than once a lesson at most - who could be using it when everyone is in lessons?

A noisy toilet flushing a few times a day is not a "safeguarding issue". If it's really loud then it's a best a bit annoying, but you've raised it now, and if its really that bad school would be well aware anyway.

I know the noise you mean, my parents and my in laws have both had it at home (and neither couple have been reduced to the state you describe. They just got used to it. It was us coming round and commenting that made them get it fixed!

It's almost certainly that the ball valve in the cistern needs replacing. It is a relatively simple fix, it just sounds as though no one has reported it as the toilets work and the teacher and class have just put up with it.

The caretaker could probably take a look or mention it to the premises manager as being easily fixable.

This has really cheered me up

🤔

Could be a water hammer effect- we had a plumber 'fix' this but it came back almost immediately so it could be tricky to fix - but I agree it needs sorted

Safeguarding issue?

Have you actually looked into what that means beyond it's a good buzzword to say when asking the school to do something?

@Witchend "safeguarding" is a word parents like to throw around usually as a scare tactic to make people panic 🙄 OP if your DD is that bad you need to take her to a gp there is no way on gods green earth that she's that ill from a noise that I'm going to say rarely happens.

We have similar noise issues with our toilets at school. Lost count of the amount of times we've had people in. Sometimes it's fixed for a month or so, sometimes just a day before it comes back. You do get used to it. The most popular reason given is our pipes are too narrow for today's water pressure. Schools do not have the money to replace plumbing when the toilets flush and therefore function as we need them to.

If DD is that ill you need to take her to a doctor, not seeking proper medical attention for your child actually is a safeguarding issue, an irritating noise is not.