How to change school policy

[Pookielumchum]

There's a school policy i believe needs changing. I reached out to other parents on a private parent Facebook group, and it turned out several parents agreed with me. I went to the headteacher and said, I and these other parents want change. Can we address the policy." She said that no one had minded before. So it wasn't a problem before I brought it up. And it wouldn't be appropriate for me to bring the other parents in with me. And she wouldn't accept a poll showing all the parents who want a change. How is one supposed to fix things, if not by working together as a group of parents?

Ask your parent governor for support.

That’s a bit odd of the head. Maybe each parent should write in separately?

Also - curiosity is getting the better of me - What’s the policy???

Depends on policy.

Get all the parents who care to write in individually explaining why they don't like the policy. Send to HT and (as if it's a policy not a day to day matter) copy the chair of governors.

However be aware that face to face some parents might 'agree' with you to be nice, when actually they don't care one way or another, or sometimes positively disagree with you.

For example, if it was about 7yos changing by sex for PE I might say 'you might have a point' whilst actually thinking 'it's impractical at that age'. (Conversely if it was 10yos I'd agree but if my DD didn't care I still might not bother to write in.)

Schools are not democracies, you/ parents don't get to vote on policies. If something is impacting your child negatively you can discuss it with the SLT but they don't have to make changes even if ALL parents want change - which is unlikely i have never known a single issue at my kids school in which all parents agree. Ultimately if its a deal breaker for you, and school cant facilitate any change / adaptions etc (hard without knowing what you want to change), then you will have to change schools (easier in some areas than others).

I'll tell you the policy, but I already know lots of people think it's impractical. I want single-sex changing for PE in reception. (The kids from the other years wear their PE kit in on PE days and don't change). They have 4 teachers per class, and a room that is already equipped with a movable partition down the middle. The only reason not to change is it's always been differently

Is it a private school?

No. They just have a lot of teacher's aids.

Why do you want single sex changing in reception?

I'd just ask that they go into school in PE kit, I thought that was pretty standard now?

Well, I personally wouldn't back that as I think it's unnecessary and causes more hassle to separate them and getting them changing away from their 'home' table. It also assumes there will always be sufficient adults around to supervise and help two completely separate groups. (If they have a lot of TAs it may be for specific children).

At that age children usually follow their adult carer into whatever toilets/changing rooms the sex of their carer is.
They keep their pants on, and otherwise are all the 'same' at their age.
Any 'silliness' should be stamped on by the adults in charge.

Why do you want single sex changing from reception? What benefit do you think the children gain from it, and why do you think it’s detrimental to them to change together?

Personally, I wouldn’t like this. I don’t believe reception age children need to be taught that there is a reason they need to be separated from other four and five year olds.

I want to instill in my daughter a value that no matter the situation, no one will ask her to change in front of members of the opposite sex. She doesn't have to endure comments on her revealed body by members of the opposite sex, and she doesn't have to see the body of members of the opposite sex.

The headteacher at first said, "They don't notice each others' bodies." And then she said, "It's a valuable teaching moment, to help them learn not to stare or comment on others' bodies." It can't be both - which is it?

Many of the parents dress their daughters in extra clothing (cycling shorts under their outer clothes and more modest vests) on PE days. But boys' parents don't. This inteoduces a double standard.

Parents whose values don't allow changing in mixed-sex spaces are invited to have their children change in the toilets. This further alienates children who might already be different (cultural, religious, ethnic minorities)

In our reception class they teach the children how to undress and dress as part of PE.

In reception they don't need to be single sex. They don't use single sex facilities anywhere else at that age. It creates a divide where there is no need for one when they are that young.

I asked for that. They cited the Self Care ELG for early years, which includes learning to dress themselves. I asked how they're catching up the children who went through reception during Covid (they came to school in PE kit), because presumably they need school to teach them to dress. They had no answer.

They have single sex toilets at this school.

All parents have opinions on policies in schools. Ultimately, schools have to make decisions that they feel best suit all children in their care. You may not agree and that is your right. The alternative of changing in the toilet seems a good compromise.

That's because girls toilets have more cubicles and boys have urinals.

If enough parents request their girls change separately then they will probably change policy.
If parents don't mind enough to request this then they won't.

You're being ridiculous. It's completely unnecessary to segregate by sex at that age.

Oh god, you're that parent!

I also think mixed-sex changing is a safeguarding concern. The headteacher made the point that they need to see children's bodies in order to identify signs of abuse (bruises and burns). They're not able to see much of a child's body in mixed-sex situations because they children are dressed in extra clothes for modesty's sake.

At that age we used to do PE in our underwear.

Many schools have mixed changing up to year 2. The school I worked at when I taught year one and two did and I did feel some of the girls were self conscious. However, I don’t think this is often the case in reception and the children don’t take off underwear in front of each other when changing for pe. Some schools just do not have spare rooms for children to change. I think the head should listen to you and offer sound reasoning as to why she is keeping the policy as it is.