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Original poster

Pe time children changing together in class

70 replies

user1474657726 · 18/03/2023 10:00

Im just curious.
I work in education and as a mum I find it call me old fashioned but it niggles me .

Children changing togther in class for pe. The girls stripping off to pants and so are the boys.

Our school thankfully has kept the rule since covid to come in pe kit and stay in alday as pe is only 1 hour after lunch . So its all my youngest has known.

My eldest back in 2000s was split boy n girls in different rooms. So was in in the 80s

So it just dont sit right with me having them togther. Even the teacher I work with likes the covid era rule for pe kits worn alday .

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Coraline353 · 21/03/2023 07:33

My year 5 DS just told me yesterday that they change together in one classroom still and he hates it. All the girls wear little bra/crop tops and one girl forgot to put hers on and burst into years changing her t shirt in the classroom, which is awful. DS says he often ends up between 2 girls and having to get changed down to pants. He's thinking of raising it with the HT.

RoxTen · 21/03/2023 07:33

I remember this and if you forgot your gym kit you had to do the class in your underwear

This didn't happen at our school, pe kit stayed in school all term....

RoxTen · 21/03/2023 07:34

We changed in class all the way through primary school. I think in Y6 some girls may have gone to the toilets to change.

blebbleb · 21/03/2023 07:35

@Coraline353 that's awful. You could raise it with the head teacher surely?

Marchsnowstorms · 21/03/2023 07:39

@Coraline353 I'd raise it. I don't think it's appropriate any more in yr5
Girls especially develop much earlier & all the DC will be much more aware than years ago

Thisisnotmyname2022 · 21/03/2023 07:44

Year 4 here… all change together in class. I am only one person so cannot supervise 2 groups of children getting changed in different places.

Even finding a second space to change is a luxury, every space in school is used for some kind of intervention.

TeenDivided · 21/03/2023 07:47

Thisisnotmyname2022 · 21/03/2023 07:44

Year 4 here… all change together in class. I am only one person so cannot supervise 2 groups of children getting changed in different places.

Even finding a second space to change is a luxury, every space in school is used for some kind of intervention.

There are ways.

Have y4 and y5 do PE on same day and swap kids between classrooms to get changed. So boys in y5, girls in y4.

Rig up a curtain system.

By the time girls start developing it is not acceptable to change together if the children don't want to.

Coraline353 · 21/03/2023 07:54

Marchsnowstorms · 21/03/2023 07:39

@Coraline353 I'd raise it. I don't think it's appropriate any more in yr5
Girls especially develop much earlier & all the DC will be much more aware than years ago

I am going to raise it (although also proud that DS was going to do so himself). He only told me about it last night so I had no idea but I really feel for that poor girl too!

We've been having enough battles with mums in the boys changing rooms after swimming lessons, changing boys almost as tall as they are, and making DS uncomfortable changing in front of them. But I really don't think this school situation is ok.

Marchsnowstorms · 21/03/2023 08:00

Gosh yes by Yr5 kids can change themselves at swimming!!

Bree82 · 21/03/2023 08:02

RoxTen · 21/03/2023 07:33

I remember this and if you forgot your gym kit you had to do the class in your underwear

This didn't happen at our school, pe kit stayed in school all term....

It was the 80s lol
but with my stepkids they did just leave it in all term.

niw since covid they just wear PE kit all day

Bree82 · 21/03/2023 08:03

Coraline353 · 21/03/2023 07:54

I am going to raise it (although also proud that DS was going to do so himself). He only told me about it last night so I had no idea but I really feel for that poor girl too!

We've been having enough battles with mums in the boys changing rooms after swimming lessons, changing boys almost as tall as they are, and making DS uncomfortable changing in front of them. But I really don't think this school situation is ok.

Show quote history

What age is Year 5?! 10?!

blebbleb · 21/03/2023 08:06

@Thisisnotmyname2022 I'm not a teacher and I can imagine you're all stretched beyond belief but there must be ways of segregation. It's really unfair for children of this age to be changing together. Surely you can remember being that age? I do and had started puberty by then

YetMoreNewBeginnings · 21/03/2023 08:08

In DDs class the girls get changed in the toilets after an incident where a comment was made by one of the boys about a girls underwear.

Its not ideal as the girls are basically unsupervised, but better than being mixed at 8.

quietnightmare · 21/03/2023 08:10

RoxTen · 21/03/2023 07:33

I remember this and if you forgot your gym kit you had to do the class in your underwear

This didn't happen at our school, pe kit stayed in school all term....

I'm primary school for me we all did it in our underwear there was no kit. Completely inappropriate

Thisisnotmyname2022 · 21/03/2023 08:12

At the moment no one seems to be bothered, nothing has been voiced otherwise and the children aren’t in a rush to cover up…

It is not for me to change PE sessions as we are timetabled according to the PE teacher.

I have mentioned it to the head previously and have been told there’s not a lot we can do.

Bree82 · 21/03/2023 08:13

What age is year 5? Is it the same as primary 5? I’m in Scotland. Primary 5 is about 10 years old!!

RoxTen · 21/03/2023 08:15

Year 5 is 9/10

Bree82 · 21/03/2023 08:16

Also whatever the age this shouldn’t happen anymore…
I remember everyone having to change all years in primary, and if someone else walked in we would all hide behind each other so clearly whatever the age we were always embarrassed. :/
I like that my step kids schools now just wear gym kit to school all day so they don’t have to change again. It’s in the afternoon anyway so if they get stinky they are going home soon after lol.

Bree82 · 21/03/2023 08:17

RoxTen · 21/03/2023 08:15

Year 5 is 9/10

Oh then I am also shocked at the mums going into the changing rooms at that age?!!

PleaseJustText · 21/03/2023 08:23

I hated it. I moved here from Ireland when I was in year 3 (8 years old) and was shocked and embarrassed at having to get changed in class with boys. Thankfully I only had to do it for a year and a half. In year 5 I moved to a school that had changing rooms. There were no issues with supervision as we did PE as a year group and could have easily put girls in one classroom and boys in another.

SpaceJamtart · 21/03/2023 08:27

We were all in one room throughout all of primary school in the 2000s
Just got good at that dressimg where you put your PE clothes on top and slide your normal clothes out from underneath.
In year 6 girls started wearing those spaghetti strap vest tops underneath then it wasn't a big deal.
I was more embarassed having to change infront of our teacher than the other kids because he was always just sat there watching.

Honestly much worse in year 7 and 8 in the early 2010s where you would have 11 year olds changing in the changing rooms alongside 16 year olds. Or there would have been a recent fight so a teacher would be stood in there to supervise.

Coraline353 · 21/03/2023 08:40

Bree82 · 21/03/2023 08:17

Oh then I am also shocked at the mums going into the changing rooms at that age?!!

Show quote history

These are outside of school but the session my 9 year old goes to is a 'lengths' class, so all children who can swim 75 metres or more. Youngest child there is about 8 and some are up to around 12. The mums goes in to get them changed faster but it's ridiculous.

I spoke to the teachers last week and they clamped down on it this week. It was hilarious - two mums stood at the open door with a running monologue ' sweetie, get your towel out of your bag. That's right. Now dry yourself. Yep and take your shirts off. Good boy. Now get your t shirt. It's in your bag. No. In Your bag. It's in your bag. Great. Now put it on...'. The swim school so have small changing rooms that can be made available if a child needs support for any reason but these boys don't.

It's slightly different at the widths sessions where there are much younger (4 year old) kids starting out but even then my 6 year old changes himself.

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 21/03/2023 08:40

At primary in early 90s I definitely remember changing unsupervised in the girls toilets. I think the boys changed in the classroom.

I really don't think it's acceptable to have mixed changing in yrs 5/6 and possibly younger. Especially if they're getting upset, that's awful!

Every swimming pool I've ever been to has signs up saying age 8 and over can't be in the opposite sex changing room. Surely that must be a standard from somewhere?

CwmYoy · 21/03/2023 08:43

If there is no possible supervision to separate them then the alternative is no PE.

AliceMcK · 21/03/2023 12:52

Thisisnotmyname2022 · 21/03/2023 08:12

At the moment no one seems to be bothered, nothing has been voiced otherwise and the children aren’t in a rush to cover up…

It is not for me to change PE sessions as we are timetabled according to the PE teacher.

I have mentioned it to the head previously and have been told there’s not a lot we can do.

Surely it would be better to let the children wear their pe kits to school on pe days? No wasting time changing and the children have their privacy and dignity.