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Secondary education

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Original poster

What is normal in secondary school re: using toilets?

39 replies

LynetteScavo · 26/06/2014 21:46

DS1 recently had his induction day to high school (same school DS1 attends)

DS2 was surprised he wasn't allowed to use the toilet when he put up his hand to ask.

DS1 explained to him no one is allowed to go to the toilet during lesson times, and the toilets are locked by the caretakers. If someone really needs the toilet they have to go to the office and ask for the key.

DS1 has no problem with this. DS2, now he knows the rule will have no problem with this, as I have produced DC with bladders of steel.

(DD who is still only 8yo will probably have a problem with this psychologically, but that issue is obviously years away! Grin)

So I can see it would an issue for some....just wondering if this is normal in high schools?

OP posts:
Youarejustwordsonascreenpeople · 27/06/2014 12:05

It's weird the way different schools go about it. We are a school that goes from primary to secondary in one big building. The primary is from FS1 (nursery) to year 6 and each year is a 5 class intake. Each class has its own individual toilet ( FS1 have small toddler size up to normal size for year 6. From year 2 onwards they are encouraged to use the communal toilets but obviously if there is an emergency then they use the class one. By year 6 they are not expected to use the class ones except in a real emergency.

Secondary they have the communal toilets and are expected to go in break. They can get a hall pass if they need to. We don't have paper fires, damage or graffiti. There is CCTV in all the halls though.

ReallyTired · 27/06/2014 12:11

What would happen if a girl's period was really heavy in the middle of her maths lesson. I hope a decent teacher would let her sort herself out.

GothMummy · 27/06/2014 12:14

Wow. Im sorry to hear that this still happens. My school had this rule in the early 1990s and I had very very heavy periods requiring changing sanpro every 30 minutes. I was shouted at for wanting to go to the toilet in a French lesson, so ended up bleeding all over the seat, my school uniform and the carpet. I was also absolutely mortified. I had to be collected by my dad, as I had no dry/clean clothes and from then on just didn’t bother going to school on my heavy period days.

I would be very upset if I heard that my nieces or daughter’s school had this system, I would not want them to experience the distress that I still feel at that incident, 20 years on!

WooWooOwl · 27/06/2014 13:40

It's not the norm, and it suggests to me that their had been misbehaviour in the toilets during lessons.

I can remember making plans with my best friends who were all in separate lessons to meet up in the toilets half way through a double lesson. God forbid we'd have just waited another 40 mins! Hmm

goats · 27/06/2014 13:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

clary · 28/06/2014 00:12

gothmummy how horrible for you, I would hope someone in that situation would be given a toilet pass on medical grounds. Surely that's relatively unusual and thus would merit a pass.

DroppingIn · 28/06/2014 00:26

IME they rarely use the loos at school anyway as they are 'minging'.

Mine used to make a stampede for the loos at home when they got in and make ours minging.

DroppingIn · 28/06/2014 00:27

Not used to. I have 2 at secondary and one at college and she is still the same!

nippysweetie82 · 28/06/2014 00:33

DD tells me that in her school the toilets are kept locked during lesson times. If they really need to go they need to get a form signed by themselves and the teacher with the time on it. The form then needs to be handed into the office for them to collect the key for the toilets and they have to write their name down on another sheet of paper.
If there's any vandalism in the toilets a fine will be issued to the last known person to have had the key! I'm not sure how that could be enforced without checking the toilet after each use!

jackwilson · 28/06/2014 06:32

I think it is normal.

PastaandCheese · 28/06/2014 06:42

I'm surprised they are locked. Imagine if you suddenly felt sick or had diarhoea? That must happen sometimes and having to get a key in that scenario seems cruel.

Tissuemapissue · 28/06/2014 08:50

Locking the toilets in between lessons seems a bit extreme, but I expect a decision to do that by schools wouldn't have been made without a good reason. In my DDs school, you can't leave lessons to go to the loo unless it's a "dire emergency".

Wolfiefan · 28/06/2014 08:59

Locking seems odd. I would be worried that a student was locked in.
Most students can wait until the end of the lesson to use the toilet by that age. For those who have medical issues, teachers are emailed or students given cards to show.
Toilets are where bullying, smoking, vandalism, trouble and skiving occur!
Lessons are where learning takes place!

intheenddotcom · 28/06/2014 20:26

Quite normal for children not to be allowed to the toilet in lessons - unless it is an emergency. Not normal for them to be locked.

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