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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

secondary school with no locker facilities

60 replies

Storminateacup74 · 08/10/2018 16:58

We are currently doing the rounds for open evenings/mornings. My son is in year 6 and the secondary school that my other child attends, we do not feel is right for my son, so we are looking at another local secondary academy. It has a very different feel and ethos that would suit my autistic son but the one thing which I find odd is that they don't have any lockers so everything has to be carried around with them all day including wet coats. He is lucky and his primary has lockers so he has been used to going in in the morning and putting his lunch and coat in his locker. My DD and DN's school in a neighbouring town all have the option of hiring a locker. Is it normal for some schools not to have lockers - I just presumed they all offered them. Thanks

OP posts:
Fridaydreamer · 08/10/2018 18:29

No lockers in DD’s secondary. It works fine. Kids only bring what they need and they get used to lugging around PE kits. There no time in the schedule to use lockers between class anyway.

JeanPagett · 08/10/2018 18:43

No lockers at my kids' secondary. As others have said it seems to work fine (kids don't have many books anyway Hmm) and there isn't time between classes to go to lockers anyway.

MsAwesomeDragon · 08/10/2018 18:48

We have a very small supply of lockers at my school. The vast majority of kids carry their stuff around with them and leave their bags in form rooms at lunchtime.

A few kids, generally those with organisational issues or physical issues with carrying big bags, have lockers based in the learning support department. They're based down there so the support staff can make sure the kids who need help get that help, whether it is in deciding which books they need for the rest of the day or help carrying their PE kit to the changing rooms. We have approx 30 lockers in a school of about 1500 pupils. There just isn't space for any more.

Racecardriver · 08/10/2018 18:53

This is the first time I have E ER heard if senior schools without lockers. I am quite surprised by it.

MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig · 08/10/2018 20:20

No lockers? How bloody archaic. I’m glad my dd goes to a sensible well prepared school that has somewhere she can store her PE kit etc all week without having to lug it around all day. Not good for growing bones either.

ChoudeBruxelles · 08/10/2018 20:22

Ds’s school has lockers. I paid for one last year but haven’t bothered this year as he just lugs everything around with him anyway as he can’t be bothered to walk from one end of the school to another building to get to his locker

RedSkyLastNight · 08/10/2018 21:03

If DS has SEN, have you asked if there is a specific additional provision he can access? I know my friend's child (who has ASD) is able to use a special room to store his coat/belongings rather than have to join in the hustle around lockers.

SnuggyBuggy · 08/10/2018 21:08

We had lockers but you would often be assigned one at the other end of the school from your form room which was a bit useless. We also had that stupid rule about coats having to be stored in bags making it impossible to takes winter coat to school

UserName31456789 · 09/10/2018 11:19

Wow I had no idea this was a thing. What on earth do the kids do if they have an instrument, PE kit, wet coat etc. Drag it around with them all day?

SnuggyBuggy · 09/10/2018 11:27

Pretty much except you didn't bring a coat. I had one of those mac in sac type coats but just had to suck it up in winter. I think the music teachers used to let people store instruments in the music department.

PatriciaHolm · 09/10/2018 13:46

Totally normal. In a big school, lockers can be a complete pain - you simply don't have time to get there and back when you need to. DS's school only offer them in Yr7 but he never bothered. DD does keep her PE kit in hers but could easily not.

And I'm assuming those aghast at kids carrying wet coats don't have teenagers ;-) They don't do coats! Instruments can normally be left in the tutor room or music room, and they just carry everything else around in a rucksack.

Armchairanarchist · 09/10/2018 13:51

DC's secondary charge £40 for lockers and £10 if a key is lost.

malmontar · 09/10/2018 14:20

I wouldnt want to shove a wet coat in a locker, it wouldnt dry and would smell. Better to just hang it on the back of a chair. The lockers are also rarely large enough to fit an instrument that would be too heavy to lug around anyway. The lockers we had could barely fit a folded up clarinet.

SnuggyBuggy · 09/10/2018 14:23

Coats on the back of chairs was a big no no for some reason

AdventuringThroughLife · 09/10/2018 15:37

Ooh gosh I wouldnt want to teach in a room with 30 wet coats!! Im glad ours werent allowed to take then around with them!

Nooobeee · 09/10/2018 15:47

New schools aren't built with space for lockers. I've been involved in a new-build project and space limitations are tight. Senior leadership team aren't bothered though - they've worked in schools with lockers - they say there are never enough, they're never in the right place, and they're never big enough. Plus they get smelly and are a nightmare to maintain.

IceBearRocks · 09/10/2018 15:49

DS in school and has HF ASD...
He manages fine without a locker!!!

Nooobeee · 09/10/2018 15:50

Also, coat hooks are considered a fire hazard.

Cherryminx · 09/10/2018 16:06

We have lockers but both DC don't use them. No text books. They have online access for home use and the actual books are kept in school. They do not wear coats even when it is snowing Grin

littleducks · 09/10/2018 16:19

Dd has a locker. For free just need to provide the padlock. I saw it last school event, was super efficency tidy with space for books in a magazine file. Hanger on hook for her blazer etc. PE kit in bag.

Her bedroom on the other hand Hmm

She doesnt do music or wear a coat (has umbrella and pac a mac) and puts ingredients in food tech room. Still wouldn't want her carrying too much and risk damaging her back.

Topseyt · 09/10/2018 18:04

We had lockers when I was at school. I had mixed feelings about them. I did like being able to dump some stuff in mine, but really the only time we had to go to them was before school started and at the end of the day, which wasn't much use for those who had to get a bus. They were off limits at lunchtime.

DD1 had one at her secondary school, but I don't think she used it much due to the time factor. The school DD2 and DD3 went to didn't have them. They managed. There would have been little time to use them there too. Apparently they had had them years before but had had them taken out as they were a nightmare to police, maintain and keep clean (rubbish piled up down the back etc.

reluctantbrit · 09/10/2018 20:39

DD has a locker, it houses the PE kit and arts kit.

In my opinion she could also bring the things on the days required. It would actually give me a chance to wash it.

Books stay at home apart from the ones she needs for that day. Her violin does not fit in it anyway.

Coat, not sure I would want her to stuff a wet coat into a locker with other things in it.

typoqueen · 10/10/2018 16:03

they have lockers in my DD's secondary school as they are not allowed to carry bags or coats inside the building.

SnuggyBuggy · 10/10/2018 16:08

Not allowed to carry bags? How on earth does that work?

AdventuringThroughLife · 10/10/2018 16:21

No bags and coats works much nicer - bags and coats in lockers/cloakrooms so you only need the stuff for a couple of classes at a time. Corridors and classrooms much nicer environment not full of bags and coats!