Unisex Primary Toilets

[Yellowleaf]

This is my first time posting and I am looking for some advice. My daughter is in unit one in primary school and I have just found out she now has to share the toilets with boys. She told me as she said she can’t go to the loo all day as when she goes in the loo boys have come in and she then can’t go. I’m worried as she is holding it in all day & this could possibly cause a urine infection etc.

I am going to speak with the teacher as I’m unhappy with the changes made for a few reasons & think single sex sex toilets should be available.
Also the parents were not told of the change to mixed sex toilets. It seems from speaking to my daughter that it has something to do with changes due to Covid. Sorry if I am waffling, I was wondering if anyone can tell
me if there are any specific guidelines/rules that need to be in place when toilets are unisex? I would just like to know the facts before I speak to the teacher. Thanks in advance.

Due to COVID restrictions, the infant bubbles at my daughter’s school have mixed sex toilets but juniors have single-sex. This might be the reason. They aren’t normally mixed and I expect once this crisis is over, they will revert back.

@GeorgiaGirl52

I have determined from the snarky responses that our school situation is different. In kindergarten and elementary (ages 5-11) there is one bathroom per classroom. It is a bath ROOM with full walls and a door that locks and a sink with a soap dispenser. Both sexes use it and even the teacher although the toilets are a little lower than standard. From middle school on (ages 12-18) there are the large rooms with block cubicles and lines of sinks on the wall. Those, naturally are single sex. So GrabtharsHammerWhatASavings I am neither disingenuous not stupid. I am merely unfamiliar with school toilets in Britain. You are unfamiliar with school facilities in America.

Off topic, but I do love the sound of your classroom toilet provision. So much nicer for small kids than having to share with all ages, and without privacy.

And sadly, many schools over here are trying to create unisex toilets in secondary schools - 11 up. (That's against the law, with very good reason. But some are doing it anyway.)

@GeorgiaGirl52

I have determined from the snarky responses that our school situation is different. In kindergarten and elementary (ages 5-11) there is one bathroom per classroom. It is a bath ROOM with full walls and a door that locks and a sink with a soap dispenser. Both sexes use it and even the teacher although the toilets are a little lower than standard. From middle school on (ages 12-18) there are the large rooms with block cubicles and lines of sinks on the wall. Those, naturally are single sex. So GrabtharsHammerWhatASavings I am neither disingenuous not stupid. I am merely unfamiliar with school toilets in Britain. You are unfamiliar with school facilities in America.

Nothing you have said here in any way negates the fact you made that ridiculous false equivalence in your first post between pubic toilets and toilets in a home. Nor have you acknowledged your dishonesty in attempting to draw a parallel where these is none.

So, tbh, you still sound both disingenuous and stupid to me.

And tragically US centred. Have you no awareness of how arrogant and culturally imperialist it is to assume that the arrangements in the US are the default setting for the rest of the world too? There are many, many things which are vastly different here in the UK (and other parts of the world, obviously) from how they are in the US. We are not one of your colonies.

Shame on you. Educate yourself. Do better.

We need to be clear on the classes of toilets (UK) and make sure we always use the correct terminology when speaking to our schools.
Mixed sex
Unisex
Single sex
I'm busy at moment but Safe Schools Alliance have done lots of work on this.
safeschoolsallianceuk.net/?s=Toilets

For OP as your daughter is only 7 I would speak to teacher and ask for a reasonable adjustment like being able to use toilet before break or after break when noone else will be in there. It's great your daughter has articulated her fears and the consequence on her body. Before this fear progresses to a phobia and all the medical issues associated with that school need to take action. You can say you understand the law but your daughter has other needs. A small accommodation to save her health should be ok. The alternative is you keep her off school, which would they prefer?

I'd really appreciate some signposting and guidance on this.

I am a governor (and parent - although not a parent governor) at a local brand new school that has unisex toilets.

I brought up this issue (including the issue of sanitary bins) when I first started governing.

The Safeguarding governor and Head inspected the toilets and said that qualify as separate rooms (the doors are almost floor to ceiling - you cannot see over them or under them, but there IS a gap). There is no sink in the cubicle.

Until this year, the only sanitary bins were in the disabled toilet. They have now put them in two (two!) other cubicles in the Y5 and Y6 shared toilet block, and menstruating girls will need to use these specific cubicles.

To my mind this is not acceptable. There is no signage to mean ONLY girls can use these cubicles, and it also marks them out to their friends if they are "waiting" for special cubicles to become available.

The older children themselves have almost started segregating the toilets; there is a block with toilets to the left and the right, divided by a row of sinks. The boys tend to use one side and the girls the other, but this has not been specified or encouraged by the school.

The school is happy that they follow the DofE guidance and that each cubicle constitutes a room (I would disagree). Has anyone got any resources that categorically show what children over the age of 8 need to be able to access? Have there been any test cases with this type of new-built school where someone has decided unisex toilets are a good idea and this has been successfully challenged?

No they are not unisex. Unisex means a self contained room (toilet, sink, sanitary bin) that opens on to a public corridor. Because it is a room they have to be floor to ceiling. I'm not sure what you are describing. See the safe schools alliance link above and get in touch with them by email.

@FemaleAndLearning

No they are not unisex. Unisex means a self contained room (toilet, sink, sanitary bin) that opens on to a public corridor. Because it is a room they have to be floor to ceiling. I'm not sure what you are describing. See the safe schools alliance link above and get in touch with them by email.

Apologies - I didn't explain the layout well.

There are several toilet "blocks" dotted down the main corridor of the school. There are no doors on the toilet block - the block (and sinks) are completely open. This is to reduce bullying as (other than the cubicles) there are no closed doors.

Each toilet block is divided by a row of sinks down the middle. (Girls tend to use the left, boys the right, but this has been decided by the kids, not the adults.)

The toilet cubicles have a gap of about 5cm at the bottom of each door, and about 10cm at the top, but even standing on a toilet seat, you can't see into the next cubicle, even if you're an adult, as the ceilings are high.

BUT there is no sink within the cubicle, so to my mind, it does not qualify as a self-contained room.

I am happy to contact Safe Schools Alliance, but I suspect the school would know that it is me that has made a complaint, which I would rather avoid.

What you seem to be describing is mixed sex or often referred to gender neutral, but never use that as it is wrong!
They are certainly not self contained. The size of the gap is irrelevant if there is a gap! You should get some good advice off SSA.