They have turned the toilets at my daughter's school mixed sex

[dumpling23]

Yup - that's it really. On a local women's rights group I'm on, I've heard that another school in our town has also done just the same thing. I'll be writing to complain. I imagine others who look at this forum might hear that the the same change has been introduced at their children's school over the next few days, so here is a copy of my letter. If anybody else is in this situation, feel free to use/adapt this template. Corrections also welcome.

I am writing to register my concerns about the changes to the ** School toilets that have been reported to me by my child. I have been informed that the single sex provision at the English Block and the Canteen Corridor have been converted into mixed sex provision, with further conversions underway. In this letter I am requesting further information in order to better understand the situation, as the only information I have received at present comes from a child.

I will state at the outset that I consider removing single-sex toilet provision and replacing it with mixed-sex provision, as appears to be the case here, to be detrimental to female pupils. It also risks breaking the law. The guidance in the Schools Premises Regulations (2012) is very clear. It states that schools must provide separate sex provision for children over eight. In June 2018, the Department of Education reissued guidance from the Department of Education on the responsibilities of school in relation to ‘gender separation’. Paragraph 13 clearly states:

It is permissible for toilet and boarding accommodation facilities to be separate as they are captured under existing statutory exceptions. Separate toilet and washing facilities must be provided for boys and girls aged 8 years and over pursuant to Regulation 4 of the School Premises (England) Regulations 2012, which falls within the exemption provided for in Schedule 22 of the Equality Act 2010.

Furthermore, as you will no doubt have noticed, the Attorney General, Suella Braverman provided further guidance to schools about toilets in her speech of 10 August 2022. She said: ‘Further, in law, there is a duty to provide separate single sex toilets, a breach of which would be unlawful under the School premises (England) Regulations 2012 and the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

In order that I can better understand the School’s actions and assess how it fits within the UK’s legal framework, I would be grateful if you could provide answers to the following questions:

1. What is the toilet provision in the school and is it in line with the School Premises Regulations (2012) as outlined in the Department of Education guidance?
2. Did the school consult with students, staff and parents about the proposed change?
3. Did the school carry out an impact assessment (especially in relation to the protected characteristics of sex and religion) on the change as is required under the Equality Act?

If the school did carry out a consultation exercise and Impact Assessment, I would be grateful if you could share the documentation around these processes.

I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.

The disregard for basic safeguarding (let alone pupils' dignity and privacy) is appalling. Head teachers that enable this illegality shouldn't be in the job at all. Hope you get a sensible response OP.

Excellent letter. Hope you get a decent response. Poor kids, ffs.

Excellent letter. Let's hope they roll this right back.

That's letter is excellent. I look forward to hearing their response if you're willing to share.

All the best op

I might want any impact assessment to include disability. Many people who are covered by the PC of disability do not need to use the accessible toilet, and some of those could be disproportionally affected by a change to mixed-sex toilets. Perhaps needing to make adjustments or self-administer treatment somewhere semi-private but not in the restricted space of a cubicle, PTSD from sexual assaults, menorrhagia…?

This happened in my daughters school - they have mostly mixed sex with one block of girls and one block of boys toilets. They closed the girls toilets because they were smoking in there meaning the girls had no single sex provision. After a month (I kept expecting it to be temporary) I phoned the school and was told the girls could just use the mixed sex facilities.

I sent a very similar letter to the one above, with the added complaint that the boys had extra facilities, and the girls toilets were miraculously "fixed" the following Monday.

I am almost too angry at the idiocy of this policy. I work in a school and have literally watched kids go in to the loo and come straight back out again looking embarrassed because a kid of the opposite sex was in there.

Too angry to comment
should say

You would have thought that by now all schools should be well aware of the law on this. Why are they continuing to push unsafe facilities for girls when they know they are proved to be unsafe? Who is benefitting? Great letter but it is appalling that each school seems to need individual complaints to look at what they are doing, or to consider public policy or the impact.

Excellent letter!

Obviously they knew it was going to be unpopular - no consultation or advance warning!

I think I'm more dumbfounded than angry. I think it takes longer to get a traffic signal put in at an intersection that has become dangerous, than it took to get this done. Meaning, someone actually proposed this out loud to other people, and enough of those other people said "Yes, that sounds like a good idea." :|

If they have only changed one then what’s the problem?

your daughter can still use another girls only restroom, and a trans, or nb, or whatever child can go into the mixed bathroom without any shame or worry.

there should be three bathroom options as it will cater for all then. Male, female, and mixed seems sensible

I just do NOT understand why schools would ever do this? It’s so inherently risky. Plus, who actually wants it? Boys don’t - I have two boys and they would absolutely hate to be doing even a wee where girls could hear, let alone if they need a poo. I can imagine both boys and girls would hate this. And I’m sure girls don’t want it either.
It’s not like single sex facilities are something they have to get used to either - nearly everywhere in the real world is sex segregated.
Absolute misguided lunacy.

Excellent letter. Well done OP. Fingers crossed it has an impact

Add in the words 'discriminating against girls' and also have a look at the latest keeping children safe in education which I'm sure talks about peer on peer sexual abuse and making sure schools are well equipped to deal with this, obviously single sex provision is a part of it. Even in primary.

I'm a teacher and I know how many of my colleagues need it spelling out!

(It is an excellent letter!)

Are the teachers installing mixed sex toilets for teachers or is it just students?

I'm some primaries you can have an all female staff. But yes that's a good point

Why do you think that the OP has written to the school to ask for clarification, rather than going in all-guns-blazing? It means that she can establish exactly what provision is left and where.

Great letter OP. Hope you get a speedy response and that others will use it for schools behaving in this shameful and illegal way.

I just do NOT understand why schools would ever do this?

Cowardice. They can then avoid the issue of children wanting to use the toilets for the opposite sex.

Are the teachers installing mixed sex toilets for teachers or is it just students?

There have been rumblings about it at my school but no action so far, thankfully.

I've taught in a school where students and staff all use the same, mixed sex, open toilets.

I wasn't there long enough to find out whether there were more suitable facilities hidden away around the site for those in the know.

I know I never relaxed for a second. I had an IBS flare as a result.

Two minutes peace in a quiet toilet cubicle turned out to be fundamental to my ability to relax at school. Everywhere in schools is loud, jostling, crowded. The toilets and library used to be the only places to just pause and catch your breath.