Secondary School mixed sex changing rooms complaint: Update from school (again)

[TangenitalContrivences]

Hello everyone - Have just received a further update from my daughters (14) secondary school (Brighton) regarding my complaint - which is at stage 2 - go to governors complaint, and my further email to the school asking them to comply with the EHRC interim guidance.

I'll copy both responses below, redacted.

I would very, very much appreciate specific feedback to include in my responses to the school, it's been people here (and elsewhere) who have helped me put together really powerful letters that have clearly rattled the school.

However - there is still a male in the female changing spaces at this school. Therefore it is mixed sex.

(link to the last discussion if you want context https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5309038-secondary-school-complaint-about-mixed-sex-changing-rooms-update-school-response-and-request-for-help-writing-the-escalated-complaint-to-governors )

I haven't read everything op..but have been following this

Have you considered contacting JK Rowling? She offered to fund the court fees of any women strip searched my male police officers. I know this is different but wonder if she'd get behind the legal costs if you took legal action?

it is the law and has been since 2010

from my understanding of safeguarding, this is in itself an issue.

we had it hammered into us that the person you go to if you have a safeguarding issue with the head teacher is the chair of governors.

I don’t see how this is different for parents. Our policies state as such as do my children’s school policies.

that’s the point of the governors

I’d complain to Ofsted DfE on that basis alone

Your letter is excellent, OP. I hope you can find a way to get it to the governors.

No advice but it sounds like they are trying to delay till the end of the school year . Maybe they hope you will drop it for September or change your mind. Who knows . But definitely sounds like they don't want to deal with it this school year

I’m starting to think Walkden works for Brighton and Hove City Council 😂

Absolutely agree with this.

If a school thinks any adolescent (or even pre-adolescent) boy is clearly no risk to girls, they have forgotten all they ever knew about male sexuality*. And have also totally ignored the dignity and emotional needs of girls. There is also a risk to any boy given free access to girls' spaces,

*Adolescence is a confusing time for boys, who have to learn to control new and strong urges appropriately.

So what? @TangenitalContrivences is pointing out to teachers an governors that they are breaking the law and acting unreasonably. He is also doing his best for his daughters and all other girls in the school, and there is some possibility of a positive effect on other schools.

You seem to be saying that interim guidance is completely pointless. The EHRC might take a different view.

There's no risk assessing your way out of the law.

"You were speeding ma'am doing 60 in a 30 zone"

"Well I did a risk assessment and determined as there were no other cars or pedestrians at that time so in my opinion it was safe"

Just as illustration.

There is especially no risk assessing your way out of appropriate safeguarding. The whole point of safeguarding is to assume there are risks and to mitigate those risks - this is why schools are required to use enhanced DBS and safer recruitment even on the most blameless individuals. The evidence on single sex toilets and changing rooms is vast - mixed sex is higher risk. Not that this matters because it's the law - and there are several laws clearly specifying this - that there should be single sex toilets and changing in schools over a certain age.

If they're allowing male bodied children in with the girls presumably they may also be allowing male bodied adults who identify as trans too.

Safeguarding nightmare.

Let us know how the Ofsted complaint goes. The link I included says it takes 20 mins so hopefully will not be too difficult - hopefully you can attach the letters clearly stating they will break the law from the school so it might not even take that long.

Bring on the court case as I will donate the hell out of this one, as would many on here and elsewhere.

Including me, definitely.

I do think Brighton parents or parents at this individual school could launch a judicial review - I would donate to a crowdfund.

Who Can Apply for Judicial Review in the UK?

"In the UK, Judicial review is a legal procedure that enables individuals, organisations, or groups to question the legality of decisions, actions, or omissions by public authorities. It is primarily conducted in the Administrative Court, a division of the High Court, and, in some specialised cases, the Upper Tribunal.
The purpose of judicial review is to assess whether public authorities have acted within the boundaries of their legal powers, complied with public law principles, and respected human rights.
Judges in judicial review proceedings examine the decision-making procedure rather than the decision’s merits. The court ensures public bodies follow correct legal procedures, avoid abuse of power, and act fairly.
It is important to note that the review is not a substitute for appeal but rather a tool for addressing procedural or legal failings. It helps maintain accountability and transparency in public administration.

I think @TangenitalContrivences point about the fact he cannot even apply to move his children to a different school because all the schools in the area is a good one. His daughter(s?) are being directly discriminated against on the grounds of sex. There is not proper safeguarding in the school and also there is no option for another school.

^^

me too

Let me guess, it's Brighton College. Well done OP, it's hard taking action specifically in such a captured town.
Brighton prides itself on it's tolerance and diversity while being the whitest most bourgeois city in the UK. In fact if it were more diverse it would have more kickback to it's misogynistic policies.

You could send your thread to Julie Bindel, I can't remember whether she lives in Brighton but she has connections there.

Just thinking about the issue with contacting the governors, is there any info in past school newsletters regarding governor vacancies/welcoming new ones or advertising the role that isn't normally available on the school website?

They might have more contact details on if you dig?

I was on Julie's podcast actually as a concerned parent, maybe I could let her know about it. Thing is I know she knows about the Toolkit and everything that entails

Not actually the school you mention, but, all the schools in Brighton follow the toolkit, so they all facilitate this abhorrent behaviour with our children.

I know the names of all the governors, they are on the website, it's their email addresses and contact details that the clerk is keeping from me, but thanks!

She's very good at replying to DMs on Instagram x

So a man is just walking into the women’s toilets? Or is it a trans woman?

I don;t have the energy for another derailing, please just read the links in the first post if you are really interested.

I've just replied to your DM

Keep going OP. The school is breaking law. The fact that the guidance is interim is a red herring.

Children's right to access education is a human right under international human rights law. Older girls cannot access education without single sex spaces - not with safety, not with dignity, some not because of their religion, some because of heavy periods (when they will particularly not wish to share spaces with male bodied children). This is schools denying girls their human right to access education.

I wonder how many Brighton parents have chosen to homeschool because of this - I bet it's non zero. I wonder what the attendance statistics are for biological girls with mixed sex toilets compared to truly single sex.

Development charities know that the first thing you need to do to enable girls to access education is single sex toilets. And girls in the UK are being denied this.

Bathrooms and Girls’ Education in Africa - The Borgen Project

Why Toilets?
Only 57% of primary schools within the world’s least developed countries have single-sex bathrooms. The good news is that countries such as Djibouti, Gambia, Ghana, Morocco and Mozambique have single-sex bathrooms in 80% of their primary schools. However, the work is far from complete given that some countries such as Eritrea only have these facilities in 27% of schools, and the lowest being only 9% in Senegal.
The majority of sexual assault and rape incidents happen in school bathrooms because there is only one facility for all students with very little to no privacy. So along with embarrassment regarding using the restroom and changing their sanitary pads in front of male students, they feel incredibly unsafe walking into the bathroom. When girls do not have to worry about their hygiene and safety at school, they will be more likely to continue attending. Creating a safe environment is key to ensuring girls attend and stay in school. This can help break the cycle of gender disparity in education.

Assuming you have the names of all the governors you could look each of them up on LinkedIn as many will have business backgrounds ime.