Latest news with #RadyrComprehensive
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Students say school toilet rules create anxiety
Students say they have been left feeling embarrassed and anxious due to "baffling" school toilet restrictions. Holly, from Pentyrch, Cardiff, said she would frequently be denied permission to go to the toilet during class, or struggle to find one that was not "locked off", which contributed to her decision to be home-schooled. "I don't understand why, it's a normal, natural human thing," she said. It comes after a UK-wide survey found 65% of students were unable to access toilets at their school freely at any time. Cardiff council said it acknowledged the challenges faced by schools but was committed to working with them to find solutions for pupils to access toilets when needed. Holly, who is autistic and has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and sensory processing disorder, previously attended Radyr Comprehensive School but began being home-schooled with an online tutor in January 2024. The 15-year-old said toilet rules were a "major contributor" in the decision. "Sometimes we would have to ask in front of the class and we would be denied, sometimes we would have to tell them why we needed to go to the toilet," she said. "It was hugely embarrassing, you would toy with yourself [as to] whether you had the confidence to put up your hand and ask. It's a big feeling of potential judgement." Holly said she and her friends had "bled through our underwear", adding: "One of my friends bled through onto a chair and had to do a walk of shame. It was one of her first periods and people made fun of her for weeks." She said some toilets were "locked off" during class time, to stop pupils going to certain parts of the school. 'Unfair' to call parents into school to change nappies No working toilets and zombie knives in 'vile' housing for kids Are rules on going to school toilets too strict? Holly added there was "massive inequality" for menstruating students, who sometimes had to detour to the school office to get period products. "Even the women in the school act like they don't understand what it's like. "I don't understand why period products can't be in the toilets." She said she accepted that misbehaviour in the toilets - such as vandalism, vaping and truancy - was a concern for staff, but she wanted them to "address those issues" instead of "punishing good students". Holly eventually secured a toilet pass, which meant teachers had to allow her out, but said she still faced challenges. "I am autistic, so the toilets were a space where I could regulate," she explained, adding if she took too long someone would "bang on the door" or think she was "skiving off". She said this could lead to being overwhelmed. "One thing gets bigger and bigger until I feel like I am going to explode, and then I can't go back to class and I miss valuable learning time." She said she was now "much happier" as she could "do what I need to, when I need to". Holly's mum, Jo Wallace, said she was "baffled" by the toilet rules, adding teenagers were "expected to be very mature and make big life decisions" but also "not trusted" to use the toilets. "I can't understand how schools have got to this point," she said. "I think it's laziness, because I think there are ways they could address issues without blocking [toilets] off. "They need to realise it's having a very detrimental effect." She added: "It's a difficult time getting your period in school, and they have so much pressure on them already. "I went to Radyr myself and it wasn't like that, we had access to the toilets at all points, it wasn't an issue." Ms Wallace said she understood teachers had to follow policies, but questioned the "benefit" of the rules on "children who are just trying to get through the day". A UK-wide survey by Caerphilly-based company phs Group, in partnership with menstrual justice charity Irise International, found 65% of students were unable to access toilets at their school freely at any time. Of these, 29% needed permission from a teacher to leave the classroom and 15% required a pass to be issued. Of the 501 teachers who took part, 5% reported school toilets being locked at some point during the school day, including break times, with 4% saying they were shut all the time. And16% said they had prevented a student who had periods from using the bathroom during class, with reasons including students wanting to skip lessons or meet friends. About 30% felt students on their periods should wait until the end of a lesson. Erin, a sixth form student at Bedwas High School in Caerphilly county, said following renovations to the school toilets, facilities were now designated to different year groups but were not equal in terms of access to sanitary products and bins. The 17-year-old said toilets were locked during lessons and permission was mostly denied apart from a "handful" of times, "if you say it's an emergency". "When I've needed to go to change my period products, I've been refused. Because I really needed to go, I decided to speak out in class about why [and] ended up walking out and been told off," she said. Like Holly, Erin said she understood "behavioural issues" were the reason for the restrictions, but added it was unfair on others. "Not everyone can raise their voice in class and say exactly why they need to go. And having to do this in front of teachers and boys in the class could be embarrassing. "One of my friends was too shy to speak up, and she leaked through her uniform." Cardiff council said more than £1m had been invested through its Period Dignity initiative which aims to improve school facilities "to ensure dignity for learners". "Secondary schools are provided with a variety of period products, and dispensers have been installed in school toilets to ensure easy access to period products without needing to ask staff," it said. "We acknowledge the challenges some schools face in keeping toilet facilities free from anti-social behaviour and ensuring safeguarding, which may lead to restricted use during the day. However, we are committed to working with schools to find solutions that ensure pupils can access toilets when needed." Caerphilly council said toilet regulations were made by schools, adding it recommended parents discuss any issues with their child's school directly by following the complaints policy. People avoid drinking over lack of public toilets BBC reporter spent six hours on floor of accessible toilet Pupils opt for gender-neutral loos at new school
North Wales Live
21-05-2025
- Health
- North Wales Live
'I left school after being told I couldn't use toilet during lessons'
A teenager says she has left school after after claiming she was barred from using the toilets during lessons. Holly Hicks, 15, from Pentyrch, felt compelled to leave school due to the humiliation and embarrassment she experienced when denied access to the loo during her period. Holly, who received an autism diagnosis two years prior, departed Radyr Comprehensive in early 2024 while in year nine, though she remains officially enrolled there. Now pursuing her studies online, Holly is preparing for her GCSEs. She acknowledges the teachers' concerns about vaping and misconduct in school toilets but insists that shouldn't restrict access for students needing the facilities during their periods. Holly said: "When I've asked to go to the toilet because I've started my period before, I've been told 'you have to wait until break'. "But at break time, the toilets are so crowded you can't get in there, and maybe you don't want to change your pad and stuff when everyone is in there." The teenager said it was true a lot of bad behaviour went on in the toilets, but said schools should address that rather than making everyone suffer. She added: "At my school a few of the toilets were locked, and often just some were accessible. The toilets are always busy, and always dirty. Some were open, some were closed. "Often the entire block where the toilets are located are locked, so you can't get in to the building to access toilets. I understand the reasons why the school made these decisions but it also isn't fair. "A lot of students are in the toilets vaping, or they stay in there after the break to try skip the next lesson and stuff like that, and that's what teachers are worried about. "We were never let out of lessons to go to the toilet, which again I do kind of understand, but this was the case even if you said you had your period. At the rare times when you were let out because you've got your period, and you didn't have any products, you would have to go to the office to ask for them. "It takes a while to get there and depending on where you are, you have to ask a teacher in the office, or sometimes ask a male teacher which you might not want to, and they have to get a key and go with you to get to the cupboard to get a pad. It's this whole big process just to get a pad, so it makes you not want to be in school. "The toilets were also really far from the office, so it becomes this extremely stressful ordeal if you unexpectedly get your period. The whole process could take around 10 minutes of walking here and there and you could leak through and be embarrassed in front of the entire school. "If the toilets are locked when you have a period, you're in trouble. A friend of mine bled through her uniform, had to explain this to teachers, and we were in the first few weeks of year seven. "She had to walk with a teacher the whole way through the school to a different block to get products and change, it was horrible. "I understand the problems schools are having but you need to make the toilets accessible for the reasons they're there. Don't lock them away from people who need to use them." Holly's mother Jo Wallace, who went to Radyr Comprehensive herself, said the toilets were always available when she was a pupil in the 1990s. She said lack of access to the toilets and Holly's anxiety and autism were the reasons she took her daughter out for home schooling, but she hoped to send her back one day, if the issues are resolved. She said Holly also needed to be able to go to the toilet to "regulate" herself during the school day because of her autism. "Holly is still officially registered at the school but now has an online tutor at home which costs hundreds a month," she said. "If she had her period she could never access the toilet when she needed to. Toilets were locked during lessons and even with a toilet pass she had to get someone to open it." The Welsh Government said school toilet policies are overseen by governors but toilets should be open. "We provide clear guidance to schools that toilets should be open and accessible to all learners throughout the school day," a spokesperson said. A Cardiff Council spokesperson said the authority wanted to "find solutions that ensure pupils can access toilets when needed" but some schools had to close them at times because of anti-social behaviour. More than £1m has been invested through Cardiff's Period Dignity initiative to combat stigma, address period poverty, and improve school facilities "to ensure dignity for learners", the spokesperson added. "Secondary schools are provided with a variety of period products, and dispensers have been installed in school toilets to ensure easy access to period products without needing to ask staff. "Special schools receive bespoke orders and from September 2023, the initiative has been expanded to all primary schools with the distribution of 18,000 pairs of period pants. The programme has contributed to Cardiff's recognition as a UNICEF Child Friendly City and is an example of how we are prioritising children's views and needs in decision-making. "We acknowledge the challenges some schools face in keeping toilet facilities free from anti-social behaviour and ensuring safeguarding, which may lead to restricted use during the day. However, we are committed to working with schools to find solutions that ensure pupils can access toilets when needed. "We welcome the publication of the Irise International Toilet Policy Toolkit and will continue to listen to young people to identify issues and co-produce solutions, ensuring they feel treated with dignity and respect, and that any shame related to periods is eradicated." According to a new poll from hygiene company phs Group and menstrual campaign charity Irise International, published today [May 21], one in six teachers in England, Wales and Scotland have prevented a student on their period from using the loo during a lesson with one in four of those students saying this caused serious issues, including bleeding through their uniforms. Teachers told the survey that their top concerns with school toilets were vaping (48%), truancy (46%) and bullying (27%). Another major issue for schools is pupil absence and the survey shows the toilet policy in many schools is contributing to girls being off school when they have their periods. On average three school days each term or 54 days over the course of their school or college life are missed by girls because of their periods. The data comes from a new study called Period Equality: Teaching a Valuable Lesson. It's the fourth consecutive research paper on period inequality in the UK conducted over six years with the aim of raising awareness about the issue, the authors said. Toilets are staying locked and permission to be excused from lessons denied – leaving some learners on their periods to bleed through their uniforms, the survey found. The research also revealed that two in three students (65%) are unable to access toilets at their school freely at any time, with almost a third (29%) needing permission from a teacher to leave the classroom and 15% requiring a pass to be issued. One in 20 teachers (5%) reported school toilets being locked at some point during the school day, including break times, with 4% saying they were shut all the time. One in six teachers (16%) has prevented a student who has periods from using the bathroom during class. When pressed on the reasons why, they believed learners merely wanted to skip lessons (39%) or meet friends (34%). A third (30%) felt that students on their periods should wait until the end of a lesson – and sadly, one quarter (26%) reported an issue after denying access to the loo, such as bleeding through uniforms. For the first time phs' research gauges secondary school teachers' attitudes and knowledge about period equality schemes and toilet access. It looks at "the complexity of the issues faced by teachers" and tensions between teachers and students around issues which restrict toilet access such as fears around student safety. Asked why toilet access was restricted, vaping tops the list of teachers' concerns about allowing washroom access during lessons (48%), followed by truancy (46%), a belief that students are lying about needing to relieve themselves (33%), vandalism (27%) and bullying or assaults (27%). Chrissy Cattle from Irise International said: "We know schools are under immense pressure, but the reality is that young people who menstruate, as well as those with bladder and bowel conditions, are paying the highest price for these restrictions. Education is a right, and no student should have to choose between their period and their learning." The new research paper includes a best practice guide for teachers and a "toilet policy toolkit" developed for UK schools by young people, educators and experts. A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "School governing bodies oversee the development of school toilet use policies. We provide clear guidance to schools that toilets should be open and accessible to all learners throughout the school day, taking into account pupils' basic needs. "Our 'A Period Proud Wales Plan' also sets out our approach to ensuring period dignity in Wales, including embedding this focus in schools." Claire Armitstead, Director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru, said: "All school leaders want to ensure that pupils have dignity and comfort throughout the school day. Schools are also dealing with a number of other issues, including problems with increasingly challenging behaviour and attendance. "It's clear from this study that there are also growing concerns about issues such as vaping and internal truancy. Misuse of toilet facilities in this manner presents clear difficulties for schools and their efforts to maintain an environment where learning time is maximised."
Wales Online
20-05-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
'I've stopped going to school after teachers said I couldn't use the toilet during lessons'
'I've stopped going to school after teachers said I couldn't use the toilet during lessons' "When I've asked to go to the toilet because I've started my period before, I've been told 'you have to wait until break'" Holly Hicks A teenager says she left her school after being told she couldn't use the toilet during lessons. Holly Hicks is now home educated after she says she was stopped from going to the loo during her period and at other times when she needed to. The 15-year-old, from Pentyrch, said girls on their periods are being left humiliated and embarrassed at school because they are prevented from going to the toilet during lessons, or because cubicles are locked. She said this was one of the reasons she is now home educated. Holly, who was diagnosed with autism two years ago, left Radyr Comprehensive in early 2024 when she was in year nine, although she is still officially registered there. The teenager is now learning online and sitting her GCSEs. She said she understands teachers' concerns about vaping and other bad behaviour happening in the toilet areas in schools, but said that did not mean all pupils on their periods should be prevented from using them when they needed to. Holly said: 'When I've asked to go to the toilet because I've started my period before, I've been told 'you have to wait until break'. "But at break time, the toilets are so crowded you can't get in there, and maybe you don't want to change your pad and stuff when everyone is in there." Sign up for our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here. Article continues below Radyr Comprehensive (Image: Google Maps ) The teenager said it was true a lot of bad behaviour went on in the toilets, but said schools should address that rather than making everyone suffer. She added: "At my school a few of the toilets were locked, and often just some were accessible. The toilets are always busy, and always dirty. Some were open, some were closed. "Often the entire block where the toilets are located are locked, so you can't get in to the building to access toilets. I understand the reasons why the school made these decisions but it also isn't fair. 'A lot of students are in the toilets vaping, or they stay in there after the break to try skip the next lesson and stuff like that, and that's what teachers are worried about. 'We were never let out of lessons to go to the toilet, which again I do kind of understand, but this was the case even if you said you had your period. At the rare times when you were let out because you've got your period, and you didn't have any products, you would have to go to the office to ask for them. "It takes a while to get there and depending on where you are, you have to ask a teacher in the office, or sometimes ask a male teacher which you might not want to, and they have to get a key and go with you to get to the cupboard to get a pad. It's this whole big process just to get a pad, so it makes you not want to be in school. 'The toilets were also really far from the office, so it becomes this extremely stressful ordeal if you unexpectedly get your period. The whole process could take around 10 minutes of walking here and there and you could leak through and be embarrassed in front of the entire school. 'If the toilets are locked when you have a period, you're in trouble. A friend of mine bled through her uniform, had to explain this to teachers, and we were in the first few weeks of year seven. "She had to walk with a teacher the whole way through the school to a different block to get products and change, it was horrible. 'I understand the problems schools are having but you need to make the toilets accessible for the reasons they're there. Don't lock them away from people who need to use them.' Holly's mother Jo Wallace, who went to Radyr Comprehensive herself, said the toilets were always available when she was a pupil in the 1990s. She said lack of access to the toilets and Holly's anxiety and autism were the reasons she took her daughter out for home schooling, but she hoped to send her back one day, if the issues are resolved. She said Holly also needed to be able to go to the toilet to "regulate" herself during the school day because of her autism. "Holly is still officially registered at the school but now has an online tutor at home which costs hundreds a month," she said. "If she had her period she could never access the toilet when she needed to. Toilets were locked during lessons and even with a toilet pass she had to get someone to open it." The Welsh Government said school toilet policies are overseen by governors but toilets should be open. "We provide clear guidance to schools that toilets should be open and accessible to all learners throughout the school day," a spokesperson said. A Cardiff Council spokesperson said the authority wanted to "find solutions that ensure pupils can access toilets when needed" but some schools had to close them at times because of anti-social behaviour. More than £1m has been invested through Cardiff's Period Dignity initiative to combat stigma, address period poverty, and improve school facilities "to ensure dignity for learners", the spokesperson added. 'Secondary schools are provided with a variety of period products, and dispensers have been installed in school toilets to ensure easy access to period products without needing to ask staff. 'Special schools receive bespoke orders and from September 2023, the initiative has been expanded to all primary schools with the distribution of 18,000 pairs of period pants. The programme has contributed to Cardiff's recognition as a UNICEF Child Friendly City and is an example of how we are prioritising children's views and needs in decision-making. 'We acknowledge the challenges some schools face in keeping toilet facilities free from anti-social behaviour and ensuring safeguarding, which may lead to restricted use during the day. However, we are committed to working with schools to find solutions that ensure pupils can access toilets when needed. 'We welcome the publication of the Irise International Toilet Policy Toolkit and will continue to listen to young people to identify issues and co-produce solutions, ensuring they feel treated with dignity and respect, and that any shame related to periods is eradicated." According to a new poll from hygiene company phs Group and menstrual campaign charity Irise International, published today [May 21], one in six teachers in England, Wales and Scotland have prevented a student on their period from using the loo during a lesson with one in four of those students saying this caused serious issues, including bleeding through their uniforms. Teachers told the survey that their top concerns with school toilets were vaping (48%), truancy (46%) and bullying (27%). Another major issue for schools is pupil absence and the survey shows the toilet policy in many schools is contributing to girls being off school when they have their periods. On average three school days each term or 54 days over the course of their school or college life are missed by girls because of their periods. The data comes from a new study called Period Equality: Teaching a Valuable Lesson. It's the fourth consecutive research paper on period inequality in the UK conducted over six years with the aim of raising awareness about the issue, the authors said. Toilets are staying locked and permission to be excused from lessons denied – leaving some learners on their periods to bleed through their uniforms, the survey found. The research also revealed that two in three students (65%) are unable to access toilets at their school freely at any time, with almost a third (29%) needing permission from a teacher to leave the classroom and 15% requiring a pass to be issued. One in 20 teachers (5%) reported school toilets being locked at some point during the school day, including break times, with 4% saying they were shut all the time. One in six teachers (16%) has prevented a student who has periods from using the bathroom during class. When pressed on the reasons why, they believed learners merely wanted to skip lessons (39%) or meet friends (34%). A third (30%) felt that students on their periods should wait until the end of a lesson – and sadly, one quarter (26%) reported an issue after denying access to the loo, such as bleeding through uniforms. For the first time phs' research gauges secondary school teachers' attitudes and knowledge about period equality schemes and toilet access. It looks at "the complexity of the issues faced by teachers" and tensions between teachers and students around issues which restrict toilet access such as fears around student safety. Asked why toilet access was restricted, vaping tops the list of teachers' concerns about allowing washroom access during lessons (48%), followed by truancy (46%), a belief that students are lying about needing to relieve themselves (33%), vandalism (27%) and bullying or assaults (27%). Chrissy Cattle from Irise International said: 'We know schools are under immense pressure, but the reality is that young people who menstruate, as well as those with bladder and bowel conditions, are paying the highest price for these restrictions. Education is a right, and no student should have to choose between their period and their learning." The new research paper includes a best practice guide for teachers and a "toilet policy toolkit" developed for UK schools by young people, educators and experts. A Welsh Government spokesperson said: 'School governing bodies oversee the development of school toilet use policies. We provide clear guidance to schools that toilets should be open and accessible to all learners throughout the school day, taking into account pupils' basic needs. "Our 'A Period Proud Wales Plan' also sets out our approach to ensuring period dignity in Wales, including embedding this focus in schools.' Article continues below Claire Armitstead, Director of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru, said: 'All school leaders want to ensure that pupils have dignity and comfort throughout the school day. Schools are also dealing with a number of other issues, including problems with increasingly challenging behaviour and attendance. "It's clear from this study that there are also growing concerns about issues such as vaping and internal truancy. Misuse of toilet facilities in this manner presents clear difficulties for schools and their efforts to maintain an environment where learning time is maximised."
