School defends unisex toilets amidst parent backlash
Parents contacted us to complain about the situation, citing that it was unsafe, with girls, in particular, reluctant to use them.
But the school has explained its position in the press release below, with headteacher Dewi Owen keen to stress that pupil safety and well-being is a school priority with the old block “outdated, unhygienic and a hub for anti-social behaviour”.
He added that any concerned parents would be welcome to take a look at the new arrangement and said that single sex facilities were still available elsewhere at the school.
Some Llanfyllin parents, however, remain unconvinced and there has been talk of a petition calling to remove the unisex toilets.
This is what the school has published today in response to parent concerns:
Staff and students at Ysgol Llanfyllin have worked with Powys County Council on the design and full refurbishment of one of its old toilet blocks. These original washrooms were in a very poor, tired condition with damaged tiling, flooring & cubicles. The toilets were also a very poor design and the layout meant that there was no clear line of vision for school staff to monitor the room effectively.
Many options were examined but it became clear that a total transformation of this area of the school was needed. The internal layout of the washroom needed to be changed to create a modern, open-plan, unisex washroom. Now the work has been completed, students can choose to use either these new facilities or the existing, single-sex toilets which have not been changed. Disabled toilets are also available throughout school.
Headteacher Dewi Owen said: “We wanted to create a modern, clean and safe space for all our students. We worked with Powys County Council to make the new washroom facility a more open and less intimidating space for all students.
“Our student council worked with the school and local authority on the design of the facilities. The students regularly brought complaints to council meetings about the poor state of the toilets. Many pupils complained that old toilets were outdated, unhygienic and a hub for anti-social behaviour. Some students elected not to use those toilets at all during the school day, a situation which was totally unacceptable.”
Working over the summer holidays, internal walls were removed and a large opening was created to provide a clear line of vision onto the corridor. Two distinct areas were created from the original single sex toilets. All old fittings, such as urinals, heating units, sinks and cubicles were removed.
Due to the open plan toilet design full height cubicles were chosen to maximise privacy for pupils in both areas of the room. Two communal wash areas were created and fitted with brand new soap dispensers, mirrors & ‘Dyson Air Blade’ hand dryers.
Overall, the project was delivered successfully on time and on budget. Needless to say, the school are very happy with their new open plan, modern washroom space which will take its place alongside the other single sex and disabled toilet facilities contained within the school building.
If any parents or carers would like to visit the school to view any of our facilities, please contact the school to make an appointment.
What Powys County Council says on the issue:
A spokesperson for Powys County Council said: “The council provides full privacy to children using school toilets. Toilets are identified as gender specific, with most handwashing outside of WC cubicles.
“Recently designed schools have sought to reduce opportunities for bullying associated with traditional arrangements and have adopted the principles detailed within Standard Specifications, Layouts and Dimensions 3: Toilets in Schools.
“All new school designs are carefully developed in consultation with the individual school bodies, including pupils, and lessons learnt from earlier projects influence later designs.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|