A Preston high school has defended the locking of toilets during lesson times.
Parents at the school say they have been locked in a battle to understand why their children can’t go to the toilet – and say it’s affected them drinking liquids before attending school for fear of being caught short.
A parent who has a daughter at the school told Blog Preston: “For four years we’ve been trying to understand why our children can’t go to the toilet outside of break times at school. They are locked first-thing in the morning too.
“My daughter is now 15 and she’s now not drinking all morning and before school as they don’t want to go to the toilet.
“And as a 15-year-old girl, there’s reasons why they need the loo.
“I think it’s out of order and we’ve repeatedly raised the issue with the school but we feel fobbed off by a list of excuses.”
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Lancashire County Council confirmed there was no blanket policy for schools deciding about access to toilets – it is up to each individual school to decide.
Headteacher at Ashton Community Science College, Sharon Asquith, said: “We have toilet blocks both inside and outside of the school which are locked for safety reasons during lesson times and are open at break and lunchtime. This has always been the case and is not a new policy that we have introduced.
“Any student with a medical condition has a toilet pass which means they are able to use toilet facilities whenever they need to.
“Any other student who needs to use the toilet while the main facilities are locked can visit student reception, which is always staffed, and they will be able to use a toilet.”
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