I currently have three children attending St Benet Biscop Catholic Academy, my eldest having been there for 5 years. Over the years, the rules surrounding being able to go to the toilet when a student needs to have concerned me. This has become a greater concern following the children's return to school after Christmas break, with even stricter rules being enforced.

The new rules regarding going to the toilet within lesson time are as follows. Toilets across the school site are all locked apart from the toilets in the new block, St Hildas. If a student requires the toilet during lesson time, they have to take a lanyard, walk to the the St Hildas block, sign a book and then return to their class room where it is recorded in their planner. 

This could be straight forward, however, I know from speaking to my own children that more often than not, students are denied access to toilets during lesson times as are simply told they can not go. When they are finally allowed to go, the walk from the top and bottom blocks is quite far to the St Hildas block. My worry is, if the student is going to be sick, has diarrhoea, or for the menstruating student there are many issues, such as not making it on time.

Being able to go to the toilet when needed is a basic human right. Even in correctional facilities, inmates have constant access to the toilet. As adults, we are free to go to the toilet when we need during our working lives. Over the past few days, I have spoke to many parents who have sadly provided saddening stories about what the pupils have been subjected to at the school when needing to go to the toilet. One parent had to leave work to collect her child as she was distraught, she had asked on a few occasions to go to the toilet during lessons as she was on her period, but was told no by the teacher. This resulted in the pupil bleeding through to the class room seat causing shame and humiliation. Other stories have been recounted that children have been given detentions due to asking to go to the toilet but being told no, who have then had to walk out of their lesson because they would otherwise have an accident. My own child once came out of school in pain and uncomfortable from being denied access to toilet facilities all afternoon.

Another theme brought up by parents is the students coming home from school dehydrated due to being frightened to drink for fear of not being able to use a toilet. This is not conducive to their learning as dehydration is a well known factor in being unable to pay attention. There is also many published research articles detailing the damage to children's bladder and bowels from being made to 'hold on' and ignoring the signals from their bodies to use the toilet.

Please think about signing this petition to bring this to the attention of the school. It is inhumane and against the children's rights to not allow them this basic bodily function, and goes directly against the duty of care they are supposed to provide to them. The shame, embarrassment and stigma that surround this issue can cause lifelong issues for our young people.

Thank you for taking the time to read this petition,

Amy