Protests in Derbyshire school stopped with detention threats while toilets 'locked entire day'  – say students and parents

Students across the country are protesting against new strict rules stopping them from using toilets during lessons.

But pupils in Alfreton’s David Nieper Academy say they have been stopped from holding a protest as teachers threatened them with detention.

One of the students, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “Students who went first to the canteen to start the protest were stopped by teachers and threatened with C3, which is half an hour of detention after school.

“That’s why we resigned from protesting. I felt upset about it. The toilets are locked all day, even during breaks. Only disabled toilets are open but there is always a queue to get to them because there is three of them and 800 students at school. It’s affecting me and my friends a lot because if you drink water, you obviously need to use the toilet.”

Parents said they are also concerned about the the situation.

One mum said: “It just shows that there's a lack of understanding of pupils' health and needs, and a lack of respect for children. I feel like they've taken away their basic human rights by stopping them from going to the toilet.

"This type of policy singles out pupils with health disorders like bowel and bladder conditions. Girls are at the age where they are just starting the periods, and they can be embarrassed about it and want to keep this private. Teachers don't need to know those sorts of things. So it kind of singles them out.

“There was just a handful of students that used to cause havoc, they never used to come back to class. Obviously, when they used to go, they just used to play truant, so then they decided to lock the toilets off. But now everyone else has to suffer.

"Obviously, it's not just this school, it’s many schools up and down the country. But as far as I'm aware, there's like nothing in place that says, they have to lock the toilets. Just because all these other schools are doing it, it doesn't mean say that they have to follow suit.

"And I am annoyed, because it's a constitutional and democratic right to be able to protest. It’s another human right that was taken away. Its a crucial mechanism to express that you are dissatisfied with something in a democratic country. Stopping the students from going to the toilet and from protesting is just not right at all.

"Students at Nieper Academy wanted to organise a quiet protest to get the point across. It was meant to be outside of lessons. They put details on social media platforms to let other students know. It was going to be peaceful.

“If they were flipping tables and defacing school property, like in some schools in the country, than it’s fair enough to take action against them. I just don’t understand why students can’t have a peaceful protest and teachers can go on strike and disrupt pupils learning the next day.

"When some parents contacted school, headteachers were completely denying the fact that they locked the toilets. But I know for a fact that they do because my child tells me everything and the stories match with what other kids from the school are saying. I'm hoping that school can listen to papers if they don’t listen to parents and students, because something needs to change.”

Kathryn Hobbs, the headteacher at David Nieper Academy said: “We do not recognise the description of our academy or our work and continuous dialogue with pupils and parents. Earlier in the year we informed parents and pupils that we would be closing some of the very large number of toilets during lesson time only.

"At all times during the day this still means that there are 18 toilets open and available for pupil use. During break, lunch, and lesson change over there are additional toilets that are opened to ensure that children are able to promptly use the facilities. This is a situation that we continue to monitor and discuss with pupils, parents, and Governors.

“We talk to our pupils and parents all the time and have a number of more formal channels that can be used, such as our Student Council, Student Leaders, House Captains and Parent Governors. No pupils have approached us to discuss a protest or the need to radically change our practices. We have had one parent contact us who believed that toilets were closed at lunchtime, and we have responded to say that this is not the case.

“We have a very strong academy culture of Employability Behaviours which all staff support throughout each day, this means that staff meet and greet pupils on the corridors and ensure that they move swiftly to lessons.

"A central part of our culture is to support pupils to develop the confidence to communicate with a wide range of staff, visitors, and our employer partners, therefore I do not believe that our pupils are reluctant in any way to share their opinions and any concerns with staff. We believe that our culture and approach are reasons why we continue to be heavily oversubscribed year on year.”