Standard - Information section

Promoting better toilets for pupils

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Bog Standard?

Bog Standard is a campaign which aims to:
  • To increase public awareness of the health and learning benefits to children of improved toilet facilities and access in schools
  • To raise the standard of provision and access to pupils' toilet facilities in all schools nationally
  • To ensure that UK and EU regulations adopt and enforce acceptable minimum standards for access to and provision of drinking water and toilet facilities for all pupils in school

Bog Standard is organised by ERIC – Education and Resources for Improving Childhood Continence. Find out which other organisations behind Bog Standard on the About us page.

Why the big deal about school toilets?

Many adults don’t realise how bad some school toilets are. Problems experienced by pupils include:
  • Dirty, smelly toilets
  • Toilets in a bad state of repair
  • Broken seats, doors and toilet roll holders
  • No or inadequate supplies of toilet paper, soap and hot water
  • Lack of privacy – doors that don’t lock, cubicles that can be peered over or under easily, and/or urinals that can be viewed from outside the toilet area
  • Bullies and/or smokers hanging out in the toilets
  • Restricted access to toilets – only being allowed to go at break or not enough time allowed to go
  • Toilets inconveniently located and/or not accessible to pupils, including those with special needs

Isn’t there a law against that?

No. Teachers, as employees, have the right to clean, properly-maintained toilets. We think pupils have a right to the same standards, but there is no specific law saying they have to.

Does it really affect children’s health?

Yes. Unpleasant toilets mean pupils won't use them. Often, they aren't allowed to go to the toilet when they need to. Not visiting the toilet can lead to bad bowel and bladder habits, which in turn can cause short-term and long-term health problems. It also means they will avoid drinking water during the day, which results in dehydration. This can cause tiredness, lack of concentration and constipation, and can lead to other health problems. Children might drink most of their drinks when they get home, which increases the risk of bedwetting.
Read more about water, toilets and health.

How can things be improved?

In several ways, including:
  • Raising awareness
  • Improving school toilet design
  • Improving cleanliness and maintenance of school toilets
  • Monitoring and inspecting the standard of pupils’ toilets
  • Allowing pupils to go to the toilet when they need to
  • Having laws that set out the same standards for pupils’ toilets as already exist for adults‘ toilets
  • Involving pupils in any refurbs and management.
  • Making low-cost initial improvements that help make the toilets nicer to use e.g. funky toilet seats; soft absorbent toilet paper; colourful murals.

Read ‘What you can do’ for ideas and resources on improving school toilets.

Where can schools obtain funding?

Many improvements are concerned with policy changes and involving the pupils in how their toilets are run. Some improvements will be cheap to implement – such as fixing locks to doors or supplying adequate soap. There are improvements that will cost more money, especially if toilets have been left to deteriorate, but Bog Standard has provided a factsheet with some suggestions on possible sources of funding and fundraising.

There is no specific funding for school toilets, but a bit of creative thinking may pay off!

Go to the Funding and Fundraising factsheet page.

How can I help?

Have a look at our ‘What you can do’ page for ideas, and tell other people about Bog Standard.

Go to the What you can do page.

How many toilets should schools provide for pupils?

The Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999’ for England and Wales specifies the minimum number of toilets (and washbasins) that pupils must have:

• Pupils over 5 years of age: 1 toilet for every 20 pupils *
• Pupils under the age of 5: 1 toilet for every 10 pupils
• In special schools: 1 toilet for every 10 pupils, regardless of age

Pupils’ ages are defined on the day before the start of the autumn term. E.g. if a pupil is 4 on that day, but turns 5 a few days later, the regulations would still count him/her as a 4 year old for the rest of the academic year.

The accompanying guidance also states that more toilets may be needed if pupil visits are confined to periods of peak use.
Note that urinals count when calculating numbers.
For more information look, at printable factsheets 'Legislation'

* The requirement in Northern Ireland for pupils over 5 years of age is 1 toilet for every 15 pupils.

Don't schools have a "duty of care" towards their pupils which means they have a duty to provide decent toilets and to allow students to use the toilet when they need to?

We have taken legal advice over this question and this is the answer we received:

"Schools’ governing bodies have a duty of care towards their students to safeguard their wellbeing while they are at school. Treatment of any student which falls below an acceptable standard of care and thereby causes them damage could be negligent conduct which could give rise to a legal action to claim damages (compensation). Bringing this kind of action would require the claimant to prove that the school’s conduct fell below the required standard and that this caused damage to the student. Where a school’s inadequate provision of toilet facilities, or policy of restricting access to toilets, could be shown to cause a damaging effect on a student, it may be possible for a negligence action to be brought. Any evidence of a failure to meet statutory health and safety standards could be evidence of a failure to meet the required standard of care, as well as giving rise to a potential action under health and safety law itself."

Where can we go if we as parents or carers want to take a legal case against a school?

Below are details of specialist education law advice services that may be able to assist children and families in individual cases:

Telephone legal advice
Web-based resources and free telephone advice on education law are available from:
1. The Advisory Centre for Education on 0808 800 5793 (Mon-Fri, 10-5)
2. The National Education line on 0845 345 4345 (Mon-Fri, 9-6.30)
3. The Children’s Legal Centre (www.lawstuff.org.uk; 08088 020 008)
4. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (www.equalityhumanrights.com)
5. Independent Parental Special Education Advice – advice and casework support for parents of children with special educational needs:
a) General advice line – 0800 018 4016 Mon to Fri 10am-4pm and Mon to Thu 7-9pm - Advice on: Problems with schools; requesting statutory assessment; proposed statements; annual reviews; possible disability discrimination; exclusion from school, etc.
b) Tribunal helpline - 0845 602 9579 Mon, Tues, Wed and Thurs 10.00 – 1.00pm - Next-step advice on SEN appeals and disability discrimination claims to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal. When you call IPSEA will assess whether you need casework support.
c) See www.ipsea.org.uk for web-based resources about common problems

Legal representation
To find an education solicitor:
1. See above (National Education Line and IPSEA)
2. Go to www.lawsociety.org.uk; click on ‘Find a solicitor’; insert your postcode; choose ‘Education law’ as the area of law; click ‘search’
3. The Education Law Association may be able to assist in finding a specialist adviser: http://www.educationlawassociation.org.uk/

Why do you suggest CCTV cameras in toilets?

CCTV cameras are best used when all other options have been tried and failed. The advantage with CCTV cameras is that they may allow toilets to remain open that would otherwise be locked or out of bounds due to fear of vandalism and misbehaviour. They may also make pupils feel safer - pupils who would otherwise avoid using the toilets. Bullying can take place anywhere in school but one of the hotspots is the toilet where it can occur undetected. CCTV cameras are a highly contentious issue and it is difficult to get the balance right between protecting safety and protecting privacy. We would urge any school to try out alternative options first, to ensure appropriate privacy (ideally cameras are sited outside main entrances/exits to toilets and washrooms), and to consult widely and conspicuously with pupils and parents.

What are the alternative approaches to CCTV cameras?

These include;

  • increasing feelings of ownership by involving pupils fully in the monitoring and management of toilets
  • consulting pupils over any policies on toilet visits
  • allowing a more humane policy on toilet visits (from our postbag, we see that restricted practices upset and anger pupils - which encourages antisocial behaviour)
  • investigating the root causes. Misuse of toilets may be symptomatic of poor toilets or even of wider issues within a school. Communicating with the pupils (perhaps initially via questionnaires) may help reduce toilet problems
  • discussing issues of toilet behaviour, privacy and respect with pupils
  • encouraging peer pressure to respect toilets and fellow pupils
  • maintaining high quality toilets and repairing any damage promptly
  • playing classical music (can calm and deter lingering)
  • better toilet design – such as, avoiding corners to lurk in; mirrors at sinks so that pupils can see if anyone is behind them
  • smoke detectors - connected to the school office
  • recorded entry systems
  • a set of toilets with a unisex hand washing area separate from the toilets (unisex hand washing areas have been shown to improve behaviour and deter lingering but it is important to consult openly with pupils and parents and to ensure complete privacy for pupils going to the toilet - see our Design page
  • employing a full time toilet attendant (mixed schools would require toilets designed in such a way as to allow one attendant to monitor both girls and boys) Read a case study about school toilet attendants.
  • cracking down on those who abuse the toilets

Read School Management - Combating school toilet abuse and vandalism

Where can I find colourful and funky toilet seats to fit infant toilets?

We get asked this question a lot! Colourful and funky toilet seats are a great way of brightening up and making the toilets more user-friendly - and pupils love them. Do Google searches for colourful, funky or novelty toilet seats. They may be less long lasting than normal school ranges*, but they are relatively cheap to renew - and a whole lot more welcoming and fun! Unfortunately we have not been able to find any that fit infant toilets, despite contacting all the members of the Bathroom Manufacturers Association. Armitage Shanks, one of our major sponsors, manufactures infant toilet seats in white or red, which is the only exception we could find to the ubiquitous black seat.

Please ask manufacturers to produce fun and colourful seats! We get told that there is a not enough demand, that they are not robust enough, and that schools and PFI's would not want to pay for them.

Request infant-sized ones too so manufacturers realize there is a demand!

*Several schools have now told us that they have found no difference in the durability or robustness of the fun toilets seats to the regular toilet seats.

Talking Toilets