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"WHEN I’VE ASKED TO GO TO THE TOILET BECAUSE I’VE STARTED MY PERIOD BEFORE, I’VE BEEN TOLD ‘YOU HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL BREAK’" 00:01, 21 May 2025Updated 10:51, 21 May 2025 A teenager

says she left her school after being told she couldn't use the toilet during lessons. Holly Hicks is now home educated after she says she was stopped from going to the loo during her

period and at other times when she needed to. The 15-year-old, from Pentyrch, said girls on their periods are being left humiliated and embarrassed at school because they are prevented from

going to the toilet during lessons, or because cubicles are locked. She said this was one of the reasons she is now home educated. Holly, who was diagnosed with autism two years ago, left

Radyr Comprehensive in early 2024 when she was in year nine, although she is still officially registered there. The teenager is now learning online and sitting her GCSEs. She said she

understands teachers' concerns about vaping and other bad behaviour happening in the toilet areas in schools, but said that did not mean all pupils on their periods should be prevented

from using them when they needed to. Holly said: “When I’ve asked to go to the toilet because I’ve started my period before, I’ve been told ‘you have to wait until break’. "But at break

time, the toilets are so crowded you can’t get in there, and maybe you don’t want to change your pad and stuff when everyone is in there." _Sign up for our free daily briefing on the

biggest issues facing the nation__ sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here_. Article continues below The teenager said it was true a lot of bad behaviour went on in the toilets, but

said schools should address that rather than making everyone suffer. She added: "At my school a few of the toilets were locked, and often just some were accessible. The toilets are

always busy, and always dirty. Some were open, some were closed. "Often the entire block where the toilets are located are locked, so you can’t get in to the building to access toilets.

I understand the reasons why the school made these decisions but it also isn’t fair. “A lot of students are in the toilets vaping, or they stay in there after the break to try skip the next

lesson and stuff like that, and that’s what teachers are worried about. “We were never let out of lessons to go to the toilet, which again I do kind of understand, but this was the case

even if you said you had your period. At the rare times when you were let out because you’ve got your period, and you didn’t have any products, you would have to go to the office to ask for

them. "It takes a while to get there and depending on where you are, you have to ask a teacher in the office, or sometimes ask a male teacher which you might not want to, and they have

to get a key and go with you to get to the cupboard to get a pad. It’s this whole big process just to get a pad, so it makes you not want to be in school. “The toilets were also really far

from the office, so it becomes this extremely stressful ordeal if you unexpectedly get your period. The whole process could take around 10 minutes of walking here and there and you could

leak through and be embarrassed in front of the entire school. “If the toilets are locked when you have a period, you’re in trouble. A friend of mine bled through her uniform, had to explain

this to teachers, and we were in the first few weeks of year seven. "She had to walk with a teacher the whole way through the school to a different block to get products and change, it

was horrible. “I understand the problems schools are having but you need to make the toilets accessible for the reasons they’re there. Don’t lock them away from people who need to use

them.” Holly's mother Jo Wallace, who went to Radyr Comprehensive herself, said the toilets were always available when she was a pupil in the 1990s. She said lack of access to the

toilets and Holly's anxiety and autism were the reasons she took her daughter out for home schooling, but she hoped to send her back one day, if the issues are resolved. She said Holly

also needed to be able to go to the toilet to "regulate" herself during the school day because of her autism. "Holly is still officially registered at the school but now has

an online tutor at home which costs hundreds a month," she said. "If she had her period she could never access the toilet when she needed to. Toilets were locked during lessons and

even with a toilet pass she had to get someone to open it." The Welsh Government said school toilet policies are overseen by governors but toilets should be open. "We provide

clear guidance to schools that toilets should be open and accessible to all learners throughout the school day," a spokesperson said. A Cardiff Council spokesperson said the authority

wanted to "find solutions that ensure pupils can access toilets when needed" but some schools had to close them at times because of anti-social behaviour. More than £1m has been

invested through Cardiff’s Period Dignity initiative to combat stigma, address period poverty, and improve school facilities "to ensure dignity for learners", the spokesperson

added. “Secondary schools are provided with a variety of period products, and dispensers have been installed in school toilets to ensure easy access to period products without needing to ask

staff. “Special schools receive bespoke orders and from September 2023, the initiative has been expanded to all primary schools with the distribution of 18,000 pairs of period pants. The

programme has contributed to Cardiff's recognition as a UNICEF Child Friendly City and is an example of how we are prioritising children's views and needs in decision-making. “We

acknowledge the challenges some schools face in keeping toilet facilities free from anti-social behaviour and ensuring safeguarding, which may lead to restricted use during the day. However,

we are committed to working with schools to find solutions that ensure pupils can access toilets when needed. “We welcome the publication of the Irise International Toilet Policy Toolkit

and will continue to listen to young people to identify issues and co-produce solutions, ensuring they feel treated with dignity and respect, and that any shame related to periods is

eradicated." According to a new poll from hygiene company phs Group and menstrual campaign charity Irise International, published today [May 21], one in six teachers in England, Wales

and Scotland have prevented a student on their period from using the loo during a lesson with one in four of those students saying this caused serious issues, including bleeding through

their uniforms. Teachers told the survey that their top concerns with school toilets were vaping (48%), truancy (46%) and bullying (27%). Another major issue for schools is pupil absence and

the survey shows the toilet policy in many schools is contributing to girls being off school when they have their periods. On average three school days each term or 54 days over the course

of their school or college life are missed by girls because of their periods. The data comes from a new study called Period Equality: Teaching a Valuable Lesson. It's the fourth

consecutive research paper on period inequality in the UK conducted over six years with the aim of raising awareness about the issue, the authors said. Toilets are staying locked and

permission to be excused from lessons denied – leaving some learners on their periods to bleed through their uniforms, the survey found. The research also revealed that two in three students

(65%) are unable to access toilets at their school freely at any time, with almost a third (29%) needing permission from a teacher to leave the classroom and 15% requiring a pass to be

issued. One in 20 teachers (5%) reported school toilets being locked at some point during the school day, including break times, with 4% saying they were shut all the time. One in six

teachers (16%) has prevented a student who has periods from using the bathroom during class. When pressed on the reasons why, they believed learners merely wanted to skip lessons (39%) or

meet friends (34%). A third (30%) felt that students on their periods should wait until the end of a lesson – and sadly, one quarter (26%) reported an issue after denying access to the loo,

such as bleeding through uniforms. For the first time phs’ research gauges secondary school teachers’ attitudes and knowledge about period equality schemes and toilet access. It looks at

"the complexity of the issues faced by teachers" and tensions between teachers and students around issues which restrict toilet access such as fears around student safety. Asked

why toilet access was restricted, vaping tops the list of teachers' concerns about allowing washroom access during lessons (48%), followed by truancy (46%), a belief that students are

lying about needing to relieve themselves (33%), vandalism (27%) and bullying or assaults (27%). Chrissy Cattle from Irise International said: “We know schools are under immense pressure,

but the reality is that young people who menstruate, as well as those with bladder and bowel conditions, are paying the highest price for these restrictions. Education is a right, and no

student should have to choose between their period and their learning." The new research paper includes a best practice guide for teachers and a "toilet policy toolkit"

developed for UK schools by young people, educators and experts. A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “School governing bodies oversee the development of school toilet use policies. We

provide clear guidance to schools that toilets should be open and accessible to all learners throughout the school day, taking into account pupils’ basic needs. "Our ‘A Period Proud

Wales Plan’ also sets out our approach to ensuring period dignity in Wales, including embedding this focus in schools.” Article continues below Claire Armitstead, Director of the Association

of School and College Leaders (ASCL) Cymru, said: “All school leaders want to ensure that pupils have dignity and comfort throughout the school day. Schools are also dealing with a number

of other issues, including problems with increasingly challenging behaviour and attendance. "It’s clear from this study that there are also growing concerns about issues such as vaping

and internal truancy. Misuse of toilet facilities in this manner presents clear difficulties for schools and their efforts to maintain an environment where learning time is maximised."