Girls' rights charity slams academy over period incident

Last week the Hastings Observer reported how the girl, who was experiencing her first period, went home with bloody clothing after being refused permission to leave her lesson at Hastings Academy on Monday September 17.

Her mum said the school told her the Year 7 pupil would need a ‘toilet pass’ to allow her out of lessons, but she could only obtain it with a doctor’s certificate - costing £15.

The story was picked up by the national media and even made headlines as far afield as New Zealand.

Now an international charity, which campaigns against schoolgirls being barred from toilets during their periods, has criticised Hastings Academy for its actions.

Sarah Carson, global campaigns manager at Plan International UK, said: “It’s appalling that a girl was forced to sit in blood-soaked clothes because her teacher wouldn’t let her go to the toilet during lesson time.

“As a girls’ rights charity we know that this is a common experience for many girls in the UK.

“A recent survey we did found that nearly a third (30 per cent) of girls had leaked in class because they weren’t allowed to go to the toilet during lesson time.

“The fear and anxiety over leaking in class has serious consequences, with 16 per cent of girls missing school because they were worried about having their period and not being allowed to go to the toilet during classes.

“With young people’s wellbeing, their education and their success at school at stake, we believe things have to change.”

Last week the University of Brighton Academies Trust, which runs Hastings Academy, apologised to the girl’s family and said it was reviewing its toilet pass system.

Find out more about Plan International UK’s ‘Locked out’ campaign here

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Mum’s fury as school refuses to let pupil use toilet during her period