Why it’s time to take school toilets seriously

For many years, school bathrooms have been considered as functional spaces and nothing more. Naturally, schools have so much to consider when it comes to prioritising building projects, but the impact of the bathroom space on pupils can often be underestimated. Sophie Weston, Marketing Manager at Geberit, explains why it’s time to take school toilets seriously.

Washrooms are one of the most in-demand and high-traffic areas of a school, so it’s important they are well-designed with a clear layout, adequate space and a welcoming feel. The right products and furniture can give a clean and practical look to any school bathroom, such as wall-hung ceramic furniture. Hygiene worries have always been a natural concern when it comes to school washrooms. While the COVID-19 pandemic heightened issues of cleanliness, it didn’t resolve issues linked to bathroom anxiety and wellbeing.

Bathroom anxiety

National children’s charity, ERIC, estimates that in a class of 30 children, as many as four can suffer from toilet anxiety surrounding using toilet facilities in the school. Furthermore, one-third of parents also had concerns about standards of hygiene at their child’s school1.We carried out a YouGov survey in 2021 of 1,000 parents across the UK, that revealed the most common sources of anxiety among children were the general standards of hygiene in the bathroom space (19%) followed by lack of privacy (16%). Parents also reported children’s concerns regarding touchpoints and surfaces in school bathrooms, such as taps, handles and flushes (14%).

Touchless innovations

With this in mind, product innovations like touchless technology can help minimise multiple touchpoints in busy, high-footfall spaces such as taps and flushes. For instance, Twyford’s Sola Infrared taps range can help maximise hygiene in the school washroom by making the experience as touchless as possible. Just as importantly, this option opens the space up and creates a clutter-free, more streamlined design which helps to reinforce the pupils’ perception of a clean space.
However, it’s not just innovative technology that can help to place hygiene front of mind. Twyford’s Sola rimless ceramic toilet ranges incorporate a rimless design which crucially eliminates tricky corners and hard-to-reach areas around the pan. Likewise, Twyford’s TurboFlush technology means that the flushing system clears away residue effectively so regular cleaning is made simpler.

Significance of the space

The significance of the washroom space in schools is undoubtedly felt by many pupils. There has never been a more important time to offer students a space where they feel safe, hygienic, private and comfortable. Feeling uneasy in the school bathroom can lead to anxiety, embarrassment and a reluctance to use the facilities, which can have negative consequences on physical and mental health. Providing safe and comfortable school toilets is not only a matter of hygiene, but also a matter of ensuring that students have a positive and productive learning experience.

For instance, Geberit’s Duofix frame, in conjunction with Twyford’s E100 and E200 ranges, allows pipework and cisterns to be neatly concealed behind the wall, lifting the toilet from the footprint of the floor, making cleaning and maintenance simple.

Meeting high standards

Tough and stringent regulations are a basic element of the education sector, and the specification of sanitaryware and washrooms is no different. With more being understood about hygienic design and product specifications, schools can now make more informed decisions to help them control measures and minimise risk.

It’s time we change the perception of just how crucial toilet spaces are within a school. Washrooms can have a huge role to play in how pupils view and feel about their school and, as a result, promote health and wellbeing throughout the facility.

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