Brune Park school responds to angry parent's claim daughter was denied access to female toilet and suspended

The teenage girl was suspended by Brune Park Community School in Military Road, Gosport, for one day on October 12 over an incident which happened a day earlier after refusing to use a unisex toilet because it made her feel “unsafe and dirty”, as reported in The News. The school initially declined the opportunity to comment on the event but has now issued a response.

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Outlining his grievance, the pupil’s dad previously said: “A male teacher at my daughter’s school refused her access to a female toilet, giving her an ultimatum to use a unisex toilet or not to go at all. To add to the problem my daughter was subsequently suspended because she contacted me to tell me what was going on and refused to hand over her phone.

“My daughter now has a suspension on her school record for stating she wanted to use a female toilet because the unisex ones make her feel unsafe and dirty, without so much as a question asked of this teacher.”

A letter from the school to the pupil’s parents, seen by The News, said: “The decision to suspend (the child) has not been taken lightly. (She) has been suspended for this fixed period because on October 11 (she) was persistently defiant.”

Now, following publication of the article, Brune Park has decided to respond. A spokesperson for the school said: “We don’t comment on individual cases. There are gender specific toilets in the school which children have access to at all times.”

As reported, the child’s guardian said they had complained to the school about the teacher’s handling of the incident. A meeting has been set-up at the end of the month between the school and parents to discuss what he says is an “unwarranted” suspension. The father said his daughter also missed school on October 13 because he did not receive the school’s suspension letter until the following day.

The father said there had never been any issues before with his daughter using female toilets, previously adding: “I’ve spoken to a lot of other parents who aren’t even aware of the unisex toilets being introduced, let alone male teachers having control over what toilets their sons and daughters can use.

“They still have toilets for girls and boys but they are not always in use. Only the unisex toilets are open all the time. People do not know this has been brought in very slyly.

“If a girl wants to use a female toilet she should be able to - especially at a sensitive age when they are going through changes. The same applies for boys, some might be too shy to use a unisex toilet.”

Meanwhile, in July the school was handed an Ofsted rating of “inadequate” – as it was in 2016 – with children feeling “unsafe”. The inspection said in its report: “Many pupils feel unsafe because of unkind and hurtful comments made by their peers. Leaders and staff do not challenge racist, sexist and homophobic comments robustly or swiftly enough.”

Headteacher Kerry Payne said in response to the Ofsted report: “We do not hide from this judgement. We accept completely the findings of inspectors and will use this disappointing outcome as a springboard for change at Brune Park.”

Prior to that in March 2020, Brune Park received an Ofsted rating of requiring improvement.

The school has also been at the centre of other incidents. In June, reports a teenager was carrying a firearm proved wide of the mark with them instead found to be carrying a bicycle pump. And in June 2022, the school was left devastated after a massive fire.