Police called to school after mass protests over twice-a-day toilet breaks

By Natalie Cornish|

Image: Google Maps

Police were called to a school in the UK after staff limited student toilet breaks to two a day.

Thirty-eight students were sent home for protesting new rules at Bedale High School in North Yorkshire which prevent them from going to the bathroom outside of morning break and lunchtime.

Staff allegedly switched off water fountains and locked toilets until the designated times causing 60 students to walk out of class.

Some female pupils claimed they felt "humiliated" by the rules because they were on their periods.

"We were all sick of it", 15-year-old Holly Harrison — who organised the protest and has since been excluded from the school — told The Metro.

"We didn’t want to explain to male teachers why we needed the toilet – it was uncomfortable.

"Some girls had bled on to the seats and they were mortified that they had to sit there for the rest of the lesson."

Most of the students who have been excluded are due to sit their final exams in the next couple of months.

Some parents had previously criticised the school's new rules, but Bedale High has defended its actions saying "students who need the toilet during lessons, or need access for medical reasons, will be given access on request".

"A very small number of parents concerned by last week’s protest about the code by a group of students are meeting senior leaders and have been given one-to-one appointments with the headteacher to discuss their concerns", they said in a statement on the school website.

"Bedale High is a school of 580 students and the vast majority have participated fully with their lessons and wider provision."

North Yorkshire police confirmed that they were called to the school, but told staff it wasn't a police matter.

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