Michael Free says he spent a year trying to get a school in Barnsley to add a toilet lid for his daughter, 11, who struggles with noise and sensory issues – but claims he was refused
A frustrated father has hit out at a school for its failure to install a toilet lid, resulting in him taking an almost hour-long journey every time his autistic daughter needs the loo. Michael Free, aged 48, says his 11 year old daughter, who struggles with noise and sensory issues, cannot use toilets without a lid.
He had brought this to Netherwood Academy’s attention in Barnsley a year before she began there in September but claims the school cited costs running into “thousands” as a reason for not installing one. Consequently, since September, he has had no choice but to pick his daughter up and take her home each time she requires the facilities, a round-trip of 55 minutes.
Given that her sensory difficulties mean she only attends from 11am to 2pm each day, the situation is far from ideal. Yet, after the school was contacted for a statement this week, they promised to install a seat lid to meet the student’s needs.
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Michael, unemployed from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, expressed his exasperation: “They say it’ll cost thousands so I went for a meeting and to have a look at the toilet. On the top of the toilet there’s a space where the lid should be but it hasn’t been put on – I could go to B&Q and get one for a tenner to add on. When I gave them a solution that I could design one for them, straight away they said no.”
“So they’ve come up with the solution that when she needs the toilet, she needs to speak to a member of staff, notify reception, notify us and we have to come and pick her up – a 55-minute round-trip. They think that’s acceptable?
“It’s absolutely mental – the rules in that place are ridiculous,” says Michael, whose daughter had already been struggling with noise and sensory issues at primary school, leading to a brief period of home-schooling. Now attending school for a shorter duration, he reveals it often leaves her needing to “hold it in.”
He explained: “At the moment it’s only happening once a day as she’s only there 11-2. But she’s often having to hold it in and she won’t go. If it ends up being that she needs the toilet at 1pm then there’s no point bringing her back.”
Michael was informed by Netherwood Academy that the ‘thousands’ cost is due to the building not belonging to the school itself.
A spokesperson for Netherwood Academy stated: “We have made arrangements for an appropriate toilet seat and lid to be fitted to an appropriate toilet cubicle in school.
“Once the item arrives and is installed, we very much hope the student will be able to use the toilets without becoming anxious or stressed.
“We look forward to working with the family to ensure this student’s time in school is as positive as possible. We remain committed to equality and inclusion at Netherwood Academy.”
