A BASINGSTOKE secondary school is spending £400,000 to tackle problems such as ‘poor conduct, bullying and self-harm’ in its toilets which will include open, supervised facilities with vape detectors and CCTV.

The Costello School, in Crossborough Hill, will update its toilet facilities across the school with work set to start in the next few weeks, continuing throughout the summer holidays and be complete by the new school year in September 2024.

Headteacher Kirsty Protheroe wrote to parents to inform them of the changes which she hopes will result in safer toilets with the design said to “reduce bullying, self-harm and poor conduct”.

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The new facilities are referred to as ‘passive supervision bathrooms’ to replace the traditional toilets currently at the school.

Ms Protheroe said in the letter: “This will mean they can be accessed all day as they can be supervised and are far safer. Passive supervision bathrooms have been linked to reducing bullying, self-harm and poor conduct in bathroom areas in schools.

“As the bathroom areas will all be open, and supervised by any passer-by, we will no longer need to lock toilet areas during lessons.”

The headteacher said she hoped this would be “welcome news” for parents.

The new toilets will have floor-to-ceiling cubicles for ‘absolute privacy’ but with open handwashing facilities with lowered walls for supervision.

The urinal facilities will be removed and the hand basins can be accessed and seen in the corridor, reducing the risk of bad behaviour in these areas.

Each area will also be fitted with vape detectors, while CCTV on hand basins will remain.

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The toilets, which will be designated in each area for boys, girls and unisex, will see a 21 per cent increase in toilets across the Costello site.

The school has secured funding of almost £400,000 for the project.

Ms Protheroe said in her letter to parents: “I am aware that the toilets have been a source of contention for our student body for some time with student leaders wishing to update the aesthetics of existing facilities.

"I am keen to be able to resolve this issue in the best way possible by bidding for funds to drastically alter the facilities and improve the quality of the daily experience at school. I hope, sincerely, that this work will have the upmost positive impact on our community.

“We are thrilled that we have been so fortunate in securing this money to be able to embark on such a project.”

Parents have been warned that the work will result in ‘some disruption’, but that it will not affect the GCSE examinations or any summer plans already in place.

During the summer holidays, the school site will be entirely closed to both staff and students.

Ms Protheroe told the Gazette: “We are continually looking at ways to improve and enhance the quality of education we deliver for our students, which includes maintaining excellent facilities across our school site.

“We are, therefore, pleased to have received capital funding to support with building works on the site, including replacing our fencing and improving our bathroom facilities to ensure they are safe and functional for everyone. Work is due to start shortly and we're looking forward to unveiling the new and improved facilities at the start of the new academic year.”

The Gazette has been made aware of similar issues relating to toilets at other schools in the area. We asked Hampshire County Council whether it has plans to resolve these issues and whether it is looking at installing toilets similar to those at Costello at other Hampshire schools. 

It responded to say that decisions to change the toilets would be made by individual schools, adding: "We are not aware of any similar issues across our own maintained educational estate."