For Women Scotland

Mixed sex toilets in schools

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A decade ago there was no need to worry about the layout of toilets in schools or ask who could use which toilet. Since then, however, guidance from the Scottish Government and lobbying groups such as LGBT Youth Scotland have advised schools to allow boys – if they identified as the opposite sex – to use the girls’ toilets (and vice versa) and recommended more “gender neutral” provision. This led to many schools gradually replacing urinals with WCs in boys’ toilet facilities during school refurbishment projects as a way to ease transition to what is termed “gender-neutral” provision, which in reality, simply means mixed-sex facilities where boys and girls share toilet cubicles and hand washing areas.

This has always been contrary to sections 15 and 16 of the School Premises (General Requirements and Standards) (Scotland) Regulations 1967 which sets out the required sanitary accommodation for pupils. Every school is required to provide a minimum number of sanitary appliances and wash basins, dependent on the school roll, half of which should be for girls and the other half for boys (where a third of the appliances should be WCs and the remainder urinals).

Schools have been slow to respond to the judgments in FWS1 (2022) and FWS2 (2025), both of which ruled that provision for women necessarily excludes all biological males, and the Hurley case in 2025 which restated that schools must provide separate sex sanitary accommodation for pupils.

A further case followed, brought by the parents of a 5 year old girl who was repeatedly left in pain and distress after she refused to use “gender-neutral” toilets at East Calder Primary School because of the presence of boys. The Court of Session found in June 2026 that “sanitary accommodation” in the 1967 Regulations “includes waiting space and wash basins” and not just the toilet appliances [para 47]. It ruled that mixed-sex sanitary accommodation, even where some cubicle doors were labelled male and others female, amounted to indirect sex discrimination against female pupils.

In order to find out how many other schools are still not providing separate sex toilets for pupils we sent the following Freedom of Information request to all 32 local authorities on 10th June 2026:

The judgment in DE & FG v West Lothian Council (paragraphs 27-29) found that “sanitary accommodation” for pupils encompasses the space that includes appliances (flush toilets and urinals), provision for disposal of sanitary towels, wash basins, partitions and lockable doors.

Please provide:

1. The total number of local authority schools that provide mixed-sex sanitary accommodation for pupils. ie. shared by boys and girls at the same time. (This total should include such sanitary accommodation irrespective of whether it has full-height partitions or male/female signs on partition doors.) For a non-zero return please break the total down into numbers of primary schools and secondary schools, and provide a list of the school names.

2. The total number of local authority schools that allow male pupils access to single-sex facilities provided for female pupils, or vice versa. For a non-zero return please break the total down into numbers of primary schools and secondary schools, and provide a list of the school names.

(NB. male and female, boys and girls are biological sex terms.) 

The detailed results follow below, but in summary:

  • Nine councils did not provide information.
  • Of the 23 councils who did provide information:
    • none allow pupils to use toilets provided for the opposite sex.
    • 10 do not have any schools with mixed sex toilets.
    • the remaining 13 have a total of 100 schools with mixed sex toilets.

The Herald have covered the story: 100 Scottish schools still have mixed-sex school toilets

Aberdeen City:

  • Brimmond Primary School **
  • Countesswells Primary School *
  • Dyce Primary School *
  • Greyhope Primary School *
  • Milltimber Primary School *
  • Riverbank Primary School **
  • Stoneywood Primary School *

* Open plan toilet blocks, accessed via a shared entrance area for use by both male and female pupils, where each side of the block contains toilet appliances and wash basins which are solely for either male or female use. All toilet appliances are within fully enclosed full height cubicles with lockable doors.

** Open plan toilet blocks, accessed via a shared entrance area for use by both male and female pupils, where each side of the block contains toilet appliances which are solely for either male or female use. All toilet appliances are within fully enclosed full height cubicles with lockable doors. Wash basins are provided within the shared entrance area and are available for male and female use.

All other schools have entirely separate toilet blocks for male and female pupils, each accessed through a separate doorway, and each containing toilet appliances (within cubicles with lockable doors) and wash basins which are solely for either male or female use.

Aberdeenshire:

  • Fraserburgh South Park Primary School
  • Gordon Primary School
  • Hatton (Fintray) Primary School
  • Hillside Primary School
  • Kinellar Primary School
  • Laurencekirk Primary School
  • Pitfour Primary School
  • Pitmedden Primary School
  • Stuartfield Primary School
  • Udny Green Primary School
  • Uryside Primary School
  • Alford Acaademy
  • Fraserburgh Academy
  • Kemnay Academy
  • Mearns Academy
  • The Gordon Schools

Angus:

  • Edzell Primary School
  • Hayshead Primary School
  • Ladyloan Primary School
  • Muirfield Primary School
  • St Thomas’ Primary School
  • Timmergreens Primary School
  • Warddykes Primary School
  • Arbroath High School
  • Brechin High School
  • Carnoustie High School
  • Forfar Academy

Argyll & Bute: NONE

Clackmannanshire:

  • Abercromby Primary School
  • Clackmannan Primary School & ELC
  • Clackmannanshire Schools’ Support Service
  • Coalsnaughton Primary School & ELC
  • Lochies School
  • Redwell Primary School & ELC
  • St Bernadett’s Primary School
  • Alloa Academy

Dumfries & Galloway:

  • Castle-Douglas Primary School
  • Kirkcudbright Primary School
  • Leswalt Primary School
  • Wallacehall Primary School

Dundee:

  • Kingspark Primary School
  • Longhaugh Primary School
  • Our Lady’s RC Primary School
  • Rosebank Primary School
  • Sidlaw View Primary School
  • St Francis RC Primary School
  • Baldragon Academy
  • Harris Academy
  • Offsite Education Service

East Ayrshire: NONE

East Dunbartonshire: NONE

East Lothian:

  • Lethan Mains Primary School
  • Wallyford Primary School
  • Dunbar Grammar School

East Renfrewshire:

  • Braidbar Primary School
  • Carolside Primary School
  • Crookfur Primary School
  • Eaglesham Primary School
  • Kirkhill Primary School
  • Maidenhill Primary School
  • Neilston Primary School
  • St Joseph’s Primary School
  • St Thomas’ Primary School

Edinburgh: NONE

“All the Council’s schools provide gender-neutral sanitary accommodation in addition to single-sex facilities.”
(It is unclear if “gender-neutral” means mixed-sex or single-use self-contained rooms – for the moment, the latter is assumed.)

Falkirk: NONE

Fife: No response

Glasgow: No response

Highland:

“The Council do not record how toilets are assigned in our schools for either staff or pupils; it is up to Head Teachers to decide how toilets are allocated and this can change from session to session depending on the needs of pupils and/or staff therefore, under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 we cannot release this information to you as we do not hold this information. Following the Supreme Court ruling on single sex spaces the Council is carrying out a review of the information recorded on this matter.”

Inverclyde::

  • Kilmacolm Primary School
  • Whinhill Primary School

“The Council has reviewed the provision following the judgement noted above and is taking forward alterations to the provision to incorporate the wash facilities within each enclosed individual WC space.”

Midlothian:

  • Danderhall Primary School
  • Easthouses Primary School
  • Paradykes Primary School
  • Roslin Primary School
  • Sacred Heart Primary School
  • St Mary’s Primary School
  • Lasswade High School
  • Newbattle High School

Moray: NONE

North Ayrshire:

  • Dalry Primary School
  • Dreghorn Primary School
  • Largs Primary School
  • Montgomerie Primary School
  • Moorpark Primary School
  • St Mary’s Primary School
  • Garnock Community Campus
  • Largs Academy [1]
  • Lockhart Campus [2]

[1] Largs Academy has 2 toilet blocks which are used as Unisex facilities – but were originally designated for separate Boys/Girls use.

[2] Garnock Community Campus (secondary) has a toilet block which was originally designated for Girls use – which is now used as a gender-neutral facility.

North Lanarkshire:

“I regret to advise you that there is no central data set that records the information sought…the information as sought is not held. I can advise that North Lanarkshire Council is planning to review its school estate to establish any shared provision following the recent court of session ruling.”

Orkney: NONE

Perth & Kinross: Response included unisex/accessible toilets. Awaiting an updated list.

Renfrewshire: No response

Scottish Borders:

  • Earlston Primary School
  • Edenside Primary School [1]
  • Langlee Primary School [2]
  • Newcastleton Primary School [3]
  • Galashiels High School [4]
  • Jedburgh Grammar Campus
  • Peebles High School [5]

[1] Only in the temporary unit being used as a music room. This space has one block of two mixed gender toilets with a communal hand-washing area.

[2] Separate sex toilets blocks with the addition of 2 individual lockable rooms at dining area]

[3] Excess stock in vacant secondary building. Sufficient provision in main building.

[4] All individual lockable rooms.
(NB. The floorplan for the school shows rooms with cubicles, each with a sink. The entrance to the room and queuing area is shared by both girls and boys.)

[5] All individual lockable rooms.
(NB. The floorplans (ground floor, first floor) shows rooms with cubicles, each with a sink. The entrance to the room and queuing area is shared by both girls and boys.)

Shetland:

  • Burravoe Primary School
  • Cunningsburgh Primary School
  • Dunrossness Primary School
  • Fair Isle Primary School
  • Hamnavoe Primary School
  • Urafirth Primary School
  • Sandwick Junior High School

In 2025 Fair Isle had 3 pupils, Burravoe 7, and Urafirth 19, according to Scottish Government statistics. The other schools each had more than 60 pupils. However, even for small schools of less than 15 pupils, the School Premises Regulations 1967 still requires separate facilities for the sexes – see Table VIII at section 15 of the Regs.

South Ayrshire: NONE

South Lanarkshire: NONE

Sirling: NONE

West Dunbartonshire: No response

Western Isles: No response

West Lothian: No response