The well-being and safety of students are considered in the designing of all areas within a school. From the classrooms to the bathrooms, creating a secure space for students is a top priority for interior designers, architects and builders. Part of this is choosing the right school bathroom partition. Such design choices vary for each school and age group, so proper planning must occur before construction.
Below, we will divulge the best fits for school bathrooms and factors to consider when choosing the right school bathroom partition and facilities for your school projects.
Low height partitions
Low height partitions are essential in monitoring and supervising kindergarten-aged children. Children attending early learning centres and kindergarten neither require full-height partitions nor is it safe for them. Teachers and supervisors should be able to see and assist children at any time. A low height partition is the best solution for this. Additionally, the low height partitions allow for children’s ease of access.
Our Junior Toilet Partitions are designed with sustainability, utility, and visibility in mind. Made for young children, our junior bathroom partitions feature bold and bright colours to create a warm and inviting environment. Additionally, the floor-mounted and free-standing system offers strength, durability and easy cleaning.
Junior toilet partitions are available in many colours, materials and finishes for toilet cubicle construction, featuring heavy-duty rail and channels, concealed fix designer hardware, and an optional gapless rebate door for enhanced privacy. These cubicles are incredibly durable and bring the colourful, fun and security of the classroom into the bathroom.
Our junior partitions can be installed with toilet cubicle measurements in consideration to optimise the space within your facilities.
Full height Partitions
Full height partitions are essential in providing the utmost privacy to students and staff members. Studies have shown that bathrooms create a level of anxiety for students and, as a result, lead to students making significant efforts to avoid using the facilities. Contributing factors to these anxieties include surrounding school bathroom stalls and their security.
One of the many issues surrounding school toilets is bullying. The bathrooms at schools create the perfect environment for bullying, with their discrete, remote and private nature. Additionally, since bathrooms are typically separated based on sex, not all teachers can monitor the restrooms to ensure all students are safe.
Full height partitions are an incredible solution to minimising bullying and increasing a sense of security for students as the opportunity for other students to peer over the cubicle walls has been eliminated, and the enclosed space feels much more private.
Additionally, a common concern amongst children is being interrupted or exposed whilst using the toilet. That is why our full height partitions include high-quality hardware and locks that ensure students’ security, thus giving the user peace of mind.
Creating a safe and comfortable restroom environment for students
Part of designing a school bathroom is considering all elements that make a bathroom feel secure and ensure long-term durability. As various organisations have conducted research, certain issues that arise within a communal school bathroom setting have been identified, and alongside them, suggested solutions and designs to implement to rectify such issues.
As previously explored, using the bathroom facilities at school can be quite anxiety-inducing for many students. Therefore, here are some suggestions to improve the overall atmosphere and security of school washroom facility designs.
Increasing visibility in school bathroom environments isn’t reserved for early learning centres and kindergartens only. An open wash zone is an awesome solution to address the concerns of students surrounding bathrooms becoming a hub for individuals to congregate and for bullying to occur.
The toilet cubicles remain as they are currently, completely private, however, the wash zone where bullying behaving typically occurs is physically open and in complete visibility of the various learning zones. This provides teachers and staff with a direct line of sight to the wash zone to monitor activity and avoid negative student interactions.
Safety first
Safety is another major concern for children in a bathroom setting. Many children report not feeling safe going to the bathroom out of fear that individuals from outside the school community will enter the facilities. This leads to children practising avoidance behaviours, such as abstaining from drinking throughout the school day to prevent the need to use the toilet.
It is important to consider these concerns and design spaces that deal with such matters directly. Designing a bathroom space that resides amongst surrounding learning zones (classrooms) with dual access points is crucial to creating a sense of security for children. Planning school bathrooms to have an access point from inside the learning zone (inside) during class time and separate doors that can be accessed from the playground, and kept locked during class time, means that children can feel secure and know that no outsiders can enter the facilities during the day.
Lastly, accessibility also includes the location of bathroom facilities for students. It is vital to have bathrooms for individuals with specific abilities and needs and for students to be able to go from the bathroom to the classroom without disrupting the flow of learning. This can be done by strategically placing bathrooms in specific sections of the school grounds to ensure each building has a bathroom facility close by. As a result, student learning will not be significantly disrupted if they need to use the bathroom.
Restroom partition material options
Here at Cubispec, we offer a range of cubicles and partitions in different materials to best suit your space. From metal to plastic laminate, each of our options is designed to help builders, architects and interior designers choose partitions that will stand the test of time in school bathrooms while meeting the ideal aesthetic and design of the space.
For those looking for the most economical and commercially standard option, metal partitions are your go-to option. The most popular variation is powder-coated steel, which is rust and corrosion-resistant. However, they are not the most durable option for high-traffic (and perhaps vandalism-prone) spaces, such as school bathrooms.
Plastic laminate partitions offer the broadest range of colour choices, perfect for school settings. They are also an affordable and relatively durable option, equipped to deal with local bathroom artists.
The best option for high-traffic areas, such as the school restrooms, is solid plastic partitions. Since it is built with one-inch-thick solid plastic panels, it makes for an incredibly durable option. They can withstand vandalism, moisture and potent cleaning agents for environments with a considerable number of germs. Although this option is initially a more expensive investment, they end up lasting longer in the long term, and many partitions tend to come with a ten-year warranty.
Compact laminate partitions provide the best solid plastic and plastic laminate partitions. These partitions are created after a solid resin core is covered with a durable melamine layer, resulting in high germ and moisture resistant material, perfect for a high-traffic school washroom environment. Compact laminate partitions offer plenty of customisation options with different colour choices that match the rest of the washroom environment. Additionally, due to their nature, compact laminate partitions provide the durability and toughness of solid plastic and the exclusive colour and customisation options of a laminate, meaning they will last for years while maintaining a pleasing appearance throughout their lifetime.
A timeless classic, stainless steel is unbeatable for its quality and appearance. Though on the more expensive side, they provide durability, aesthetic value and ease of cleaning, meaning that managing the spread of germs is much easier. Additionally, they are a more environmentally friendly option as stainless steel has a lower environmental impact than plastics. Stainless steel partitions will last for a lifetime and will continue to maintain their appearance, offering a scratch-free look and cleaning-friendly features.
Suitable for the high-traffic environment of a school bathroom, stainless steel partitions are the perfect fit to ensure bathrooms withstand the test of time and teenagers.
Contact Cubispec today
Cubispec is here for you if you want to implement durable, aesthetic, high-quality bathroom partitions and bathroom stall dividers within your school toilet designs.
Our friendly team of trained specialists are more than happy to answer any of your queries, help you select the options that best suit your needs and help with other design advice for particular spaces. Call +61893596900 or contact us today to discuss school bathroom partition requirements.
