We’ve all been there. You’re in what feels like the best lesson of your teaching career. You pose a question to the class - a real thinker - and one student’s hand shoots straight up.

Hallelujah! Someone has an answer. But when you call on them, they say, “Can I go to the toilet, please?” Infuriating.

So should we have a “no toilet during lesson time” rule?

In a word, no. Going to the toilet is a basic human right. I don’t know of any adults who must ask their boss for permission to go to the toilet only to be met with the answer, “No, you can’t go to the toilet during working hours.” Why, then, do some educators think it is acceptable to say no to children?

I have heard that there are some secondary schools going so far as to lock toilets during lesson time. Firstly, this seems like a waste of time for whoever is going around locking toilets and, secondly, how dare we take away a pupil’s right to go to the toilet? There are children with undiagnosed bladder and bowel problems, female students menstruating who, weirdly enough, can’t control when they’ll need to nip to the loo and change their sanitary wear, and children who haven’t got full control of their bladders yet. Can we really be comfortable refusing these children this basic human right?

Don’t hold it in

According to children’s bowel and bladder charity ERIC, one in 12 young people aged 5-19 suffer from bowel and bladder conditions. That means that, in the average class, there are two or three children who can’t control their toileting.

What’s more, the NHS advises you not to hold your urine in “if you feel the urge to go”, as this can contribute to a urinary-tract infection developing. It strikes me as irresponsible to prevent children form going to the toilet when they need to if doing so might cause further damage.

Having said all that, every teacher and teaching assistant knows that there are, and always will be, pupils who take the mick when it comes to going to the toilet. There are the children who ask as soon as it’s time for maths or as soon as it’s time for their independent work; there are children who ask to go during PE because they don’t enjoy it; and there are children who just fancy a bit of time out of lessons.

Yes, this is an inconvenience and, no, it’s not fun to know a child might be getting the better of you by mucking around during your lesson. But are you prepared to be the teacher who says no and has a student wet themselves in your classroom? Are you prepared to explain the incident to their parents? Are you prepared to deal with that child’s potential anxiety and embarrassment?

Designated breaks

So what can we do? Firstly, I’d make it clear that every moment of learning time counts so children should do their best to use break times to go to the toilet. I know of some schools that have scheduled toilet breaks for the younger children and this has led to a decrease in children going during lessons. You could try ringing the bell five or 10 minutes before the end of lunchtime and advising the children that this is their chance to go to the toilet.

I also find that children who don’t really need to go to the toilet can be distracted by saying “Write one more sentence” or “Someone’s just gone, can you wait a few minutes?” You can spot those who really do need to go from this.

Lastly, keep track of it. If you’re noticing someone is always asking, speak to their parents and see if it’s something they’ve also noticed at home or whether they want to get the child checked out by the doctor.

Ultimately, though, I will never just say no when a child asks. I’m not comfortable with being responsible for what might happen next.

Shannen Doherty is a Year 4 teacher in south London