Bathroom and toilet provision for students with learning support needs

Installation, modification and funding information for schools.

Level of compliance Main audience Other

Inform
  • Boards
  • Proprietors
  • Architects and designers
  • Principals and tumuaki
  • Project manager
  • Third-party contractors

Learning support facilities have a toilet entitlement, which does not apply to mainstream schools. Boards need to know the principles and requirements that apply to planning bathroom modifications for students with learning support needs.

Modifying bathrooms for people with learning support needs

When planning a bathroom for students with learning support needs, consider the following principles:

  • promoting independence
  • promoting ease of care and carer safety and comfort, including eliminating manual lifting in line with the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC)'s moving and handling people guidelines
  • ACC patient handling guidelines (pages 17-34)
  • promoting student privacy and safety
  • planning for individual students and, where practical, including reasonable provision for future students.

Moving and handling people guidelines – ACC(external link) [32.1MB, PDF]

Patient handling guidelines (pages 17-34) – ACC(external link) [833KB, PDF]

Any proposal to modify or design a bathroom space must be reviewed by:

  • your school staff
  • your learning support occupational therapist or physiotherapist
  • your property advisor.

All plans must comply with the Building Code. But, it is likely that more bathroom space will be needed than required by the Building Code. This is because many students with learning support needs require extra equipment, like a hoist or a change table.

Toilet and changing space design for schools

Funding bidets for people with learning support needs

The Ministry only funds the installation of bidets in schools in exceptional circumstances. At least one of the following criteria must be met:

  • the student or staff member has a serious bowel or bladder issue and a bidet is essential for their ongoing medical care
  • independent toileting would not be possible without a bidet.

The total cost for a bidet, including plumbing and electrical installation, is usually over $2,500. You should include it as part of a learning support property modification assessment. If your project does not qualify for this funding, you will have to fund it yourself.

Learning support property modification

Funding showers for people with learning support needs

You can get funding for a shower through Learning support property modification funding if it is essential to meet the student’s or staff member’s needs. A shower should usually:

  • be a wet-area shower within a toilet/bathroom space
  • allow full wheelchair access if needed.

Providing toilets for specialist schools

The toilet entitlement calculator for specialist schools and satellite units is made up of the following 2 tables. We use it work out the number and size of toilets to provide for non-mobile and mobile students.

Toilet entitlement calculator

The following table shows how much area is allocated to different types of toilets. These sizes also apply to toilets in mainstream schools and are factored into the school property guide entitlement calculator.

Mainstream schools

School property guide entitlement calculator

Area entitlement for different types of toilets

Non-mobile students

Mobile students

Works (W) – a fully accessible bathroom with one toilet

12.4m2

With change table (CT) – a bathroom with one toilet and a change table

8m2

Assisted (A) – a suitably sized toilet

2m²

Ordinary (O) – a single toilet

 

1.2m2

 

Hoist (H) – a toilet with a hoist

6m²

 

The following table shows the number of toilets required for a specialist school or satellite unit based on the number of students. For a mainstream school, use the toilet calculator in the Building Code.

Toilet calculator in the Building Code – Building.govt.nz(external link)

Toilets required based on the number of students

Non-mobile students

Mobile students

Student
no.

Toilet
no.

Toilet
type

Toilet
area m2

Cum.
area m2

Student
no.

Toilet
no.

Toilet
type

Toilet
area m2

Cum.
area m2

1–3

1

W

12.4

12.4

1–4

1

CT

8

8

4–6

2

A

2

14.4

5–8

2

O

1.2

9.2

7–9

3

H

6

20.4

9–12

3

O

1.2

10.4

10–12

4

A

2

22.4

13–16

4

O

1.2

11.6

13–15

5

W

12.4

34.8

17–20

5

CT

8

19.6

16–18

6

A

2

36.8

21–24

6

O

1.2

20.8

19–21

7

H

6

42.8

25–28

7

O

1.2

22

22–24

8

A

2

44.8

29–32

8

O

1.2

23.2

25–27

9

W

12.4

57.2

33–36

9

CT

8

31.2

28–30

10

A

2

59.2

37–40

10

O

1.2

32.4

31–33

11

H

6

65.2

41–44

11

O

1.2

33.6

34–36

12

A

2

67.2

45–48

12

O

1.2

34.8

37–39

13

W

12.4

79.6

49–52

13

CT

8

42.8

40–42

14

A

2

81.6

53–56

14

O

1.2

44

43–45

15

H

6

87.6

57–60

15

O

1.2

45.2

46–48

16

A

2

89.6

61–64

16

O

1.2

46.4

49–51

17

W

12.4

102

65–68

17

CT

8

54.4

52–54

18

A

2

104

69–72

18

O

1.2

55.6

55–57

19

H

6

110

73–76

19

O

1.2

56.8

58–60

20

A

2

112

77–80

20

O

1.2

58

61–63

21

W

12.4

124.4

81–81

21

CT

8

66

64–66

22

A

2

126.4

85–88

22

O

1.2

67.2

67–69

23

H

6

132.4

89–92

23

O

1.2

68.4

70–72

24

A

2

134.4

93–96

24

O

1.2

69.6

73–75

25

W

12.4

146.8

97–100

25

CT

8

77.6

76–78

26

A

2

148.8

101–104

26

O

1.2

78.8

79–81

27

H

6

154.8

105–108

27

O

1.2

80

82–84

28

A

2

156.8

109–112

28

O

1.2

81.2

85–87

29

W

12.4

169.2

113–116

29

CT

8

89.2

88–90

30

A

2

171.2

117–120

30

O

1.2

90.4

91–93

31

H

6

177.2

121–124

31

O

1.2

91.6

94–96

32

A

2

179.2

125–128

32

O

1.2

92.8

97–99

33

W

12.4

191.6

129–132

33

CT

8

100.8

100–102

34

A

2

193.6

133–136

34

O

1.2

102

103–105

35

H

6

199.6

137–140

35

O

1.2

103.2

More information

Designing schools

Accessibility design

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