Hartlepool School Under Fire Over Lunchtime Shortages and Toilet Restrictions as Home Schooling Numbers Surge...
- teessidetoday
- Nov 20
- 3 min read
From Hunger to Home Schooling: Why Parents Claim they are Removing their Children from a Hartlepool School...
20th November 2025
Yet another concerned parent has this week sparked a wave of discussion online after revealing a string of troubling experiences her son has faced since starting at a Hartlepool School.
Dyke House Academy — is said to be facing wider questions about school standards, children’s welfare, and why so many Hartlepool parents are now turning to home education...
In a post that quickly gathered attention, the mother described how her son repeatedly returned home upset after missing lunch because the food had run out before he'd reached the front of the queue. Despite being shy, she said he had tried to raise the matter several times with the school, only to find she's no further forward.
But the situation reportedly escalated recently when she discovered her son, after being collected from school, had to urinate into a bottle in the car because he was unable to use the toilets before leaving. Understandably angry, she asked local parents whether they had experienced similar issues — and the responses paint a worrying picture.
“The worst school going” – parents share their experiences
The post triggered a flood of replies, many describing near-identical problems at Dyke House as well as other Hartlepool secondary schools reportedly ran by the same Academy Trust:
Toilet access being refused
Several parents reported their children are being made to wait long periods to use the toilet, resulting in stomach pains and anxiety. One parent said:
“Manor is the same. My kids come home with bad belly’s because they’ve been made to wait for the toilet.”
Another added:
“This shouldn’t be happening at school at all… would the teachers wait? No. It’s all wrong.”
Others highlighted a growing nationwide issue — schools restricting toilet access even for emergencies, including menstruating girls, unless they obtain special passes or medical notes.
Not enough food at lunchtime
Multiple parents said their children are frequently going without lunch because food reportedly 'runs out':
“My daughter has complained a few times saying that there’s never anything left. It’s shocking because if a child is on free school meals the school gets extra funding… Surely they should be making sure there is enough food so they aren’t starving!”
Concerns about pastoral care and attitude toward pupils
One former pupil described being repeatedly dismissed by staff when seriously ill:
“They called me a liar for months… Turns out I had a really bad illness and nearly died. They don’t care about the kids, only ratings.”
Another parent said her child faced bullying from both students and teachers, and only began to thrive after being moved to another School..
Parents voting with their feet — moving schools or choosing home education
Several parents responding to the post said they had already removed their children from Dyke House, Manor, or English Martyrs due to similar concerns:
“Pulled her out and moved to Martyrs — loads better.”
“Best thing I done was taking my son out… he is now thriving.”
“We had this at both Manor and English Martyrs. Pulled her out and now home educate.”
And this matches a wider trend across Hartlepool and Teesside.
A Sharp Rise in Home-Educated Children – Are School Conditions to Blame?
A recent report from The Teesside & Durham Post revealed a significant rise in the number of children being home educated in Hartlepool, with numbers increasing sharply — particularly among those with special educational needs.
Parents are increasingly citing:
unmet pastoral or medical needs,
school behaviour policies seen as overly strict,
safeguarding concerns,
and a lack of proper support for vulnerable children.
The stories shared about Dyke House reflect many of the same issues raised in that report: parents feeling that schools are no longer prioritising their children’s basic wellbeing — food, toilet access, safety, and dignity.
A System Losing Sight of Children?
These accounts, while anecdotal, reveal a growing frustration among Hartlepool families. Whether it is Dyke House, Manor, Martyrs, St Hild's or others, too many parents feel their children’s welfare is being ignored in favour of rigid school policies or league-table pressures.
When children cannot eat, cannot use the toilet, face medical neglect, or come home with stomach pain and anxiety, something is fundamentally broken...
Schools often talk about creating “safe and supportive learning environments”.But the stories shared by parents suggest that, for many local children, that promise simply isn’t being kept.
As more families either move schools or turn to home education entirely, it is clear that this issue is not going away. Hartlepool’s schools — and the so called 'authorities' supposedly overseeing them — need to answer some serious questions...
