WHY PARENTS AT $8,700-A-YEAR SCHOOL ARE BEING NOTIFIED EVERY TIME THEIR CHILD GOES TO THE BATHROOM

• School tracks students' trips to the bathroom

Parents at a Sydney private school are being notified every time their child goes to the bathroom in a bid to stop students trashing the brand-new facilities. 

St Leo's Catholic College in the leafy suburb of Wahroonga on the Upper North Shore is a co-ed high school that charges tuition fees of up to $8,700-a-year.

In its most recent fortnightly newsletter, The Lion Roars, assistant principal Patrick Brennan told parents that a new 'tracking trial' was taking place. 

It came after a parent question asked: 'Why am I receiving notifications that my young person has gone to the bathroom during class?'

Mr Brennan said the 'in-class bathroom break tracking trial' had been introduced in a bid to protect the recently refurbished facilities. 

'Regrettably, there have been incidents of vandalism and poor decision-making in these newly refurbished areas,' he wrote.

'At times, this damage has resulted in facilities being temporarily unusable while repairs were undertaken.

'We have found that many of the issues occur when students access bathrooms unsupervised during class time. As a result, we have recently commenced a trial of tracking student access to bathrooms during lessons.'

Mr Brennan insisted the data helped conversations between staff, parents and students, but was not being used to 'police' the children.

'We understand that some parents and carers may find these notifications unnecessary or even frustrating,' he said. 

'It was certainly not our intention to cause concern or suggest that a single bathroom visit is problematic. 

'Rather, it is hoped, and we are already seeing evidence, that the trial is encouraging students to use the bathrooms at times during the day when supervision is present and better decisions are being made.'

A student told The Sydney Morning Herald that wet toilet paper had been thrown on the bathroom ceilings and doors pulled off their hinges. 

'The younger ones just trash it,' parent Nancy Helou said. 

'I am supportive of it, 100 per cent. I got my first notification yesterday… I thought he was in trouble at first.'

St Leo's said preventative measures such as supervision outside bathroom areas and increased CCTV at entry and exit points were rolled out before the trial. 

The school even engaged NSW Police when perpetrators were identified. 

Students were also encouraged to use the facilities during breaks and report others' 'inappropriate behaviour'.

Mr Brennan also urged parents and guardians to speak to their children about respecting school property. 

Read more

2026-03-04T23:12:28Z