Child unwell on school trip

These trips aren’t a jolly for teachers. I’m taking a large number away this summer holidays, it is costing me £££ in extra childcare plus extra food/snacks whilst out and about - it’s not all covered. I’m unlikely to sleep properly whilst there due to the responsibility and will need around 2 to 3 days sleeping/doing nothing to recover.

However as part of our risk assessment, we always have a checkpoint staffed at all times when we let the pupils go off in groups so they know where to find us and there’s at least two staff there so one could go in an emergency. I would not be impressed with his friends going off - it should be drilled into them you don’t leave someone and if someone needs help, one stays with the person and the other goes to seek help.

I wouldn’t complain now, but wait until your DS is back. Then wait until term starts (no one wants this on their holiday) and just ask what happened and what is the risk assessment for theme parks/sending off in groups. Then consider your next move and what you want out of it? Personally, I’d be happy with a review of the risk assessment and assurances that it wouldn’t happen again. I wouldn’t otherwise want to make a member of staff’s life difficult especially as they’ve given up their holiday to take my DC away.

I am confused about the timeline.
He called you and you managed to speak to his teacher....and only then did he managed to WhatsApp her?
And after telling you she would.go and find him, she told him she couldn't.

I'm a teacher and a regular trip leader. If a child...even a sixth former rang me to report those symptoms I (also the first aider) would want to check them over. I would also not be happy at a child being left on their own by friends. We always insist students remain in groups when being remotely supervised. I would be very unhappy with the teacher saying she couldn't come because she was in a queue.

Stating she was too busy on her holiday is opinion not fact. Hth.

Your focus on this being a 'free holiday' isn't helping. I'm sure the teachers would much rather be there with their own children than yours! Having taken children away on residentials, I can assure you it's not exactly a relaxing holiday.
The teacher would have made an assessment when they spoke with him regarding how ill he sounded, if he had been critically unwell I'm sure they would have sought medical help for him.
I would be annoyed with his friends, on these trips its always drummed into them to go round as 3's or 4's, so 1 can stay with someone if any issues and 1 can seek help. They were given instructions, they didn't follow them
I think there must be more to this, have you spoken/messaged with the teacher?

In fairness ours does

too busy on her holiday to bother

Ah come on OP, be fair.

School trips are the most stressful, exhausting, relentless things teachers do. In their own time. Which they don't have to do.

The ONLY reason we do them is for the kids, because frankly, they are a horrific amount of additional work in advance, you're constantly on alert, and the sheer weight of the responsibility for all those children is enough to keep you up all night. Then there's the ones who don't follow rules, or try to sneak out, or buy alcohol, or lose something important.

A "holiday" it is not.

Filed in what list ??

I'm sure this wasn't the case, that teacher will have passed it on to the others on duty at that time. We are there 24/7 and do shifts to be available, night and day, so she was most likely saying she couldn't do it immediately but another teacher would? Xx

Christ, some horrid replies. I still class my 16 old as a child! Being in a foreign country, in pain and vomiting and told there is no help. He called his mum. That is normal behaviour. Poor kid. Mine are very rarely sick and when they have been it does feel awful and uncontrollable sometimes. How does anyone know that he doesn't have something worse the just a sick bug, dehydration etc. I would be pissed off knowing he was own his own feeing ill. Hope he is ok.

Exactly.

It could have been something serious.

I've filed this under the list of...

Exactly, we make it over clear to students and parents alike what the protocol is and there is always someone on duty. Have been on so many trips abroad and there has never been a problem, they come back to meeting place or now call who is on duty. It does seem a case he rang one teacher who wasnt on duty then his Mum who has feared the worst.

I have pets and kids, I've also staffed numerous trips, in my own time.

Most of my colleagues also have kids/pets/both.

I am amazed there is no agreed meeting spot with a member of staff (or 2) on duty, especially with the young people able to go off not in supervised groups.

And to say can't help as queuing for a ride.... bloody hell. They needed to check on your son.

It's not uncommon. As already stated, our teens' school is in Andorra for the week. All year groups welcome.

Teachers take over duties so she will have passed it on to ones on duty. It's hard work, also very enjoyable, taking students on trips abroad. It's 24/7 do we do shifts and share every part of the day and night to be available and responsible for them. Most likely it was her turn to have a couple of hours free. Xx

Clothes? For a 2 day trip to Disney? How do you know they have pets or kids ?

😂👏

From the pictures posted on there social media it looks as though the teachers are going around the park together

I call bullshit. In no school I have ever come across would teachers be posting pics of themselves with other teachers, on social media or anywhere parents would see.

@EarringsandLipstick Oh as if.

He's fine.

I find it incredibly hard to believe that any school thinks it is reasonable to take yr 11's on a school trip 5 weeks before gcse's