Would you let your child go on this school trip?

Totally depends on the child. At 7, some can cope with late nights and others can’t. Mine would not sleep on the coach and has never fallen asleep in the car (must to my annoyance!). If I let her go and she was home at midnight she would be a total nightmare the next day wouldn’t manage school the next day so I would expect the school to authorise the day off - which also wouldn’t work for me as I have a job. At this age, a 10pm is a “one-off”, not midnight which may get pushed further with any travel delay etc.

100% let them go. It's 1 late night, with 1 slightly/tired grumpy day afterwards.
Our school did this when they performed at the O2, it was a fabulous experience.
99% mine are in bed on time, never miss school, but it's important to make occasional exceptions for specific events.

The occasional life experience is worth a bedtime exception. In this case the school will even understand that the children are a bit tired the next day. This is an obvious yes.

It depends. One of mine would have been fine with it, the other would have got too tired and quite possibly thrown up (her response to being over tired).
Also depends on the home situation. A single parent with no car and 2 under age of 4 would find it harder than someone who can just nip down the road to pick them up at midnight. Others would find it hard to drop the kids off late next day if they had to be at work, so hopefully they would still be able to go in at normal time.
I know school is not childcare, but they don't have to make life so bloody difficult.

I’d let my child go despite the late night. I think they’d get a lot out of it. My children have really enjoyed school theatre trips (not very theatrical y4 son came home from the Lion King with stars in his eyes saying it was ‘phenomenal’ - I didn’t know he knew the word) and the cost is much less than for a non school theatre trip.

But theatre trips at their (state) schools have always been Wednesday matinees. I’m surprised this is an evening.

God this!

I mean, if we never bent 'the rules' in order to experience life in all it's glory, what the fuck is the point of living?

At 10 - yes definitely. At 7 - yes in principle but it depends on the child, but I'd raise an eyebrow at the organisers choosing an evening performance over a matinee. Overall I'd say yes unless there was a compelling reason not to. Being tired the next day wouldn't come in to it.

My 7 year old would love this. 100% yes.

Fair point

It's ridiculous for the school to arrange a trip like this.

But I'd definitely send.
It's one night.
No-one's going to die of one going to be late one night.

The school has already said the kids can go in later the next day.
If DC were particularly knackered, I'd just keep them off the whole of the next day.

Yes and my daughter did something similar in year 3. Young Voices at the 02. They didn't get back to school until after 11pm and went in late the next day.

All the kids loved.

You told us what another parent has decided but what have you decided OP?

My ds went on a similar trip at a similar age. He had a great time, slept in the coach on the way home, then slept in the car from the school, back to the house, and was fine the next day.

I don't think one isolated trip will do any harm.

Yes let them go, ita one night. School will be late the next day.

We take our children to Young Voices every year (big choir event) and get back around midnight. It’s fine! They have the option to come into school a little later the next day, but most are in at the normal time.

One late night (after a fantastic experience!) isn’t going to do irreparable damage!

It sounds like a train wreck. Seven year olds, that late at night will be tired, tearful, sick, out of routine, grumpy, scared of the dark, over excited. I'd let my son stay up that late as a one off, but somewhere where I was there, where we could duck out if it got too much.

It’s a slightly odd trip for 7 year olds given the time back on a school night but yes I would have let ds go no problems then would have arranged to take him into school once he got up.
i suppose this is difficult no adult is available to facilitate the late morning start.

even my 4 year old could cope with an evening west end show (she's been twice) we live in london though so were home in 30 mins so not super late - at 7 im sure she'd have no issues

Seriously? Why? So your kid can never have a late night? What a miserable existence

If he isn't allowed to go then he will have another kind of memory. especially if he's the only one to miss out, it will be the talk of the town for days and he'll be left out. People seem to underestimate children's resilience, he'll be fine, they'll sleep on the coach coming home and be knackered the next day!

My kids school take them to the young voices concert. They don’t get home until 11-11.30pm. They go to school for 10am the next day. It’s not a big deal

Wouldn’t even cross my mind not to let them.

How far away are you from London? I wouldn't even let my family members take DC to London that late never mind school 😕

I think the OP means that she and her partner are arguing over their own child going - not that one parent is trying to stop a whole class going because of their one child's bedtime.

Definitely, they'll make the sleep up, the school aren't expecting much the next day. It'll be a great adventure. Avoiding something as it'll make them a bit tired is ridiculous, kids need to learn resilience and flexibility.