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Original poster

So upset - school trip

151 replies

princessdonna87 · 01/12/2018 00:30

Hi ladies

My daughter (9) was due to go to a panto today. Like a lot of schools we use parentpay. The trip went online on 24 Sep, I paid 25 Sep.

Imagine my surprise when I get home from work to be told by the childminder that my daughter hadn't been allowed to go on the trip as her permission slip was late. Instead, she'd been sat in the reception area all day on an ipad.

Nobody told me she wasn't going, nobody mentioned the slip (I'm pretty sure this was on time, and at any rate it's been 2 months since!)

She was naturally very upset. Especially as kids who hadn't paid got to take the places of kids who were off sick that had paid.

I've emailed the school but obviously it's the weekend, so no reply til at least Monday but I am so so so upset I could cry!!

My daughter looks forward to things more than most due to what she's been through and she only joined the school in September (she lost her dad last year to suicide, and her gran last month unexpectedly, she's moved home and school etc)

She'd been telling everyone about this trip for weeks - I could cry I am so upset!!!!

I don't care about the money, though I would like it refunded - I just don't know how the school can make this any better? She's really upset but not the type of child to make a big deal to other people as she's shy.

She said 2 other kids were also not allowed to go because their slips were late.

Ironically the kids who hadn't paid - their parents were phoned to ask for consent this morning.

I wasn't phoned or contacted in any way!!!!!!

OP posts:
Original poster
princessdonna87 · 04/12/2018 20:43

ps. I'm on the PTA and one of the other mums on the PTA had a child who took a sick child's place that's how I knew.

Oh and turns out there was no actual consent slip!!! It was a tick box on parent pay which I'd ticked, the day after we got the letter about the trip! So for some reason they put my daughter on the list of "non goers" by accident x

OP posts:
Holidayshopping · 04/12/2018 20:44

Oh brilliant-glad you have got this response :)

Zulor · 04/12/2018 20:45

Aw well done head-teacher! Opt for some of her friends to go so that she has a shared experience too.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General education
Topseyt · 04/12/2018 20:55

Oh, great update. I am glad the headteacher was so sensible here, and not one of those who just try to defend the indefensible.

I hope you are given the panto tickets soon and can enjoy it.

00100001 · 04/12/2018 21:51

Where is the money coming from to pay for the tickets??? Confused

Frazzled2207 · 04/12/2018 22:23

Good update. I'm pleased they've fessed up to dealing with this appallingly.
In your shoes I'd want to know what steps are going to be taken to ensure this doesn't happen next time there's a trip.

Horsemad · 04/12/2018 22:49

@00100001 - out of the school's budget of course Hmm

GreenTulips · 04/12/2018 22:55

That great that they want to rectify this.

Redcrayonisthebest · 04/12/2018 22:59

Where is the money coming from to pay for the tickets???

Not the op's problem surely??

Original poster
princessdonna87 · 04/12/2018 23:30

Just caught up on the full thread.

Thanks to chippy and everyone who mentioned Apple's post, I appreciate that.

I was really upset when I made the OP so I'll try to clear things up now.

I paid for the trip within 24 hours of getting the letter. It turns out it was a tick box on Parent Pay for consent (which I ticked). However the confusion came from DD's teacher who was asking for a slip. Sometimes they still do slips, so it's an easy mistake to make.

According to the head, it was just a clerical error. He confirmed payment and consent were made well in time, and apologised for how it was handled, as I should've been phoned either to inform me she wasn't going or to confirm if she could.

She was sat in the reception area (not reception class) with 2 other children all day. I checked this with DD as it sounded awful but it's accurate.

I'm on the PTA and one of the PTA mum's kids wasn't meant to be going but ended up going to replace a sick child. She was phoned in the morning to ask if he could go. She hadn't paid and is not expected to!

I'm happy the head personally apologised, he also went to DD's class to apologise and explain it was an accident. The school are funding the panto tickets, DD has asked for a family one so we can go together.

I'm still upset but I am pleased with the head's response. xx

OP posts:
Horsemad · 05/12/2018 00:01

Sounds like a genuine mistake, albeit very annoying and at least the Head has put his hands up to it and tried to recompense your daughter.

MilkyCuppa · 05/12/2018 00:11

Ok so what procedures have been put in place to prevent this happening again? How will they ensure that in future no child is ever left sitting in reception all day? And how come they couldn’t call you but could call the parent of the child who took DD’s place? They’ve admitted that they should have called you but still offered no explanation why they didn’t!

MyKingdomForBrie · 05/12/2018 00:18

Ridiculous. Yes she'll get to go but they can't change the way she must have felt that morning getting to school so excited then being left behind. Horrendous, awful behaviour from the school. I'd be just so so so livid.

00100001 · 05/12/2018 07:30

mykingdom whyy would ou still be livid? They made a mistake, apologised, offered an expensive set of tickets for the family, coming out of a budget that presumably would be better spent elsewhere in the school.

What else would you expect the school to do and what have you still gtot o be angry about. Talk about a waste of emotional energy Confused

00100001 · 05/12/2018 07:32

I would refuse the tickets personally.

The OP is on the PTA so must know how right funds are in schools. And presumably the other kids that missed out have been offered the same, so the school are shelling out a lot of money for this. Even if tickets are £5 each and they are paying for 12 that's at least £60 but possibly more as panto tickets where I am are around £18-24

INeedNewShoes · 05/12/2018 08:13

I actually think there's more to be addressed here than the administrative error. Even if OP hadn't given the necessary permission it doesn't seem appropriate to me that the children spent the day in the reception area. It feels like singling out those who couldn't go (for whatever reason) and displaying them as odd ones out.

Are there desks and decent seating in the reception area? Did they have enough activities to keep them entertained for the entire day?

The software can't be blamed. The fact that the school didn't pick up the phone to check with the parents just isn't good enough.

I agree with others that the school shelling out money from their funds for the tickets doesn't seem right but I also don't think it actually addresses the real issues. The pantomime being missed is one of the smaller issues at hand!

Topseyt · 05/12/2018 09:48

I certainly wouldn't refuse the tickets. Funds may be tight, but that makes it doubly important not to make cock ups like this.

Buying the tickets is the least the school can do. It doesn't even say whether or not they refunded OP her money, so would take the tickets and let lessons be learnt there. I would then let that be the end of it provided that they didn't screw up again.

IceRebel · 05/12/2018 10:00

Ok I get there was a mix up between slips / payment and consent which isn't great and the head seems to be trying to fix the problem.

However what I don't get is this:

one of the PTA mum's kids wasn't meant to be going but ended up going to replace a sick child. She was phoned in the morning to ask if he could go. She hadn't paid and is not expected to!

If the child wasn't supposed to be going, why would they go to the bother of phoning to then get them to come along. Especially since they haven't bothered to do the same, for the other children not going on the trip. It really doesn't make any sense. They didn't need an extra child to replace the one off sick, as the activity doesn't need a specific number of children. Confused

jacqattacq · 05/12/2018 10:16

This is absolutely appalling. I’m glad that the school have at least acknowledged their mistake and apologised and offered you compensation of some sort. It should never have happened.

00100001 · 05/12/2018 10:39

"I certainly wouldn't refuse the tickets. Funds may be tight, but that makes it doubly important not to make cock ups like this."

Imagine if you found out that 3 families in your child's class had been given 4 free tickets each to the Panto because of the admin error. And you found out these extra tickets were funded by the school. And on top of that, one of the parents was a member of the PTA. And the same PTA ask for donations in the upcoming year for something that is needed in the classroom... Surely someone would go "hmmm, maybe if they hadn't spent all that money on ticket for families, they might not need me to donate to X"

Surely, the sensible thing for the school to do would to apologise, and refund the 3 tickets that were purchased?

Notverygrownup · 05/12/2018 10:47

Oh bless. What a brilliant response from the Head, who seems to understand people. Mistakes happen - the admin person may feel awful, or may just be in trouble - but the Head has responded really appropriately.

So glad that your dd will get her trip, and that she should then be able to put this behind her. And well done to you, for clearly communicating with the school clearly and as a pp said, for being there for your dd, at what must be a hugely difficult time for you too.

Topseyt · 05/12/2018 11:17

I would still take the tickets. If anyone questioned why then I would explain the whole fuck up to them.

Someone being compensated for an administrative fuck up which had adversely affected their child is fair enough in my book. I am not going to agree with you.

Miscible · 05/12/2018 14:08

Surely, the sensible thing for the school to do would to apologise, and refund the 3 tickets that were purchased?

No, it wouldn't. They need to acknowledge that this isn't just a case of the parents not getting something they paid for, it was a case of a child being badly disappointed and left to feel utterly miserable for something that was their fault.

thesnapandfartisinfallible · 05/12/2018 17:54

I would absolutely be calling her in sick and taking her myself.

mamaduckbone · 05/12/2018 21:32

Nothing can actually turn back the clock and make things happen differently, so I would accept the tickets and apology, have a lovely day out with your dad and try to put this behind you.
It was a mighty cock up by the school but they have tried their best to make amends and can’t really do anything more.
At least they have accepted responsibility.