Should school inform you what the children will be sleeping on?

[OverExpectantParent]

DD (10) is going on an overnight school trip. By chance and because I've a spare 10 minutes I looked through the website and clicked on the "information for teachers" link.
On reading the info sheet, I've discovered that they will be sleeping in huts on mattresses which are linen sacks stuffed with straw. The next sentence warns people with hayfever and asthma to make sure they have their medication with them.

I've heard nothing of this from school. I assumed they would be in a hall on normal or camping type mattresses. DD suffers badly from hayfever, especially grasses. So I imagine this is going to leave her covered in a rash/ sneezing and miserable. Should the school have warned us? If I hadn't have read this, I'd wouldn't have thought of sending her meds with her, especially as they knock her out.

Yes I think they shoul...d.also it sounds very uncomfortable

They’re called palisasses. I remember sleeping on them on a school trip in the 1980s. God they were uncomfortable. I don’t remember them making my hayfever any worse though (and I suffer badly). It’s the seeds that affect hayfever isn’t it? Although the paliasses are probably dusty. But so are mattresses.

Paliasses

spell check doesn’t recognise the word (unsurprisingly)

As a hayfever and asthma sufferer that sounds like hell!! I can't even sleep under feather duvets without symptoms. I would ask if she can take a camping mattress.

Yes the school should be passing this info on as it’s something some people will need to prepare for. When’s the trip - perhaps the school are planning to say but just haven’t sent the info yet?

Can you send her with something to cover the mattress? A waterproof fitted sheet or a yoga mat would do a good job of stopping most of the fibres.

Straw is the stems of wheat, barley, oats etc, not grass so might be fine depending on what causes the hayfever.

Straw is the stems of wheat, barley, oats etc, not grass so might be fine depending on what causes the hayfever.
It might be, but probably won't be as the residential are warning about it, it'll likely be a mix won't it.
Trip is in two weeks, we've had the info about it.

Sorry straw mattress? What century are we living in

Very irresponsible of them. Would give me an asthma attack and make me ill for days.

@OverExpectantParent
I would approach the organising teachers to ensure that they are aware of this, it could be an oversight.
I'd also ask if there could be an alternative.
There must be many asthmatics that potentially will have an issue as result of this bedding on top of those with hay-fever.