Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Child left on coach on school trip!

68 replies

ButterflyBiscuit · 10/07/2023 19:58

Has anyone else seen this?!

The poor child. (They went to a show in London, drove to hotel, child was left locked on coach alone overnight , not noticed til the next day)

Child must have been terrified. And to think they had no idea they were a child down. What if something worse had happened- or he was wandering in London. They wouldn't have known.

I'm truly shocked this could happen in these days and can't imagine how the school can run trips in future...

OP posts:
DelphiniumBlue · 10/07/2023 20:04

I haven't seen a report, and no, I can't imagine how it could happen. I do a lot of school trips, and there are so many checks - for a child to stay on the coach and not be missed by classmates or teachers or noticed by the coach driver does make me wonder what has happened. Was it a dare or something?

CaptainMyCaptain · 10/07/2023 20:05

As a teacher I was forever counting heads while on trips. I'm amazed the other children didn't notice either.

Original poster
ButterflyBiscuit · 10/07/2023 20:06

Sorry forgot to include a link.

Here's one https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-66157164

But there are others.

I just can't see how you wouldn't count the kids in the accomodation/kids would notice someone not in their room. It's a huge safeguarding fail isn't it?!

Broadstone Middle School

Child on school trip spent night alone on coach in London car park

The child fell asleep after a theatre show and was left in the locked coach in a hotel car park.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-66157164

OP posts:
Stichintime · 10/07/2023 20:07

This seems unlikely. Usually children are counted as they leave the transport, again when they line up etc. Usually also out in pairs, so it's easy to see if someone's missing.

youbelongwithmeeeee · 10/07/2023 20:08

Some stupid tiktok challenge with the aid of a pal I would imagine.

Soubriquet · 10/07/2023 20:08

Bloody hell. Talk about safe guarding there. Surely teachers are supposed to head count and check they have everyone before they settle down themselves

Original poster
ButterflyBiscuit · 10/07/2023 20:08

Stich - I know - but it's happened. The school has spoken to parents about it etc.

How do you fail that badly?!

OP posts:
Stichintime · 10/07/2023 20:09

Sounds like they got too relaxed or complacent?

Original poster
ButterflyBiscuit · 10/07/2023 20:10

Even if it was a kid misbehaving - that isn't really the point.

The teachers should be headcounting/checking kids in rooms at night etx.

They should know where all their kids are (only 10/11 yrs old remember )

Imagine if a kid had wondered off and they'd not noticed...

OP posts:
YourNameGoesHere · 10/07/2023 20:10

I really don't understand how this happened?

How did none of the staff count the children?

Why didn't they check the coach?

How did no one sitting nearby notice?

Did none of the other children notice they were missing?

I just cannot possibly comprehend how many things needed to go wrong or checks got missed to lead to the situation?

PastTheGin · 10/07/2023 20:10

I have absolutely no idea how this would be possible! Teachers do head counts every 5 minutes and check that everybody is in their room. Huge safeguarding issue and I would expect teachers on the trip to be in all kinds of trouble!

Original poster
ButterflyBiscuit · 10/07/2023 20:11

All of that Your. Its so worrying really. So many checks had to have been missed.

OP posts:
Questionsforyou · 10/07/2023 20:12

Can't imagine. Last trip I took away, I spent every few minutes counting to 70. I was a wreck!

Original poster
ButterflyBiscuit · 10/07/2023 20:12

They did say the child chose to carry on with the trip 😬. I can't imagine trusting that school with my child after that!

OP posts:
SauvignonBlanche · 10/07/2023 20:12

That’s hard to believe! 😮

YourNameGoesHere · 10/07/2023 20:12

ButterflyBiscuit · 10/07/2023 20:11

All of that Your. Its so worrying really. So many checks had to have been missed.

Literally cannot get my head around it all! If it was the plot of a film or TV show we'd rightly be pointing out how impossible it would be to happen! Genuinely all those staff in the trip need to be held accountable they all failed so massively here!

LividHot · 10/07/2023 20:14

OMG.

I count heads about every ten seconds on a trip, it seems.

Genuinely how has this happened? Some Kevin McAllister headcount situation?

Xrays · 10/07/2023 20:14

I found this so shocking. Apparently it wasn’t even at the end of the trip (not that that would have been excusable but maybe it would have explain they thought they’d gone home or something?!) but the child then went on the remaining days trip and stayed in the hotel the following night!! Like what?? Did none of the children ask about their friend? Didn’t the staff report the incident when it happened?? I would have wanted my child home straight away. Just so many questions!

Original poster
ButterflyBiscuit · 10/07/2023 20:16

Here's the daily mail report - HT told parentsit was a "highly serious error " (no shit sherlock) and wont happen again.... and the trip continued?!?!?

I wonder what effect this will have in the area on the schools reputation.

Child left on coach on school trip!
OP posts:
Xrays · 10/07/2023 20:17

When I was 10 we went on a trip to London and as I lived close to where we were going I told my friends I’d make my own way home rather than go home on the coach - and I did, Mum thought the teachers had said it was fine so didn’t question it. And then I was unwell overnight so didn’t go into school the next day. Mum forgot to ring in. It took them till 3pm (!) to ring us to ask whether I’d got home okay as they suddenly realised I hadn’t gone home with them and wasn’t there at school the following day 😳🙈 (this was 1990 but still)!

PTSDBarbiegirl · 10/07/2023 20:17

Fucking shocking. The teacher responsible would need to headcount getting off coach, everyone lines up outside, the driver checks coach as the vehicle is their responsibility, back to accommodation & headcount as all enter main door, again at rooms, again at dinner, again at bed. This is criminal. This is also the type of crap that will increase when poorly qualified, unsuitably skilled people are allowed to enter teaching. Poor, poor child. I'd sue the LA or the lead teacher.

NumberTheory · 10/07/2023 20:18

Having helped on many school trips I'm not entirely surprised. Some teachers are a lot more conscientious than others about checks. I've had to speak up several times over the years when a teacher has done "just a quick head count" and miss-counted.

I think some teachers tend to go through the motions.

LaurieFairyCake · 10/07/2023 20:20

Well the kid fell asleep on the bus

And then wakened up the next morning

Obviously terrible from a safeguarding perspective but kid got a nice long sleep

PicturesOfDogs · 10/07/2023 20:20

youbelongwithmeeeee · 10/07/2023 20:08

Some stupid tiktok challenge with the aid of a pal I would imagine.

Don’t get this… Even if it was some sort of prank or dare, surely the teachers should still have noticed!

Original poster
ButterflyBiscuit · 10/07/2023 20:20

It's more than one teachers mistake though isn't it as well. Checknoff the bus. Check in accomodation...

My child had a school trip recently and she said they checked the coach too to check no kids or stuff was left.

OP posts: