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Original poster

Would you make a complaint about this?

134 replies

IDrewThat · 15/07/2023 06:52

My dd was taken on a school trip last week. It was an outdoor event with plenty of opportunities to go inside for refreshments and learning events. I've been to this place before and I'm aware of the indoor spaces.

The day came and the weather was awful. Torrential rain and winds. The school proceeded with the trip telling parents to rest assured children will be kept inside at all chances.

I collected dd at home time and she was hysterical. Shivering and crying. Her clothes were equivalent to if she had been swimming in them. I was furious.

All the children came home soaked. A lot of them really distressed!

Dd said it was so horrible. They were kept outside all day. Didn't go inside anywhere at any time. Dds lunchbox was soaked through as they had to sit on them to eat their lunch or stand and eat in the pouring rain.

It sounded horrific. Dd said the children kept getting told to hurry up and the whole time was spent practically running in the rain trying to keep up with each other. They didn't learn anything. Some children slipped and injured themself. One child wet themself as they couldn't find the toilets.

My dd is 6 and the eldest group was 10 year olds.

Would you make a complaint about this? I would complain about the fact the children did not go indoors at all as promised. They learnt absolutely nothing and were distressed by the end of it.
Not to mention the amount I paid, but that's irrelevant really.

OP posts:
WaitingfortheTardis · 15/07/2023 06:58

Personally I wouldn't complain as I wouldn't want things like this cancelled for a bit of rain. My own dd would love a wet and wild day out, rain doesn't really hurt anyone as long as you send them in woth appropriate clothing. I'd just take her home and give her a nice hot bath and a hot chocolate and encourage her to think of it as a bit of an adventure. I might be a bit miffed that they didn't take shelter for lunch, but even that isn't the end of the world. No child should be distressed by a day out in the rain.

Waitingforsummertocome · 15/07/2023 07:02

I wouldn’t complain. What would you want to achieve? It must have been an awful experience for the teachers too, the easy option would have been for them to cancel but they didn’t, they had a go. They probably learnt from it and complaining would only make a rubbish situation worse.

partypompoms · 15/07/2023 07:12

It's done now and everyone survived so I'd move on. It's just one of those days.

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rwalker · 15/07/2023 07:18

If I was outside the first thing I would of checked is the weather forecast and dressed her accordingly

YellowHatt · 15/07/2023 07:20

I bet the adults hated it too.

You could email thanking the staff for running it and and at the same time offer feedback for next year about planning for an indoor lunch if faced with similar weather and how a less packed day might be better as your child found the schedule overwhelming without ample time for toilet breaks. But you can’t complain on behalf of the other children. Especially when you don’t know the full story, maybe there were toilet breaks?

I once took a group of children on a high zip wire. Sent them all to the toilet before they got geared up with harnesses etc but one child was determined they didn’t need to go. When we got to the top, guess who needed a wee?

Dacadactyl · 15/07/2023 07:20

WaitingfortheTardis · 15/07/2023 06:58

Personally I wouldn't complain as I wouldn't want things like this cancelled for a bit of rain. My own dd would love a wet and wild day out, rain doesn't really hurt anyone as long as you send them in woth appropriate clothing. I'd just take her home and give her a nice hot bath and a hot chocolate and encourage her to think of it as a bit of an adventure. I might be a bit miffed that they didn't take shelter for lunch, but even that isn't the end of the world. No child should be distressed by a day out in the rain.

This.

Original poster
IDrewThat · 15/07/2023 07:20

My dd is not scared of a bit of rain, neither are most of the other children. The experience must have been really bad for them all to be as upset as they were.

Personally, I think the teachers could have done more to keep the children dry. They did not attempt to go into any of the indoor places and choose to keep the children out in the rain. Why? I have no idea.

OP posts:
Gateappreciation · 15/07/2023 07:20

I think I would complain, especially as some of the children were young. I don’t mind a bit of rain, but there’s rain and there’s rain. To eat outside and have no opportunities to dry off is not on.

maybe worth looking at the centre’s website and see if they have a wet weather/severe weather policy and whether they adhered to it.

SunshineAndFizz · 15/07/2023 07:20

Did you pack her any waterproof clothing, knowing the weather would be bad?

stayathomer · 15/07/2023 07:21

Personally I wouldn't complain as I wouldn't want things like this cancelled for a bit of rain. My own dd would love a wet and wild day out, rain doesn't really hurt anyone as long as you send them in woth appropriate clothing.
Um, not if you’re out in it all day! Plus most people will have appropriate jackets but not shoes or trousers! I went for a walk in our current weather yesterday with a raincoat on but my runners were wet through within ten minutes.

OP Definitely send a diplomatic message saying just to let them know a lot of the children were soaked so it was just in case the kids didn’t know to ask to go inside. You know just for future years so they won’t potentially get sick from being so wet. So blame nudged onto the kids but they’ll get the message that they should have allowed them inside

CurlewKate · 15/07/2023 07:22

Did she have a coat? It's a bit odd they didn't go inside for the learning events- was the venue closed for some reason? I might want to find out why the things promised didn't happen. It does seem like a wasted trip.

YallaYallaaa · 15/07/2023 07:22

If you ‘have no idea’ why they were outside, maybe ask rather than wade right in with a complaint.

YellowHatt · 15/07/2023 07:23

Personally, I think the teachers could have done more to keep the children dry. They did not attempt to go into any of the indoor places and choose to keep the children out in the rain. Why? I have no idea.
Probably because they had a pre-planned schedule with pre-booked activities and timings which they’d have had to organise ahead of time for their risk assessment.

Antoninus · 15/07/2023 07:23

You thank the teachers for organising and taking them on a trip. They got wet, they didn’t melt.

stayathomer · 15/07/2023 07:24

Ps people talking about a bit of rain etc are being ridiculous- unless they asked for boots most school tours have activities whee they’ll need runners so straight away their feet Aw wet and probably legs too (they’re not going to wear rain trousers for normal activities either). And no matter what the rain if you’re out in it for longer than a few minutes you’ll get wet!!

HalfasleepChrisintheMorning · 15/07/2023 07:25

Was she in waterproofs? Waterproof coat is standard to pack for school trips, even in summer. I also pack waterproof trousers if rain is forecast.
Obviously you will learn from this. It’s worth mentioning to school (not a complaint) so they learn too, to put waterproofs on the kit list.

lljkk · 15/07/2023 07:26

I'm amazed that your local facebook & school gate area isn't exploding with complaints. Never mind the teacher whatsapp because staff would be soaked, too.

Our kids (even high schoolers) aren't allowed out in rain at all. Only for DoE would they be expected to persist. An Other extreme.

stayathomer · 15/07/2023 07:27

Ps defending op here because my children have come home previously soaking (and one year shivering and off form, pale etc, not sick but bordering it) from school tours and you know yourself how horrible it feels to sit on a bus for an hour in soaking clothes.

Original poster
IDrewThat · 15/07/2023 07:27

CurlewKate · 15/07/2023 07:22

Did she have a coat? It's a bit odd they didn't go inside for the learning events- was the venue closed for some reason? I might want to find out why the things promised didn't happen. It does seem like a wasted trip.

It was absolutely a wasted trip. I think the only reason they didn't cancel is because they didn't want to have the hassle of refunding everyone.

Dd was dressed in her long waterproof coat, normal trousers and wellies. She was rushed along and stood in many puddles meaning her wellies had water in them. Her socks were soaked.

The more I think of it the more annoyed I am about it.

I know this will seem like a drip feed. I didn't want to mention at first but my friend went as a helper, so I know a lot about what happened.

OP posts:
Fairyliz · 15/07/2023 07:28

Not quite the point of the thread but I hate it when people talk about wearing appropriate clothing.
DH does an outdoor sport and has totally waterproof, breathable clothing which cost about £500. Fine for him he will probably wear them for the next 20 years.
But who can afford to spend that much on children’s clothing when they will need a new set every year?

MrWhippersnapper · 15/07/2023 07:29

Yes complain, and the teachers will think ‘fuck that’ and not bother organising anymore trips. They take a LOT of work so why would you bother ?

CurlewKate · 15/07/2023 07:30

But why didn't they do the indoor activities? I think you need to ask, rather than complain.

WaitingfortheTardis · 15/07/2023 07:33

Well you seem determined to complain so go ahead. You asked what I would do, I wouldn't because my dd would be fine afterwards and rain has never harmed her. You want to as you are concerned that your child was wet. Just don't complain if there are no further trips, or when they are cancelled due to the weather not being right.

YellowHatt · 15/07/2023 07:35

I know this will seem like a drip feed. I didn't want to mention at first but my friend went as a helper, so I know a lot about what happened.
This is 2nd and 3rd hand information and still only from an outside perspective though, for example being confused about why they didn’t do the indoor activities - the teachers will know the reasoning. Ask questions and offer feedback if you like but don’t go in all guns blazing.

Elsie296 · 15/07/2023 07:35

The trip would have been planned and activities risk assessed- it depends on the indoor areas that you are suggesting, but if they are soft play type places, or not relevant to the school trip, teachers would not have been able to use them because they did not appear on the risk assessment.
On our last trip we did not plan to use indoor area but did add them to the risk assessment as an 'in case of rain back up plan.' Would have had to have been a tsunami or monsoon for the headteacher to agree to let us use soft play though!
Coach drivers usually stick around for the whole day though so if it was as bad as you say, I may have considered cutting the trip short- however, once again l, even not adhering to agreed travel times can cause issues. HT would have had to authorise it in my school (probably involving a further call to the council!)

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