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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:
DinnaeFashYersel · 15/07/2023 08:49

Iwasafool · 15/07/2023 08:38

I don't know if they would stand up to the rain we had yesterday. I was out with a supposedly waterproof coat and in half an hour my clothes were damp as the rain was so heavy and the driving wind was making it worse.

The specialist waterproof stuff is different. We tested GSs stuff, cost hundreds. Stood him in the shower for a few minutes and although he wasn't wet the water wasn't beading so it all got a wash with specialist product and then put through the tumble dryer. Then in a shower nothing getting through, just beading on the outside.

Show quote history

£20 worth of waterproof jacket, over-trousers and wellies protects Beavers (aged 6-8) on a weekend camp in Scotland and should be fine for 6 year olds spending some hours at an outdoor centre.

DoE Gold Expedition is not the same.

Coronado2 · 15/07/2023 08:52

I would be emailing the school with some questions and concerns. I really don't understand people saying it's just a bit of rain and didn't they have waterproofs. They aren't going to have suitable clothes for being outside in heavy rain all day. How many of the people complaining would be happy with being outside all day in heavy rain and even having eat stood in the rain?

Better the school don't do trips than do trips like this.

Iwasafool · 15/07/2023 08:54

DinnaeFashYersel · 15/07/2023 08:49

£20 worth of waterproof jacket, over-trousers and wellies protects Beavers (aged 6-8) on a weekend camp in Scotland and should be fine for 6 year olds spending some hours at an outdoor centre.

DoE Gold Expedition is not the same.

Show quote history

Maybe the rain was lighter where you were. Here it was torrential and "ordinary" waterproof stuff was wet through in minutes. I've taken Beavers away as well but fortunately we didn't have the freak rain that some places had yesterday.

If children are wet through, as I was yesterday, then being out for hours is not appropriate. I hope you would get your beavers undercover if it was like that.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

6 year olds Families General education
Iwasafool · 15/07/2023 08:55

DinnaeFashYersel · 15/07/2023 08:49

£20 worth of waterproof jacket, over-trousers and wellies protects Beavers (aged 6-8) on a weekend camp in Scotland and should be fine for 6 year olds spending some hours at an outdoor centre.

DoE Gold Expedition is not the same.

Show quote history

Do you think rain is somehow different because you are doing or not doing DofE? If GS is going to get soaked on DofE so will children outside for several hours.

SallyLovesCheese · 15/07/2023 09:01

Hard to say without knowing exactly how bad the rain was for how much of the day. I've worked at an outdoor education centre and had a group outside all day even when it was mostly drizzly (although they were in the woods so partly sheltered for some of the time) and they were fine.

I've also had a time when it rained a lot so although the group did the activities outside, I, as the centre staff member, went on ahead to request an indoor space from my boss to give them a bit of a break from the rain. I would have hated for them to be eating outside in the rain.

The indoor spaces are booked and coordinated by the centre, though, so groups can't just wander in somewhere for lunch. That may be why the teachers didn't get a space inside to eat lunch; it wasn't their decision.

I wouldn't be impressed at not finding the toilets in time, though. Wherever I go on a trip I will know important things like where toilets are! Depending how long they were on the coach for, you'd think toilets would be in the back of their minds when they arrived.

Like I say, it depends how bad the rain was and for how much of the day. If they were where I was yesterday I wouldn't have wanted to be out in that for longer than about 10 minutes.

Iwasafool · 15/07/2023 09:11

SallyLovesCheese · 15/07/2023 09:01

Hard to say without knowing exactly how bad the rain was for how much of the day. I've worked at an outdoor education centre and had a group outside all day even when it was mostly drizzly (although they were in the woods so partly sheltered for some of the time) and they were fine.

I've also had a time when it rained a lot so although the group did the activities outside, I, as the centre staff member, went on ahead to request an indoor space from my boss to give them a bit of a break from the rain. I would have hated for them to be eating outside in the rain.

The indoor spaces are booked and coordinated by the centre, though, so groups can't just wander in somewhere for lunch. That may be why the teachers didn't get a space inside to eat lunch; it wasn't their decision.

I wouldn't be impressed at not finding the toilets in time, though. Wherever I go on a trip I will know important things like where toilets are! Depending how long they were on the coach for, you'd think toilets would be in the back of their minds when they arrived.

Like I say, it depends how bad the rain was and for how much of the day. If they were where I was yesterday I wouldn't have wanted to be out in that for longer than about 10 minutes.

Are you south west? It was really bad here yesterday. We have a big building company working close to my house building a new estate, they worked through bad weather all through the winter, yesterday they called it a day by about 10 am. The last time we had rain like yesterday we had widespread flooding but fortunately we had new drainage put in for the building work so we were spared that.

AngryGreasedSantaCatcus · 15/07/2023 09:51

I work in a school and

1.I would definitely expect parents to complain about this.

2.If it went down the way you say it did because someone higher up decided it, I would actually want you to complain as it would've been a pretty miserable day for the teachers and I bet they wouldn't want a repeat either.

plasticwallet · 15/07/2023 11:03

Yanbu OP. I'm not sure why so many posters on the thread are defending the school with their lives!

saddos who have nothing better to do then be contrary!

plasticwallet · 15/07/2023 11:04

@leopard22 I was agreeing with you.

WillowtreeHouse · 15/07/2023 11:09

No I wouldn't complain. I would have sent my child off in appropriate clothing. My DCs have had many school trips in the rain and survived.

If, however, you feel it's appropriate to complain then do so. A bunch of people on the internet who have different ideas on what's acceptable for a school trip, shouldn't really be the deciding factor.

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 15/07/2023 11:12

WillowtreeHouse · 15/07/2023 11:09

No I wouldn't complain. I would have sent my child off in appropriate clothing. My DCs have had many school trips in the rain and survived.

If, however, you feel it's appropriate to complain then do so. A bunch of people on the internet who have different ideas on what's acceptable for a school trip, shouldn't really be the deciding factor.

OP did send her child in waterproofs - she still came home absolutely soaked to the skin.

notacooldad · 15/07/2023 11:26

Yanbu OP. I'm not sure why so many posters on the thread are defending the school with their lives!

saddos who have nothing better to do then be contrary!
Or maybe they are not necessary defending the school but have already stated their reasons why the wouldn't complain.
It's not about being contrary, it's about having your own point of view. There's nothing wrong with that.

PinkFrogss · 15/07/2023 11:28

WillowtreeHouse · 15/07/2023 11:09

No I wouldn't complain. I would have sent my child off in appropriate clothing. My DCs have had many school trips in the rain and survived.

If, however, you feel it's appropriate to complain then do so. A bunch of people on the internet who have different ideas on what's acceptable for a school trip, shouldn't really be the deciding factor.

You think every school child has appropriate clothing for being out in heavy rain all day?

LIZS · 15/07/2023 12:13

You probably need to check facts before complaining. There may have been other groups already using the indoor spaces, or your group may have spent some time indoors but also outside.

AP5Diva · 15/07/2023 12:56

LIZS · 15/07/2023 12:13

You probably need to check facts before complaining. There may have been other groups already using the indoor spaces, or your group may have spent some time indoors but also outside.

So the testimony of an adult chaperone who went on the trip isn’t reliable ?

LIZS · 15/07/2023 13:00

@AP5Diva missed that drip feed but even so they may not have been party to why they had to be outdoors.

AP5Diva · 15/07/2023 13:11

LIZS · 15/07/2023 13:00

@AP5Diva missed that drip feed but even so they may not have been party to why they had to be outdoors.

Fair enough, it was in an update. Still, if they had booked indoor space and the venue could not honour that, I would have aborted the field trip, got the kids on the coach and gone back early while demanding a partial refund or free reschedule “rain check” credit from the venue. I wouldn’t have kept 6-10yr olds out that long in that weather.

midlifecrash · 15/07/2023 13:16

I think this is bleeding awful. Really surprised at the number of people who would be fine with their 6 year old wet all day with wet feet and eating lunch in the rain. I’d be completely miserable after a day like that

cyncope · 15/07/2023 13:17

All the arguments about whether £20 waterproofs are adequate to keep a child dry for hours of torrential rain are pretty pointless if the children involved didn't have waterproofs.

My 6 year old has a raincoat and wellies. Where am I supposed to get a last minute waterproof from for her in July?

notacooldad · 15/07/2023 14:04

So the testimony of an adult chaperone who went on the trip isn’t reliable ?
Not really.
People can do the same activity or go to an event and have completely different perspectives. We had our staff development in the Lake District several weeks ago. Some people thought it was hell on earth others thought it was the best one yet. Yes it poured down and we were outside doing team building!😂
Crikey we have even different perspectives from meetings where someone has thought it was awful but some else thought it went well and that's when we've been a comfortable room!

My 6 year old has a raincoat and wellies. Where am I supposed to get a last minute waterproof from for her in July
Seeing that you asked, Go Outdoors or similar. It's been raining hard for several weeks now it's not a surprise that it rained yesterday.

Still, if they had booked indoor space and the venue could not honour that, I would have aborted the field trip, got the kids on the coach and gone back early while demanding a partial refund or free reschedule “rain check” credit from the venue
You are assuming that the coach is waiting at the venue. The coach and minibus companies we use do a drop off and have other jobs throughout the day and pick up at an agrees time.
Things aren't always as simple as "what I would do is..."
I'm sure the teachers didn't want to be mooching round in the wet for a laugh.

cyncope · 15/07/2023 14:12

The torrential rain yesterday did come as a bit of a surprise, and a school keeping children outside in it all day would definitely have a been a surprise. There's no 'Go Outdoors' anywhere near where I live, and if I'd just paid out for the school trip itself, I wouldn't have the spare cash to buy a £20+ water proof suit that is unlikely to be worn again.

notacooldad · 15/07/2023 14:18

There's no 'Go Outdoors' anywhere near where I live, and if I'd just paid out for the school trip itself, I wouldn't have the spare cash to buy a £20+ water proof suit that is unlikely to be worn again.
OK no where that sells camping stuff? ALDI/Lidl/BM/ The Range usually has this stuff in.
I know when mine were little we always had waterproofs. I used to buy them ( and also summer gear and ski kit) at the end of season in tbe next size up for the following year. Saved a fortune over the years!
I think these heavy rains and storms are becoming the norm now. Bikinis and brolly weather!

AP5Diva · 15/07/2023 14:38

notacooldad · 15/07/2023 14:04

So the testimony of an adult chaperone who went on the trip isn’t reliable ?
Not really.
People can do the same activity or go to an event and have completely different perspectives. We had our staff development in the Lake District several weeks ago. Some people thought it was hell on earth others thought it was the best one yet. Yes it poured down and we were outside doing team building!😂
Crikey we have even different perspectives from meetings where someone has thought it was awful but some else thought it went well and that's when we've been a comfortable room!

My 6 year old has a raincoat and wellies. Where am I supposed to get a last minute waterproof from for her in July
Seeing that you asked, Go Outdoors or similar. It's been raining hard for several weeks now it's not a surprise that it rained yesterday.

Still, if they had booked indoor space and the venue could not honour that, I would have aborted the field trip, got the kids on the coach and gone back early while demanding a partial refund or free reschedule “rain check” credit from the venue
You are assuming that the coach is waiting at the venue. The coach and minibus companies we use do a drop off and have other jobs throughout the day and pick up at an agrees time.
Things aren't always as simple as "what I would do is..."
I'm sure the teachers didn't want to be mooching round in the wet for a laugh.

I wasn’t assuming the coach would be waiting, I was presuming the teacher in charge could call the school and have them arrange the coach to do an early pick up.

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 15/07/2023 14:50

midlifecrash · 15/07/2023 13:16

I think this is bleeding awful. Really surprised at the number of people who would be fine with their 6 year old wet all day with wet feet and eating lunch in the rain. I’d be completely miserable after a day like that

I suspect they'd be the first to complain if it happened to them on a team-building day or similar, but because it's schools and teachers, they think it's absolutely fine.

notacooldad · 15/07/2023 15:11

I wasn’t assuming the coach would be waiting, I was presuming the teacher in charge could call the school and have them arrange the coach to do an early pick up
Seriously, over the years, I’ve tried to get coaches to come and pick us up early. It has never been fo r weather but for extreme bad behaviour. However we have always been told that the driver is off shift until our pre arranged time or the coach is out on another job. The only time I’ve been able to dictate the finishing time is when I or another staff member has driven the minibus ourselves.
The teachers, I’m sure would not have wanted this expierence.