Quick straw poll - Y6 residentials would you allow your child to go abroad?

[Crunchymum]

I am sure some primary schools already do residentials abroad, so would be good to hear about them, but if your school do not but were considering offering it, would it be a yay or nay?

Abroad?No,not a chance.

But a majority of my reasoning is knowing my own children's abilities/personalities.

My eldest is very anxious and would get very homesick. He also had ASD so this would be too much of an ask.

My youngest is a wee nutter,I don't trust that he'd listen/behave/make good choices. Even at 9,I still have to hide matches etc. as I can't trust him :)

At an older age for both,I would agree if they wanted to.

You are kind of missing the point, this isn't about the school making a decision to exclude anyone. They have reached out to all the parents and asked us to vote on if we want a UK residential or an abroad residential. They have provided costs and the abroad trip is cheaper.

I am just merely trying to explain that we're not a school in a deprived area where this kind of trip would be unattainable to most. There will of course be some who cannot afford either trip and there is help available.

Yes, didn't think twice about it for oldest (youngest didn't get it due to covid). They'd been looking forward to it almost since starting Reception!

oh, I misunderstood that.

In that case, I would vote NO for all the reasons I have given - I would not want a residential to exclude other children even if I am personally fine with my child going on an overseas trip with school. Because I don't live in a deprived area either. But nonetheless, I personally know of at least 3 families who would not be able to do thsi for whatever reason, including one who comes from a slightly dodgy African country and live here to get away from that but are still working on getting passports!

Ooh it's a tough one. I think I'd feel I should let her, but I'm not sure I could or could. I'd be so worried as even Year 6 is still very young. A local school are doing a London trip rather than an outdoorsy one which I though was a bit different.

Absolutely, yes. We host and DH teaches kids of this age, mainly from France. The vast majority do really well - we find that older teenage girls get more homesick than the younger kids!

Very well put. Totally agree

Surely they have their original passports, the ones they used to get here?

I’d be reluctant re an overseas primary school trip as I think it’s a lot harder to manage issues that arise eg a ferry strike. Though I would probably agree if the rest of the class were going.

And herein lies the "exclusion issue". To you, it's so simple "but they have passports already so it should be even easier".

Do you have any idea how hard it can be to get visas to go to Europe when you hold the "wrong" passport? British passport holders are SO used to it being completely easy that they get upset that they have to fill in a form for US these days, in advance.

You come here from Nigeria and try to get a quick and easy visa to go on a school residential to France!

This.

No

Yes

DS went on the school ski trip in Y5, which was the youngest they were allowed to go. He had a great time - they had been doing residentials (in the UK), from Y3 (just one night in Y3) though. So school had built up to it a bit.

DD went on an abroad netball tour with her club in Y6 and had an equally good time. I can see for some it might be quite young though, guess it depends on the child.

My son is unable to go to his UK based Year 4 residential due to his medical needs but he's going abroad with a charity for children with medical needs for a week as they can accommodate him and I'm very happy to allow it.

Yes.

Both. I really don’t think international trips are in any way a good idea through school.

Why not - DT’s loved them at all ages.

I thought the overseas trip was cheaper if you already had a valid passport?

You can still get group passports for school trips if needed.

Mines is going on the school ski trip to Austria next year in S1.

How does that work? Do all the children have to be British?

Yes DD went to France in year 6 for 5 days. The whole class went.

I would happily have sent mine abroad in Y6. They had been on overseas trips with cubs/scouts already by that age.

However I don’t think it’s a good idea really - I think the children with most to gain from these trips are the ones for whom it is really pushing them outside of their comfort zones, who overcome homesickness and worries, oy would simply not have similar opportunities outside for school.

i think making the trip overseas would exclude some of those children who would get the most out of it.

The year 6 trip involved a fairly short ferry trip out and back (island, after a few hours to the port), but not through a passport control border.

I wouldn't be happy with a 'real' trip abroad for many of the reasons already given. One child on said trip had a food allergy, fortunately not majorly dangerous, and was given the food accidentally, leading to their needing a return home within about 6 hours of eating it. That was quite difficult even without language differences and also difficult in terms of coordinating the travel needed from both home and holiday town to be able to do this. Various other children were at least as anxious the whole time as they were happy, without really being totally comfortable with being several hours away, though this may be true wherever they were staying.