Whole school to the pantomime?

[PantoHell]

Our whole school is going to the pantomime in a few weeks. Deprived area; nice treat for the kids; many of them unable to sit in a seat at the best of times.

Crazy idea? I'm terrified! 200-plus kids in a public place! What if someone needs the loo ... OMG I can see so many risks!

Bonkers idea, or am I over-reacting?

Presumably there'll be enough helpers to take children to the loo and keep them in the vicinity of their seats the rest of the time.

They'll love it,.

our school goes to the panto every other year and it's never a problem.

Lots of parent helpers come and the ta's take the kids to the loo in small groups if they need to go.

At a panto matinee there'll be wildly excited children in all the other seats as well (I was a parent helper once).

Our school have done this before and are doing it again this year. As far as I know it all went absolutly fine.

The theatre my DSs school goes to does special panto performances for schools. So, no other people in the audience. Plus they are geared up for lots of kids. Anyway, isn't the point of panto that it is noisy and everyone joins in?

I went as a parent helper once (y2 kids) and I was surprised how terrified one of the boys was. He insisted on sitting on my lap the whole time (and wouldn't stop farting!)

Should be fine. They will have sufficient adult ratios sorted out with parent and school helpers as well as teachers and TA.

They will do toilet breaks and a teacher or TA will supervise in small groups.

The children are likely to be thoroughly entertained enough to keep them still.

When we took dgs to local panto last year most seats were taken by large primary school groups but the only bad behaviour was by adults who were there without kids!

Are you a parent or teacher?

If a parent - it will be fine, this sort of trip happens all of the time during panto season.

If a teacher - perhaps I should be worried! LOL

my dc's school did something similar last year, whole school to the cinema. they split it, key stage 1 went to the morning showing, key stage 2 after lunch. they went to see ice age 3, all had a great time and they were inundated with offers of parental help.

Ours do it every year. The first year ds1 was so scared he wet himself and then refused to go back in after they'd got him changed. So he joined the (quite large) group in the lobby with a couple of teachers, listening to stories .

Dd loves it though. Our nearest theatre is right next to a station, so ours take 200 kids on the train, too.

It isn't as bad as the whole-school trip to Legoland (on a Friday, from a school that is north of the M25) - that was over-optimistic. They didn't repeat that one.

The schools round here all take the kids to the panto.The theatre do 'school's performances' which are at a ridiculous time like 10am when no normal person would want to go and are totally vanilla with no double entendres

Our whole school is going to the cinema just before Christmas - P1-3 one day and P4-7 the next...

I think its wonderful...

My school SLD/PMLD is going to the circus

No comment until after the event

from one who has been there and done that - if they have never been to something like this before/cinema etc DO warn them that the lights are going to go off - I have had kids petrified when the lights went off because they thought something had gone wrong LOL

also warn them that when the lights go down, loud music might start, and that strangely dressed people may run about in the aisles from time to time!

have fun!

If you are a parent - don't panic, teacher in charge will have had to do a risk assessment (I have done these before - they are very detailed), should have pre-visited the venue and will have strict adult - child ratios.
If you are a teacher - I am worried now.

When my mum was teaching (also in a deprived area) they used to take the whole school to the cinema for the Christmas film each year(cheaper than panto) AND they used to walk the 300 kids the 1.5 mile there!

Everyone had a great time and never an incident over 10+ years.

Preumably there will be plenty of adults..?

I remember the first school I worked at taking the whole secondary school of over 1000 pupils to the Millenium Dome from Derby for the day. Was dozens of coaches. I took DH as an extra adult - I am suprised we ever went on to have a child ourselves, lol!

We're going. On a weekday afternoon there won't be any "normal people" there anyway.