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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask about safety on a school trip?

23 replies

WhyCantIuseTheNameIWant · 15/10/2015 08:35

I have just found a permission slip for a school trip, screwed up in ds bedroom doorway. He went on the trip a fortnight ago...

Ds is 12. In year 7. The trip was a walk to the village church. Total non-issue there. Would have signed if I had seen the letter. No problem.

But if the school sent out a permission slip letter, surely they want it back before they take the kids out?

New school, first trip. No "blanket cover-all-small-trips" letter although that could be in his bag

Not bothered from the trip side, but from safety/security?

OP posts:

Mistigri · 15/10/2015 08:48

If it's a compulsory trip in school time paid for by the school do they even need to ask for permission?

We get notes about trips (and occasionally DS shows them to me ) but they are for information not permission.

Axekick · 15/10/2015 08:48

Is it possible that he lost that one, bright another home to replace it and you have forgot you signed it?

SleepyForest · 15/10/2015 09:12

I would give them a heads up. Not in an accusing way but just as a suggestion that they cover themselves.

echt · 15/10/2015 09:15

My experience, in both UK and Au says that while schools insist o a blanket OK, they then follow up with indi-fucking-vidual permission forms. Every sodding time.

Possibly some rule somewhere requires them to do this.

Agree that the HT needs to know. My rule, and any school rule should be no permission, no go.

ValancyJane · 15/10/2015 09:16

Any chance they rang the other parent to get the permission verbally? I have done that in a pinch when the permission slip hasn't been signed due to an oversight.

catfordbetty · 15/10/2015 09:22

The teacher in charge of the trip fouled up. Your son should not have been allowed to take part without the permission slip. In the absence of the slip - and, of course, they do get forgotten or lost - the school should phone you to get your consent. All the schools I've worked in have done this. Should you mention it to the school? Yes.

titchy · 15/10/2015 09:31

He could have forged your signature of course.....

MrsLeighHalfpenny · 15/10/2015 10:08

The reason schools have to have permission forms for individual trips is that you can't rely on parents to remember to tell the school about changes to contact details, emergency contacts, medical conditions, dietary requirements etc.

I know from long experience .

It's just as inconvenient for the school as it is for parents. More so actually, because they have hundreds of records to check and keep up to date.

Original poster

WhyCantIuseTheNameIWant · 15/10/2015 10:08

The letter is now on my table. Crumpled and unsigned.
There is no other parent, only me. The toddler would have said yes...
No previous letter. Ds hasn't even mentioned the one I picked up! Ds is useless for this kind of thing, even when asked daily, straight after school for letters and homework.
It was a please sign and return jobbie. Not just info.
No phone call (got phoned for rugby, so they can phone...)
I will ask the school next time I am there .

OP posts:

wigglesrock · 15/10/2015 10:13

My daughter went in a school trip last week, we received a permission slip, we do for every trip they go on. I sent it back signed but it "got lost" on the way into school. Her teacher and TA followed it up with me, sent a note home, verbally reminded dd2 and I sent a short note signed giving dates, child name in with her the morning of the trip. The lack of signed permission was followed up diligently.

Borninthe60s · 15/10/2015 10:29

School. have messed up. If a slip was required and he went without you signing it they are negligent.

TaliZorah · 15/10/2015 10:45

Does it matter? Not something I'd be getting het up about. Can't see why you'd want your son singled out because he forgot to get a slip signed

WhetherOrNot · 15/10/2015 11:26

Where has OP said she is going to 'single him out' TaliZorah?

It's the school OP is querying !!

TaliZorah · 15/10/2015 11:31

I meant the school not letting him go if he didn't have a slip, it'd be horrible being the only child that couldn't go

fredfredgeorgejnrsnr · 15/10/2015 11:54

I understood parental consent is not required for basic off-site trips that carry no additional risk over being in school, it's jut part of normal schooling, a walk in a churchyard sounds like that.

Odd that they sent the letter, but maybe it was intended to be informational rather than a request for consent.

Original poster

WhyCantIuseTheNameIWant · 15/10/2015 15:46

I did wonder if it was just for info, but it had a return slip!

I will ask them next week, when I have to collect ds. As we are still waiting for the website/login/emails stuff to arrive...

OP posts:

trinity0097 · 15/10/2015 17:26

Legally no permission is needed if the trip does not involve dangerous activities, e.g. Rock climbing and is within school hours.

trinity0097 · 15/10/2015 17:27

Also could they have rung one of you to get verbal permission and your OH just didn't mention it to you?

cricketballs · 15/10/2015 17:33

before you ask the school - ask your DS; did he sign your name on the replacement letter he was given when he said at school 'he had lost it'?

Original poster

WhyCantIuseTheNameIWant · 15/10/2015 22:53

Trinity
There is only one of me!

The exOh lives 100 miles away, with his mum or new GF. Depending on who he is fighting with less... I doubt if he even remembers which school ds now attends!

I will ask ds in the morning, somehow I guess his response will be 'what letter? What trip?where is the food?'

I was surprised when I found the letter with permission slip.
More so, as he had already been on the trip.
Letter dated 15/9, so I guess the school sent it in good time!

OP posts:

Original poster

WhyCantIuseTheNameIWant · 15/10/2015 22:55

If the school had left him sitting in a different class, learning spellings... He might learn to take more care of letters! It might be a better trip he misses in future?
Although, any trip was seen as good when I was at school.

OP posts:

WorraLiberty · 15/10/2015 23:07

Has he actually told you whether he went on the trip or not?

If he didn't, maybe it was because he didn't have permission?

MidniteScribbler · 15/10/2015 23:45

At our school, parents sign blanket permission for students to go on trips that are within walking distance. We often still send out a reminder just so parents know it is going on, but lack of returned permission slip would not mean the child can't go, as they've already given permission. It's among the large pile of papers parents sign when their child is enrolled in school, and without fail, someone comes in about their child going on an excursion without permission, then claims they never signed anything because they didn't read it properly.

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