To be annoyed that school trip is cancelled and likely no refund

[CancelledLondonTrip]

First off my thoughts are with the victims and their families in Manchester. It was a terrible unpredictable attack on innocent children.

In light of this attack, our school is cancelling their year 6 trip to London.

I would rather the trip goes ahead, as the actual risk to our children in London from an terrorist attack is tiny. Especially with the heightened security.

The school have also said as everything has already been paid for it is unlikely we will get a refund on the £150 (three day trip) cost, as it has already been spent on train tickets, hostels, museum tickets and a show. All non refundable.

Aibu to expect the school to either run the trip OR refund 100% of the trip money OR even give the parents who still want to go the tickets and let us use the teachers tickets and we could take our children down ourselves ?

For the school to cancel the trip and for all the parents to lose all the money doesn't seem to be a fair solution.

I have to say considering we are on critical alert then I can completely understand them cancelling.

It is a huge responsibility for a teacher in this situation .

I'm a teacher starlight and I don't think it's any more responsibility than it was a week ago.

Save all year for the same thing to happen?
In the light of the attack in Manchester what a dreadful thing to say.
You may be happy taking the risk but the school clearly doesn't. They obviously don't think they can keep the kids safe.

*"If parents want to stop their child going then that's their choice and they should take the financial hit.

The trip should go ahead though and if its cancelled the parents that didn't voluntarily cancel should get a refund."*

That is what I think. But they didn't even ask the parents for feedback.

OP do you know how many other parents still want the trip to go ahead?

And whilst I also feel terrible for those who were in Manchester Arena at the time and their families I don't think stopping doing things will help. How long do they hold off going places for, where is safe and where is too risky?

We (me and family) are going to Manchester next week. I don't see it as any more or less risky that those who went a month or a year ago. Just as the risk wasn't any more so on that horrible day. It could happen any where, that's the worrying thing.

"Save all year for the same thing to happen?"

For the school to close the trip at the last minute. After all we have had high risk of terrorism since 2014, it isn't going to drop again soon is out.

"OP do you know how many other parents still want the trip to go ahead?"

No, I don't. I ask the school they don't know either as they haven't asked for feedback, just decided to stop trip.

They can't refund some parents. The trip costs will be per head. And they have said they can't get the money back as it is.
Have you ever run a school trip OP? The logistics are a nightmare. Even before you factor in armed police and heightened security.

It sounds like the school have done a risk assessment and decided they cannot keep the children safe, so they should cancel.

I don't think you can expect the school to refund you, the terrorist attack was not their fault, and it's not like schools have unlimited funds. Most are struggling to provide even the basics to pupils.

This is what travel insurance is for, I would go down this route and speak to your insurance company.

I bet if all the parents threatened to take them to the small claims court they'd reconsider.

YANBU

I don't get the avoid London thing. Manchester is very far away.

Would you avoid Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool, Cardiff? The next one could happen anywhere and plenty of places outside of London have huge numbers of people.

If we want to avoid attacks what do we do ?

Avoid cities, shopping centres, concerts, buses, trains, planes ?

Life has to be lived. We can't remove all risk, I wish we could but we can't.

We are quite near to Manchester, which adds to the high emotion at the moment. :(

I wouldn't avoid my husband and I taking the kids into the city.
I wouldn't want to be responsible for 30 kids that weren't mine.
There's a huge difference.

You should make a formal complaint to the Governors. Cancelling the trip is probably within the rights of the school but you should be offered your money back. The security level will probably be back to severe from critical next week so the risk will be no worse than when the trip was arranged. I feel you have every right to be aggrieved.

"The security level will probably be back to severe from critical next week so the risk will be no worse than when the trip was arranged."

This is the point I made to the school. The risk level in reality is still incredibly low. Legally they cancelled the trip, they have to give us a full refund but if they don't have it they can't :(

Plus some people haven't finished paying for this trip...are the school going to chase those parents to finish paying for the cancelled trip ?

I would be expecting a refund - I don't see how the school can take the decision to abandon the trip and not expect to refund the money.

(and that's speaking as a governor, and knowing about school budgets)

I agree, formal complaint to the Governors. If everything's been paid for then the children whose parents are still happy to let them go should go. Unless there was a plan for a trip to the Palace of Westminster- because that has been closed to visitors. School travel insurance wouldn't pay up because there's no valid reason to cancel - your personal annual travel insurance might conceivably pay up if you had it.

They said the governers agree with the school.

I'd be furious and demanding an explanation.
You're more likely to win the lottery than be caught up in a terrorist attack. Honestly the level of hysteria is silly.

That is completly crazy, they can't cancel and not refund!

Yes, they need to refund - surely they had some sort of insurance? I'd be furious and demand my money back - is there anything legally you can do?

Totally wrong not to refund.