Teachers are saints on MN so probably IABU

[Sportycustard]

DS is going on a school trip in 2 weeks time. It's a complicated trip to two countries with two different currencies, flying into one and out of the other.

I contacted the school yesterday to ask for:

Departure times - so I can plan accordingly. The kids seem to think that drop off will be in the middle of the night so I need to sort out a plan for my younger DCs as DH is away on business.

The airline (so I know what case to buy as it's hand luggage only)

Some sort of idea of what meals they need to buy so I can order the two currencies

I've just had a rather abrupt email from the school office telling me that they "hope to have this information in 7-10 days".

AiBU to think this is completely unacceptable? We don't even have a plan for the trip yet - even down to knowing which country they are going to first!

I know the teachers are giving up their time etc etc but I have a life too!

That would really annoy me.

I mean hopefully(!) they have this sorted out and just can't be bothered putting together the info for parents.

Clearly it's poor organisation - is it the first time this trip has been offered?

In my county we HAVE to run a meeting for parents or we can’t go.

I can see if they’re going through a comp g they might not yet know the hotel- I have had travel companies change the hotel on the day of the trip. But they must know the country the children are flying to. That’s unacceptable.

But your title is dickish.

We have to submit quite a detailed itinerartly with our risk assessment- not sure how they can get away with what you describe.

People only complain MN is very teacher biased because they get called out for being dicks on their "One of my child's spellings was marked incorrectly, AIBU to demand public flogging?" threads.

DS is 17 and is quite stressed about not having a plan.

itinerary* thumbs!

Blimey I had an hour on the phone with each parent (couldn't do a meeting for various reasons) before I took a small group for one night's camping half an hour up the road! Is there any chance at all it's the office not being arsed to pass on the info? Unlikely of course so I'd definitely be responding to the email with a repeat request and spelling out why. Seems very bizarre.

I will apologise again for my choice of title. It wasn't my best decision.

I don’t actually think the thread title is unreasonable tbh. It’s accurate. Maybe that’s why it’s stinging some?

Teacher here and while I did grimace at your thread title there is no way I would be sending my child on this trip. An overseas trip should have been planned and finalised weeks ago. We have to fill in forms and risk assessments to take kids over the road - and that’s not an exaggeration.

They cannot not know flight details for a trip in two weeks time if they have planned it all properly.

I could go through all the processes which we need to do to take a child abroad but I am not sure how helpful it is. Needless to say it is more than it sounds like has happened here.

I'm a teacher and I'm afraid I'd pull my own child from this trip. Absolutely ridiculous.

Also, your title didn't bother me. Some of the teachers on Mumsnet are a phallic word I've been banned for a week from using in the past

Never mind the title. It doesn’t matter at all. Your frustration and concern are perfectly valid.

I have done expedition type trips where we have been gone a month and travelling round various places so details can vary. However communication is absolutely watertight so that parents can feel confident that it is all in hand.

What a shame for your daughter. Was it expensive?

The usual format for staff emails in education is

[email protected]

Like you have [email protected]

Obviously, the number of .mid and .end vary, but it's generally exactly the same as the main address.

Just thought I'd throw that one out there...

The frustrating thing is that I am fairly sure the organising is ok. They were super hot on collecting passport and EHIC card info. I think the comms are just crap and they have forgotten that currencies, cases and middle of the night travel to school doesn't just happen on its own.

There is something wrong here. Flame me by all means but I wonder if the flights have actually been booked? By this time EVERYTHING should be in cemented in place and you should all be going to a school meeting with ALL details provided via the usual PPT. You should be provided with currency guidelines, handbaggage sizes, what to take etc.

I suspect no-one will be going on this trip at all.

Sounds absolutely bizarre, OP. And entire opposite of all the trips DC have been on at similar ages. We were overwhelmed with details of where and when (and what).

How can they do the risk assessments without knowing all the basic details? EHIC cards & passports??

passports and EHIC info is very easy - that's not super-organised at all, that's basic.
Do you even have a rough itinerary?

Wow, that seems mad. I have only ever done primary residentials a few hours away at most, and we have had everything organised ages in advance, and a meeting with parents to let them know everything they need to know weeks in advance. Has there not been a parents meeting?

I would have thought from a safeguarding point of view that planning for these things always has to be shit hot these days.

Agree your thread title is unnecessary though.

Yes the organisation sounds bad but surely at that age your child could find the relevant teacher and just ask .

This probably sounds silly, but could their reply possibly have been meant for someone else, about a different subject but sent to you in error?

Unless you know other parents who've asked and had the same response, it's about the only thing which would explain this ... short of awful organisation that is, and if that's the case I wouldn't be sending DS at all

Ask another parent, get your child to ask on Monday. If you still have no answer then cancel, and make it clear to the Head and Chair of Governors why you have done so. Not just the practical things such as how many meals to buy for, but such information in advance may be vital for someone say with Aspergers, or with certain medical conditions, or if travelling with a particular airline for some reason is a no-no (previous bad experience for example). If one of the children is not the child of a UK national this may be important to know which country they are visiting first.

When you emailed, did you say you needed to know because of childcare and because of buying the case? They must know the flight and the times.

If you know the airport, day and destination, can you find it yourself?

I'm a teacher. Have organised hundreds of trips. They most definitely will have departure info etc. I would be pulking my child from this if they cant provide such basic info.

We don't know the airports, airlines or flight details. Also no idea of hotels except that one part is half board, the other just bed and breakfast.

This is not normal for any school trip I have known about - either at schools I have worked at or any trip DD has been on.

Last month she went on a trip abroad. We knew the flight details, inc times and airline number over a month in advance, likewise the times for drop off.

For DD's trips abroad (KS2 - sixth form) there has always been a parents meeting about a month or so in advance where all this kind of information is issued. Infact for the KS2 one there was a meeting before we even signed up to let parents know much of the information, including the accommodation.

I do think your thread title is deliberately goady though. I don't know any teacher myself who would think it was normal to not issue such information until less than a week before.

It's piss poor organisation and I'd be concerned (ex teacher myself). To give you some idea as comparison - mine is on a residential right at the end of the year and we've already had a meeting with a fairly detailed draft itinerary including expected rough arrival and departure times, full details of the accommodation and what equipment we'll be expected to provide as parents.

And DD2's current teacher this year is definitely NOT a candidate for sainthood! The staff at our school are 99.9% fantastic (and know I think of them as such) - we just have the 0.1% and it's being a very long year!

I don’t actually think the thread titleisunreasonable tbh. It’s accurate. Maybe that’s why it’s stinging some?

I guess you deliberetly ignore the frequent teacher bashing posts then

OP YANBU. You need a plan