To think this isn't a suitable activity at nursery?

[GrandOldDuchess]

Picked up DC (2) from nursery today to be told at handover that a group of children (my DC included) had gone for a trip to the local garden centre to see the fishes. AIBU to think that this isn't a suitable trip due to Covid/lockdown?

I’d be annoyed if I worked at the garden centre. A group of nursery children and staff clearly aren’t going to buy anything, let alone anything essential, and they’ve potentially increased the risk to the staff.

I would be happy for my kids to go, in fact I think it’s lovely. Hopefully the kids had a great time and I’m sure they washed their hands when they got back.

I would thank them rather than kick up a fuss

Are the garden centre fish outdoors? If so I think it's completely acceptable. I'm a childminder and we're out and about every day. In fact the guidance prefers us to be outdoors as much as possible.

Nurseries get permission from garden centre before these trips.

Let it go, OP.

You should have been informed about an off-site trip and you should have filled in a permission slip as well as an anaesthetic permission slip in case of an accident.

@1Morewineplease

Most nurseries make you sign all that for generic trips to give permission to go in any without having to gain permission each time.

I think it’s a lovely trip for the kids but not appropriate at the moment.

As an aside, I refused to sign the blanket consent form to take my DD off the premises. I want to know where she is so they need to check with me beforehand.

This is weird and I would rescind my consent at this time I think.

Apologies @OverTheRainbow88
I was guided by EYFS guidelines. Our school keeps all original generic acceptances but each individual trip , off-site must have further forms to fill.
At the very least, parents must be informed, in advance, if their children are to go and visit a place off site.

Garden centres are open so yes, this is fine, presume you signed something when they started nursery to say they can be taken on trips?

I'd assume this was agreed with the garden centre.

Nursery is a petri dish for tiny people. Compared to toddlers sharing toys and snot a trip to a garden centre is pretty tame!

I wouldn’t be happy at this and I’m pretty laid back. But it’s not fair to genuine customers and the staff- and I think clearly against the rules. Outdoor trips are fine. Indoor not for good reason.

@GrandOldDuchess
School trips
Nurseries, childminders, schools and colleges will not go on educational visits at this time. This advice will be kept under review.

That's the guidance, as updated yesterday.

So yes they've broken the rules.

But I think that given you're alright with some rule breaking, eg the park, it's difficult to then expect them to know you're not OK with this rule breaking.

I, personally, would have had an issue with the park and would have raised it. You didn't. And though you state you've been careful with the risks etc, you surely accept the the biggest risk full stop is nursery attendance...

Raise it. Have your child excluded, but there will obviously be fall out in that she misses out or the sctivities don't then go ahead (they shouldn't be anyway, but your raising it will have been the reason!) You could rightly raise it with ofsted.

yanbu, id be really pissed off with them going out in this current time. They have outdoor space in nursery (i assume?), being kept in bubbles, why on earth would they risk this.

really poor choice from nursery and i would be emailing the management to be honest to give feedback and withdraw permission.

fwiw ive withdrawn permission for my pre schooler to leave nursery at the moment on any trips at all. They dont "need" to go out at the moment,

I would be way way more concerned about car seat safety or lack of! What age are the children?