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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not think a school residential trip in June is wise?

71 replies

ColaHubbaBubba · 28/03/2021 22:57

My son (Y5) had a school residential trip that was cancelled last year. It was a shame but understandable. We were refunded.

School have just announced that a new trip is planned for early June. Trip is to a different (U.K.) location and is approx 4.5 hours away by coach. It’s an adventure centre with glam camping for 4 nights 5 days for £500(!!) AIBU to think this is crazy?

If the kid my son is sharing a pod with gets a temperature am I expected to do a 9 hour round trip to pick my isolating child up? Presumably without stopping on the way back? Or what if he’s the one with the temperature? If a teacher gets sick how will they get back without using public transport or school transport?

Half the year are currently isolating as we’ve had a confirmed case so it’s not like it’s far from our door right now.

But... letter came out last week and parents at the school door were ecstatic! All excited and signing them up no problems. I feel like I dreamed Covid.

YABU: No Covid-related reason to not sign up
YANBU: It’s not a good idea right now for Covid reasons

OP posts:

Mumdiva99 · 29/03/2021 08:10

@ineedaholidaynow

Has Government guidance changed for school trips?

Not yet. They still say in line with government guidence and the guidelines for schools will be updated when they can. (Schools are anticipating they will be allowed after the June date.)

TinaYouFatLard · 29/03/2021 08:11

@ColaHubbaBubba

Haha true but hard to understand!

Well in MN World, Remain would win by a landslide, Jeremy Corbin would be happily ensconced in Number 10 and everyone would quite happily give up ever leaving their house again if it saves a single sniffle.

There are some opinions that are deemed more worthy to shout out loud.

Doyoumindfisithere · 29/03/2021 08:13

@ColaHubbaBubba

Interesting that I’m in the majority here but very much the minority at the school gates.

Numbers wise - how many parents out of the total have you spken to?

I find what feels like the majority at the school gates is often the visible minority and there are a lot of families under the radar.

capercaillie · 29/03/2021 08:13

Residential trips allowed from May 17 - govt guidance came out Friday afternoon

sst1234 · 29/03/2021 08:14

OP, have you heard that this virus is here to stay? We have to learn with it, unless you want to be locked away forever. Is that what you want to for your kids? Does anyone have a crystal ball to say when is the right time for getting back to normal life?

ineedaholidaynow · 29/03/2021 08:24

Have looked at the new Government guidance. They do advise that no new contracts should be entered into yet. Was this trip carried forward from last year?

capercaillie · 29/03/2021 08:31

If teacher gets COVID when there, school likely to send another teacher - I would assume they go with more staff than necessary though so that may not be necessary.

Lostinacloud · 29/03/2021 08:31

This is ridiculous! How are people not desperate to get their kids back some sort of life enjoyment and normal activity? I truly despair that some people have been made so terrified of this virus. People would have thought you were mad to say no to a school residential trip in case one of the kids got a cold or a temperature for a day or two 18 months ago. Really, now that anyone likely to have a problem or potentially die from covid is vaccinated, what’s the problem with a class full of kids having some much needed fun?

ineedaholidaynow · 29/03/2021 08:39

Difference at the moment @Lostinacloud if a child got ill on a trip 18 months ago it would usually impact that child and their family.

Now it could impact many families with contact/isolation rules.

Surely better to arrange a residential trip closer to home if isolation rules still in force.

Interestingly the guidance states that they haven’t worked out what COVID secure residential trip looks like yet, so if I was a school I wouldn’t be organising a trip until the Government provide those details.

AnotherEmma · 29/03/2021 08:43

I wouldn't object to the trip in principle but I see your point about the distance. I also think it would be better to plan it for after 21st June (instead of early June). So late June and closer to home, fine. Current arrangements, not really. YANBU.

Lostinacloud · 29/03/2021 08:50

@ineedaholidaynow I can see what you’re saying but it will also be June and with the population rapidly reaching herd immunity levels then chances are there will be little to no covid around by then anyway. It’s already under 5000 per day and that’s with millions of tests taken every day trying to find it and in the month of March. That’s not counting the estimated 40% of cases found in hospitals. Community levels are next to non-existent and at some point covid will have to be absorbed into the mix of accepted viral conditions that circulate regularly amongst children and low vulnerability populations.

CuthbertDibbleandGrubb · 29/03/2021 08:55

I think it is a bad idea. Apart from the possibility of the removal of restrictions on May 17th being delayed, there is then the chance of a child or class having to self-isolate because of someone's family member testing positive for the virus.

I'd also think of the teachers who may have to deal with panicky or over-anxious parents expecting reassurance about every little detail several times during the trip. It may also be the first trip away from home anywhere for perhaps over 18 months for many of the pupils and the anxiety of some could lead to being sick on the coach, perhaps toilet accidents or other responses to an unusual situation.

OP I would support you in declining.

Artesia · 29/03/2021 09:02

@CuthbertDibbleandGrubb

OP I would support you in declining.

It might. Or it might lead to them logging off their devices for a few days, reconnecting with their peers and getting some long overdue activity and proper social interaction. As a PP said, our kids' lives have been on hold for so long, community rates are low (and will hopefully stay so as the vaccine role out continues) and we need to get back to a degree of normality.

littlemisslozza · 29/03/2021 09:32

@Artesia Totally agree!

@CuthbertDibbleandGrubb " I'd also think of the teachers who may have to deal with panicky or over-anxious parents expecting reassurance about every little detail several times during the trip."
I've never contacted a teacher on a residential trip. They have parents numbers to contact us if they need to but I'm pretty sure we don't have theirs. You'd just ring the school office or given number for emergencies but what you've suggested would happen is pathetic. The whole point of residential trips is for children to develop some independence from their family, and not to have parents in control. Actually, it's good for us parents too, even if it feels strange.

Macncheeseballs · 29/03/2021 09:39

I am 100% in favour of ours, fingers crossed, kids beyond excited

Wellpark · 29/03/2021 09:40

£500???? How are parents expected to afford that?!

Myshinynewname · 29/03/2021 09:47

My dc school is planning something similar and I'm very happy about it. The class spend 30+ hours a week together already. Opening the windows makes negligible difference to virus transmission when they're together for so long. The classrooms aren't big enough to distance. What difference will it make if they are together 24/7 for a few days? Arguably its safer because none of the group are leaving to mix with others and come back.
It might be sensible to ask everyone going on the trip to minimise who they see for a couple of days beforehand, so there is less chance of them being a contact and having to isolate.
I am extremely grateful to my dc teachers for going ahead with the trip and trying to give the dc a small piece of normality.

LaceyBetty · 29/03/2021 09:49

I am so happy that my year 6 child's residential trip might happen in later June. They have missed out on so much.

altiara · 29/03/2021 11:19

As a parent of a child that did puke on their Y6 residential, I would definitely prefer it to be within 1.5 hours of home.

I would want my DC to go as it’s a great experience, but would be worried I’d be paying £500 for something that would get cancelled.
And £500 at short notice!

BiarritzCrackers · 29/03/2021 11:28

I'm mixed about how I feel about residentials at the moment, but I don't understand the distance thing - outdoor education centres are broadly very similar! Clearly some have better access to hills than others, and some are by the coast, but at this time, when things are so up and down, there is no need to drive 4.5 hours to a centre that will be almost interchangeable with one 1.5 hours away.

Original poster

ColaHubbaBubba · 29/03/2021 11:37

Jist a thought...do you think the school postponed last years trip thinking no way will we still be in lockdown...and would now lose the deposit if the school don't go when there is no law stopping us?

No, this is a new trip with a different centre in a totally different (and much further) location.

The cost is a whole other issue.

I’m not really in the ‘missed out on so much’/‘lost generation’ camp so not swayed by that. Tbh it’s the distance that’s the main issue, combined with the circumstances.

OP posts:

CuthbertDibbleandGrubb · 29/03/2021 11:41

@Artesia children no doubt who have mobile phones will take them, no doubt in some cases because parents will want to be able to contact them and vice versa. Or because their child might be homesick or struggle. So they will not all be without screen or phone time.

Original poster

ColaHubbaBubba · 29/03/2021 11:46

People would have thought you were mad to say no to a school residential trip in case one of the kids got a cold or a temperature for a day or two 18 months ago.

Read my posts. Literally nowhere did I or anyone say this is because of the risk of catching Covid. Or anything similar to a cold. It’s the rules that go with that, including for children completely unaffected by the Covid (or potential Covid - nobody even has to HAVE Covid to trigger isolate and test).

Let’s say for example that on Monday morning my child gets on a coach and travels over 200 miles to this place. On Monday afternoon, my other child’s school calls and says we need to send your child home, they’ve got a bit of a cough or raised temperature. Child now 200+ miles away should then isolate till sibling is tested. As should I - the one who would presumably need to drive 9 hours to get them. It’s the logistics. What about the kid that then sat next to my kid all the way on the coach. They join in with another day of activities and night in the tent and then my kid that I picked up tests positive. You don’t see any potential pitfalls? This isn’t in any way related to normal times and kids getting colds. I’m not saying all these things would happen but that any scenario could - with my kid or anyone else’s.

If a child sitting round the campfire said ‘These sausages don’t taste of anything. I can’t taste them at all’ and claims they also can’t smell the smoke what do the teachers then do with that child and the 4 others that shared a bedroom with them the night before? Or any other symptoms. It’s a minefield.

OP posts:

Original poster

ColaHubbaBubba · 29/03/2021 11:47

@CuthbertDibbleandGrubb No phones allowed on school residentials here.

OP posts:

user1493494961 · 29/03/2021 11:48

Lostinacloud makes some very good points.

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