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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
ColaHubbaBubba · 29/03/2021 11:50

Actually @Lostinacloud seems to have totally misunderstood the issue.

OP posts:
Diamondnights · 29/03/2021 11:54

I think it's great that school are planning something feasible. If the Covid environment changes before then, the trip will be postponed or cancelled.

Cindersrellie · 29/03/2021 11:54

I think you have misunderstood the isolation rule. Your child only has to isolate if they have contact with someone who tests positive. They do not need to isolate if they have contact with someone who has symptoms. So in your scenario, you would not have to go and pick up the child on the trip unless the child at home has a positive test.

littlepattilou · 29/03/2021 12:01

@ColaHubbaBubba

YANBU. This is insane. June is 10 weeks away! No way would I sign up for this.

Also, that is a LOT of money for 4 nights/5 days.

BiarritzCrackers · 29/03/2021 12:05

The isolation rule is 'symptoms'. Doesn't have to be a positive test. The NHS and Govt sites still say that if you live with someone who has symptoms, you isolate.

Sharing a tent and facilities is pretty much living together (albeit temporarily).

ColaHubbaBubba · 29/03/2021 12:06

@Cindersrellie I think YOU have misunderstood.

When to self-isolate

Self-isolate immediately if:

you have any symptoms of coronavirus (a high temperature, a new, continuous cough or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste)
you've tested positive for coronavirus – this means you have coronavirus
someone you live with has symptoms or tested positive

OP posts:
OP posts:
Cindersrellie · 29/03/2021 12:07

Ah I get you! I didn't realise it was in the same household, thanks for that link.

ColaHubbaBubba · 29/03/2021 12:07

So yes in my scenario a sibling would have to be collected or at least isolated till a negative test result (how?!)

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MiaMarshmallows · 29/03/2021 12:10

Not sure I would be comfortable with that.

Hoppythehippo · 29/03/2021 12:16

Ours are (if allowed) having a few days of on site/local area fun activities, followed by a bbq and sleepover in the school sports hall on the last night. They’re excited, it’s fun, it’s cheap and if anything goes wrong parents haven’t got far to go to get them. Yes, a few days doing pgl would undoubtedly be better, but it’s just not considered a sensible option right now.

Lucienandjean · 29/03/2021 12:41

Just to offer a slightly different point of view. My dh works for an outdoor centre, and the last year has been brutal. The staff have been furloughed but there's a huge residential centre and big grounds to maintain, and very little government help.

Last summer it was briefly possible to offer day activities but really very few schools wanted to come. This year, there have been lots of schools who had booked activities for the summer (some, but not all, deferred from last year), but now the DfE have said residentials are permitted from May, they are all just rushing to cancel!

Some schools have admitted they hoped the DfE would forbid them to go, so they could reclaim their deposit. Now the schools have decided they don't want to come anyway, and in most cases are just demanding their deposit back anyway. Sometimes they blame the parents for not wanting to send the children, other times they say it's the head teacher's decision.

In most cases they won't even switch to day visits - it's just a straight refusal, and by the way give us our deposit back now or we won't book for future trips.

The outdoor centres have spent huge amounts of time and effort in making everything as safe as they can. Adapting activities, children in bubbles, safe transport, cleaning regimes, eating in sittings, ventilation, disinfecting equipment....you get the idea.

Ultimately if parents don't feel confident, they won't send their children. I get that. I'm a parent myself. But also, the centres might not be there next year. That's not said lightly - things really are that bad, financially. Maybe that's just inevitable. But could people maybe consider day visits? Surely children need just these sorts of activities this summer

ColaHubbaBubba · 29/03/2021 12:42

I’m good at ‘what ifs’ but here’s another one:

If my kid is isolating after contact with a confirmed case at the time of the trip (as many in the school are currently) and therefore can’t go... do I get my £500 back?!?

OP posts:
ColaHubbaBubba · 29/03/2021 12:43

@Lucienandjean I’m sorry, that must be worrying.

I’d LOVE it if school organised some day visits.

OP posts:
Lucienandjean · 29/03/2021 12:48

@ColaHubbaBubba maybe that's what is needed this year! Perhaps that's a compromise people might find acceptable.

By the way, £500 for a residential is a huge amount 😮.

Artesia · 29/03/2021 14:12

[quote CuthbertDibbleandGrubb]@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.[/quote]
I'd be astonished if kids are allowed to take phones on the trip at all, and even if they were, they would hardly be sitting round playing fortnite and minecraft all day would they?

Bbee29 · 29/03/2021 14:15

YANBU op. It does sound silly imo. As far as I know residential trips are fully cancelled at DS’s school (he’s also year 5) but they are going to do an activity week locally instead! Which sounds like a much better idea. DS hates sleeping away from home too (he is autistic) so it suits us too so perfect for us! Last time I had to pick him up, sleep at home then take him back the next morning 😂

tigger1001 · 29/03/2021 14:46

For me, it's far to expensive especially with it being so soon, which will put considerable financial pressure on parents, who might be struggling financially themselves. It could well be a vocal minority of parents saying how wonderful the trip is with others being silent wondering how the hell they are going to afford it.

It's also far too far away, especially in the current circumstances where having to go collect your child is more likely this year.

I would be asking the school all the questions about what happens if a child needs to isolate.

CuthbertDibbleandGrubb · 29/03/2021 15:23

Day visits would not be that expensive, no doubt be nearer to home, and if a child needs to drop out because of a family member testing positive for the virus, a lot simpler.

As for phones, @ColaHubbaBubba not being permitted by the school does not mean that no children will have them. We've all come across the parents who think that somehow they and/or their child does not need to follow rules, and the last 12 months rule breaking has role models in Dominic Cummings and others.

Norabird · 29/03/2021 15:40

I think there are still too many uncertainties. Remember how we were supposed to be back to normal by Christmas anyone? I know things are getting better with the vaccines, and I am actually hopeful of some sort of normality returning, but all it takes is a new strain resistant to the vaccine to spring up (more likely while infection rates globally are still high) and we're back to square 1. Hopefull by next year there will be much more certainty. I wouldn't want to get their hopes up as much as anything else.

If it were much more local It would be less worrying I think. You'd be able to collect them much more easily if you needed to. It wouldn't solve the problem of disruption due to needing to isolate though. There are still quite a lot of children being told to isolate themselves after being in contact with a case at school. Would you lose your money if your child couldn't go due to SI?

LaceyBetty · 29/03/2021 23:49

All lot of posters have children in year 5. My son's residential was cancelled in year 5. The year 5's at my kids' school are not having one this year, but I really think it should happen for the year 6's. I have lovely memories from my year 6 trip and I'm 44! It is hugely important IMO.

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