Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be concerned about school trip

53 replies

HolidayWorry · 24/04/2022 17:49

I've googled frantically but can't find guidelines for school residential trips.

My kid is meant to going on a school residential trip abroad for a week skiing, but there will be only one (female) teacher in the house with them in the evening. 8 girls between 12-16.

Surely that is a huge safeguarding concern?

Am I being unreasonable?

OP posts:
SwayingInTime · 24/04/2022 17:50

I’m confused as to the concern? For incidents of multiple illness do you mean? Am I being daft?

MrsHamlet · 24/04/2022 17:51

There will have been a risk assessment. I would assume that there will be other staff in the house. Just ask.

VerifiedBot2351 · 24/04/2022 17:51

That’s fine.

LightandMomentary · 24/04/2022 17:51

Do you mean that there is only 1 member of staff on duty in the evening or that there is only 1 member of staff on the trip?

Stevenage689 · 24/04/2022 17:52

Is another adult on the trip but not staying with them in the evening?

Mugcupmug · 24/04/2022 17:52

I'm pretty sure the nursery ration for 3-4 year olds is 1 adult to 8 children so yes yabu.
Set expectations with your child that they behave and do as they are supposed to rather than go for the ratio aspect.
At the ages you've stated 1 adult should be more than enough.
Unless you've left something out like they all have additional needs etc.

Ultimately, if you're not happy then don't let your child go.

Whatthebarnacles · 24/04/2022 17:58

I think that sounds fine. But I've just googled for you and seen that there is no law in place for ratios for secondary school trips, however a few links bring up info stating 1:15 for years 4, 5 and 6. So IMO 1 for 8 sounds fair

TeenPlusCat · 24/04/2022 18:00

What is your concern?

I same sex adult to 8 students in a chalet/house sounds fine to me.
They won't be 'alone' with any of the students.
There are phones in case of an issue.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 24/04/2022 18:00

Is it just being one member of staff, rather than ratio concerning you?

As long as there's more than one pupil around, its considered fine I believe.

MadMadMadamMim · 24/04/2022 18:03

Whoever has organised the trip will have needed to fill in copious educational visit forms with a risk assessment, staffing levels, etc. What's your huge safeguarding concern, exactly?

I'm assuming they are not running a trip abroad with only 8 students, so there should be other staff around? Perhaps not in that actual house/chalet - but they will be there if needed.

rainbowunicorn · 24/04/2022 18:06

How is it a safeguarding concern?

superram · 24/04/2022 18:07

In our LA it’s 1 staff member to 10 kids for a residential. I’m not sure why you are worried? We wouldn’t ever only take 1 but that could be a possibility if you counted hotel/ski company staff.

Mumdiva99 · 24/04/2022 18:09

Will there be other members of staff around? If so then I'm not sure what the concern is. There is a female member of staff there for emergencies that require a female.

Comefromaway · 24/04/2022 18:09

I would be concerned if there was only 1 adult on the trip in case of emergency. Eg child has an accident, one teacher to go to hospital with child, the rest to remain with the others.

HippeePrincess · 24/04/2022 18:10

Extremely unreasonable, we never even had any adults in our rooms on a school trip even in primary school they were always down a long corridor or another chalet and you had to go seek them if there was a problem.
1 adult in a chalet of 8 teens is perfectly safe.

Ihatethenewlook · 24/04/2022 18:11

My daughter just had a residential trip. 2 teachers with 30 10-11 year olds. It was fine?

Original poster
HolidayWorry · 24/04/2022 18:11

Whew thanks for the positive answers. I think the staff member in question is just leaving themselves open. What if a child makes an allegation and there is no other adult to back them up?

Just thought it was a weird set up. But obviously not.

OP posts:
Waxonwaxoff0 · 24/04/2022 18:12

That sounds fine. 12-16 year olds should be sensible enough to cope with 1 adult. What exactly is your concern?

Porcupineintherough · 24/04/2022 18:13

If you think your child needs greater supervision than that to keep them safe then probably best not to send them skiing, as a fair bit of common sense and self discipline is required from the individual child (following instructions etc). Other than that, what is the problem you are foreseeing exactly?

Jalepenojello · 24/04/2022 18:14

1 adult to oversee 8 12+ year olds? That sounds fine. What’s your issue?

TheFormidableMrsC · 24/04/2022 18:14

I think that's perfectly fine. In fact when I went on a skiing trip with school back in the very early 80's, we were left to run riot. The teachers who came on the trip were pissed every night. One child from another school didn't arrive back from the slopes and nobody noticed until dinner. He was found but as an adult now, I'd be horrified. We certainly didn't have staff in the chalet. We had to go and find them if there was an issue. That was definitely a safeguarding issue before safeguarding was even a thing!

I think the ratio you describe is absolutely fine. My 10 yo went on a residential last Autumn and it was a similar set up. They were all perfectly ok.

froggybiby · 24/04/2022 18:15

The post isn't 100% clear but I guess yes...if there is only 1 adult with them & one of the girls is injured for example & needs taking to hospital.. Then I understand your feelings...is the female the only adult going on the trip/ is trip far away?

Porcupineintherough · 24/04/2022 18:15

You know teachers are usually alone with their class right? They manage safeguarding by not being alone 1 on 1 with an individual child.

GiltEdges · 24/04/2022 18:16

What if a child makes an allegation and there is no other adult to back them up?

So it's the teacher you're concerned for, rather than your child? Confused

MolkosTeenageAngst · 24/04/2022 18:16

HolidayWorry · 24/04/2022 18:11

Whew thanks for the positive answers. I think the staff member in question is just leaving themselves open. What if a child makes an allegation and there is no other adult to back them up?

Just thought it was a weird set up. But obviously not.

Well students are usually in a class with 30 kids and no other adult so I don’t think the need for a second adult is a concern in schools. There are lots of other childcare situations where you would often only have a single adult caring for children too - childminding, foster care, disability support work etc.