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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

DS's school trip was offered on a 'first come first serve' basis and is now being drawn at random from a hat

315 replies

Worriedaandconfused · 03/10/2023 11:50

AIBU to think the school should honour the first come first serve basis they initially stated for allocating places on the school trip?

They have, due to a 'huge response' of requested places, decided to draw names at random on Friday.

After promising my child a place and ensuring I handed the form in promptly to the teacher (in fairness, it sounds like a lot of other parents did, too), I'm now going to have to explain to my 4 year old he's unlikely to have a place.

How do your own DC's schools handle situations like this where there's limited places and lots of interest?

OP posts:
1month · 03/10/2023 13:11

Wheelz46 · 03/10/2023 12:58

Personally I don't agree with first come, first serve especially in the scenario you mention about handing it to the teacher.

They did this once at my kids school and some kids came running out, having their parents sign the forms before even leaving the playground and giving it back to the teacher before others even had chance to ask their parents, especially ones who were not at pick up.

Quite a few parents complained when their kids handed theirs in the next day and all places had been taken before even leaving the playground. They ended up pulling out of a hat, much fairer in my opinion.

Having said this at age 4, I really do think schools shouldn't be having trips where the whole class cannot be involved.

I completely agree.

NotFastButFurious · 03/10/2023 13:12

NameChange30 · 03/10/2023 11:55

They're doing a school trip for 4yos and can't accommodate everyone? That's shit. It should be for all of none. They're 4 FFS.

This! With bells on!

maddening · 03/10/2023 13:15

Overthebow · 03/10/2023 11:52

Names out of the hat is the fairest way. You really shouldn’t promise your child a place when you’re not the one doing the places, how do you know he would have made it even if you handed it in promptly, especially given the large amount of people wanting to go.

But it is the school that have changed their approach, the op was working on the basis that she had got her form in immediately.

DuvetCoverNightmare · 03/10/2023 13:16

Agree with @Wheelz46
I’ve had the same thing and because my DC go to after school club I had no way of ‘competing’
Names out of a hat is the absolute best way.
(Actually full class trips at that age is the best way!)

Original poster
Worriedaandconfused · 03/10/2023 13:18

@Dixiechickonhols, the letter specifically stated that permission slips/payment should be handed to the child's class teacher and places would be allocated on first come...

I should also mention that the letter was given out yesterday but the school sent a text last Friday to notify parents and an electronic copy of the letter was available on the school website too

@madamreign, I am not normally one to complain and don't like confrontation. However, I do think it needs addressing so will mention it to the school.

OP posts:
mummymeister · 03/10/2023 13:21

@CharlotteBog it was a small village school and we knew who the parents were that were in this situation so those that could afford to give their child a day out usually got in first and said no worries we will free up a space. It was a good solution that worked well in this specific situation.

Blueblell · 03/10/2023 13:22

In my teens school they do that for the different trips on offer, but I think at primary they should be offering a trip that includes everyone.

EeesandWhizz · 03/10/2023 13:24

Who else has just logged on to ParentPay (other apps are available) and paid for a school trip? Thanks for the reminder OP!

Dixiechickonhols · 03/10/2023 13:26

It does sound like a better system is needed. I can’t see how a busy teacher can keep track of who handed which envelope first. Suppose 10 patents gave to TA at breakfast club and she gave to teacher at 8.30am they’d beat none breakfast club kids.

Bouncyball23 · 03/10/2023 13:27

Theunamedcat · 03/10/2023 11:56

They said first come first served why are they changing their minds? Is a staff members or active pta members child not allowed on? Something must have happened for this to change?

Quite possibly all children brought the reply letter in the next day!!
Why are they not just doing a class trip like every other school would do

followmyflow · 03/10/2023 13:28

it probably means many people brought their forms in at the same time so they have more first-come people than they even have places.

Wrongsideofpennines · 03/10/2023 13:29

At 4 children can't understand their name might not be picked. They will get their hopes up and not understand they didntvgo when their friends did.

I think they should absolutely have done it as a class/year trip. Then children who wouldn't normally go to the theatre would get the chance to go.

Graciebobcat · 03/10/2023 13:33

It should be all or none for school trips.

School is fucking shit now for enrichment activities, it's so boring.

And older kids have missed out on so many opportunities due to Covid - DD2 missed out on Y6 school journey, end of year production, end of year party, Y7 school camping trip, Y8 ski-ing trip, and school have done fuck all to make it up to them. Y10 and she hasn't even been on so much as a field trip.

Original poster
Worriedaandconfused · 03/10/2023 13:34

@Bouncyball23, I suspect the reason that they do the trip in key stages rather than just one class, is because, in the past, turn out hasn't been this high. They offered the KS2 theatre trip to 4 year groups and I haven't heard that this has changed from first come so can only assume it's not in demand and the children that want a place have all go one.

OP posts:
amusedbush · 03/10/2023 13:36

I agree with PPs that pulling names from a hat is the most fair way of allocating places but it's shite to change the rules part-way through.

The forms should have been numbered in the order that they were returned. It sounds like that didn't happen, and now they've realised they have too many forms and no record of who made the cut.

Sayitaintso33 · 03/10/2023 13:39

The school might have realised that first come first served discriminated against single parents or shift workers or people working two jobs or families suffering a bereavement or other difficulties.

Original poster
Worriedaandconfused · 03/10/2023 13:45

@Sayitaintso33, as far as I'm aware, the KS2 trip has remained first come first serve as it wasn't oversubscribed.

The school seems to operate this system routinely, however. I've recently signed up for our parents evening appointment using their online booking system. The appointments were done like this and you could simply choose an available slot from what they had left at the time you chose to book - the quicker you were able to log on, the more slots you had available to you.

As I've said before, I think I need to raise my concerns but don't want to be 'that parent' kicking up a fuss. 🙈

OP posts:
PenhillDarkMonarch · 03/10/2023 13:48

Totally off topic. but it's somewhat reassuring we can all spot an AI answer. Grin

EaudeJavel · 03/10/2023 13:48

I would complain.

Not about the hat or the first-come-first, but about a trip that doesn't include everyone at that age.

I don't think it's appropriate in KS1, and I would contact the school about it.

Thoughtful2355 · 03/10/2023 13:51

to be honest i think nothing is fair when your telling a select number of 4 year olds that they cant go! If some cant go because of space then none should go.
I would be heartbroken for my two children if that happened, and they are 4 &5 and would definitely notice.

Fleabane · 03/10/2023 13:52

EaudeJavel · 03/10/2023 13:48

I would complain.

Not about the hat or the first-come-first, but about a trip that doesn't include everyone at that age.

I don't think it's appropriate in KS1, and I would contact the school about it.

Yes I agree. I didn't realise he was only 4!

Bookish88 · 03/10/2023 13:52

DS's school would never do this, trips are organised to accommodate everyone (which could mean a whole class/year group/KS) or not at all.

sjj28358 · 03/10/2023 13:52

Our school has a very strict "out of a hat" policy for trips which can't accommodate everyone. Much better.

LuluBlakey1 · 03/10/2023 13:53

This is one of those things that I think parents need to let the school get on with. The school decides how it runs things, not parents.

JudgeJ · 03/10/2023 13:55

PuttingDownRoots · 03/10/2023 12:45

Even if they had X number of free tickets but Y wanted to go, they can just split the cost of the extra tickets between everybody (we did with our Scouts... we were given 8 free tickets, 16 wanted a place, so they all paid half price)

It may be that the school was only given X free tickets with no more being available, this would happen with the school where I taught.
This thread is a perfect reason for schools stopping trying to do anything nice for their pupils, there will always be that parent who wants it done differently, ie in a way that puts their child at an advantage.