Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Child unwell on school trip

334 replies

G172125 · 03/04/2024 19:43

My son is currently on a school trip to Disneyland. He started to feel unwell with stomach pains and vomiting. He got split up from he’s group and was left alone in Disney village. I managed to get hold of the teacher to let her know and she said she would go to him. My son then text me and said she said she Can’t go to him because she is queuing for a ride. Nobody bothered to go look for my son for two hours. Aibu to make a complaint about this and take it further?

OP posts:
weareallqueens · 03/04/2024 21:23

hmyh23 · 03/04/2024 19:50

I think these replies are a bit mean! I am a teacher who leads foreign trips and if a student called me I would leave the bloody ride queue to go and check on them. Most 16yr olds would still be upset and stressed when ill and away from home.

This.

There would always be a teacher there to support a young person who felt unwell on any trip I've accompanied. A 16yo is not an adult.

Ifulikepinacoladas · 03/04/2024 21:24

Bushmillsbabe · 03/04/2024 21:08

Most 16 year olds would have done several residentials by now, even with Covid. My daughter did one in year 2, and will be doing in year 4 and year 6. At 8 years old she has also already done 4 residentials with girlguiding over past 2 years, so by end of junior school will have done over a dozen.

For current year 11's covid would have started when in year 8 I think? So would have only missed them in 2020-2011/years 8 and 9? We restarted residentials late 2021.

Show quote history

Current year 11s were year 7 in 2020.

My DS did one residential in yr6, then went on a football trip in year 9. That's all he's done. It obviously depends on the schools. Not all kids would be involved with guiding/ scouts either.

EpicPineapple · 03/04/2024 21:24

Yeah I’d have a word with the school.

Most teachers are hardworking and lovely people, and hate school trips but do them because it’s part of the deal.

Some teachers are however lazy sadists who view school trips as a free holiday.

Some teachers even have major mental health problems and passionately hate the kids in their care.

I’ve known all of these kinds of teachers. I don’t know which type picked up the phone to your son OP but perhaps you do. Unless there had been a clear misunderstanding, I would be expressing my disappointment to the head.

I’d also be worried about why your DS wasn’t with a group of friends who looked after him / fetched help when he fell ill. Seems weird.

Fleurdalys · 03/04/2024 21:25

G172125 · 03/04/2024 19:53

Just turned 16, year 11. First time in a foreign country . The teacher new the situation and he’s location but was to busy on her holiday to bother. He spoke to her on the phone.

Are you kidding?
Have you ever been a teacher taking young folk abroad?
Holiday my arse
He's 16 ffs

Highfivemum · 03/04/2024 21:27

I would definitely not be impressed. He is still only 16 in a strange country and being sick in a toilet. Would anyone as a mum just leave them to it. ? I know I wouldn’t. A teacher should have gone to check on him. After all if they didn’t think they needed teachers then why do teachers go.

i would check facts and then call school.
I hope he is ok.

staceyflack · 03/04/2024 21:30

Just seen his age. Can i change my vote?

Original poster
G172125 · 03/04/2024 21:30

LynetteScavo · 03/04/2024 21:18

I'm not sure what you would do to "take this further".

How is your DS now? Has he stopped vomiting? Has he been taken back to the hotel? Is he sharing a room with another child (I wouldn't want to be that other child!).

I would want to know what the risk assessment was regarding a child brining I'll, and would ask if procedure was followed. It probably was, and then I'd thank the staff for looking after my I'll child. I'd probably give them all a bottle of Prosecco to help them recover.

And as a parent of DC who refused to revise at home I love that the school has allowed Y11s to go to Disney. My DCs school had them in extra revision sessions over the holidays.

This was yesterday. Thankfully he’s feeling better today. I’ve not made the teachers aware that I’m annoyed at the situation. I just thanked them for going to him and getting him some medication even though I feel it should’ve have been done sooner. I’m not sure what I meant when I said take it further. Honestly I’d just like them to know that I think they was wrong to prioritise a ride over my sick son who was on he’s own and that I’m annoyed about it. I’ve left it a day to calm down about the situation but I’m still really pissed off about it. He’s sharing a room with two others .

OP posts:
BeaLola · 03/04/2024 21:32

I hope your son is ok

Haven't read the full thread (I know) but as a Mum of a year 11 DS I am amazed they have a school trip right now when it's GCSEs in May

BathroomReDesign · 03/04/2024 21:33

@G172125 i don’t understand peoples behaviour towards you. The teachers are there to look after the children and a sick child and a mum contacting me concerned about a child would absolutely have me leaving the queue to go and see.

TheFormidableMrsC · 03/04/2024 21:33

BeaLola · 03/04/2024 21:32

I hope your son is ok

Haven't read the full thread (I know) but as a Mum of a year 11 DS I am amazed they have a school trip right now when it's GCSEs in May

Year 11's in my DS's school are on a 3 day trip but in the UK. I presume it's to give them a bit of a boost pre exams. My son is Yr 8 so imagine it will be same for him and I'd be ok with that.

GNR2022 · 03/04/2024 21:36

titchy · 03/04/2024 19:49

What country are you in? Presumably not the UK given upcoming exams.

Unless Disneyland has moved to the UK, you presume correct..

LynetteScavo · 03/04/2024 21:37

"I'd thank the staff for looking after my I'll child. I'd probably give them all a bottle of Prosecco to help them recover."

When I posted his I meant help the staff recover, not the vomiting DCGrin

TheFormidableMrsC · 03/04/2024 21:39

OP, setting aside a lot of the weird responses on this thread, I think that I'd probably ask for a debrief with the teacher in charge. You don't necessarily need to complain now things have calmed but I do think there should be a plan in place for when a child is sick and what the drill is. He's 16, he's not a baby of course but still horrible and scary being ill away from home and feeling abandoned to boot. I work in primary and there is always a designated person on trips. I realise this is a bit different though. I hope he gets back safe and sound, poor chap!

LakeTiticaca · 03/04/2024 21:39

On an arranged trip those in charge have a duty of care whatever age the children are.
If something bad happened to one of the 16 year old, that teacher would be in very serious trouble. So yes, you should absolutely be speaking to the school about it

fungipie · 03/04/2024 21:39

All those parks have got an Infirmary with qualified staff.

Clafoutie · 03/04/2024 21:41

XelaM · 03/04/2024 20:07

Omg at 16 calling his mum in another country instead of the teacher/his friends/going to medical centre etc etc etc. This is ridiculous and quite embarrassing for a 16-year-old not being able to deal with this himself

I think that’s harsh. At 16, you still sometimes need to speak to your Mum when you’re ill and away from home.

Londonrach1 · 03/04/2024 21:42
  1. I wouldn't expect a teacher to look after him. I bet he prefer to be in the hotel room anyway. Hope he feels better soon
Clafoutie · 03/04/2024 21:44

BathroomReDesign · 03/04/2024 21:33

@G172125 i don’t understand peoples behaviour towards you. The teachers are there to look after the children and a sick child and a mum contacting me concerned about a child would absolutely have me leaving the queue to go and see.

I completely agree. I can’t believe a teacher wouldn’t go and check on him as a priority. It may not be serious, but it could be, and although not a child, he isn’t yet an adult. Surely there’s some duty of care there.

Original poster
G172125 · 03/04/2024 21:44

Londonrach1 · 03/04/2024 21:42

  1. I wouldn't expect a teacher to look after him. I bet he prefer to be in the hotel room anyway. Hope he feels better soon

Im sure if the hotel wasn’t a 20minute drive from from the park he would of taken himself there

OP posts:
AndReaderHeMarriedMyFriend · 03/04/2024 21:46

G172125 · 03/04/2024 19:49

He went to the toilets to vomit and when he came out everyone was gone. Yes he’s 16 and not a baby but surely the teachers are there to look after the children and not on a free holiday. She was sent he’s location and he didn’t move from that spot because he was in agony and embarrassed

Our recent school trip abroad, (16, 17 and 18 year olds ) kids had to stay in groups of 2 or 3 at all times, and if there was an issue, the adult in charge was there to deal with it .
Which included taking two or three of them to hospital, with various illnesses, at one point.

Zanatdy · 03/04/2024 21:48

Yes it was wrong for no-one to go to him for 2hrs. Prioritising a ride isn’t the right thing to do when you’re there in a professional capacity

Blythe1973 · 03/04/2024 21:49

crumblingschools · 03/04/2024 19:57

Did he think Disney was more important than GCSEs?

What has this got to do with the OP's issue?

Hatty65 · 03/04/2024 21:49

Fleurdalys · 03/04/2024 21:25

Are you kidding?
Have you ever been a teacher taking young folk abroad?
Holiday my arse
He's 16 ffs

Show quote history

I agreee @Fleurdalys It's not a holiday!

9 teachers gave up part of their Easter holidays to go to fucking Disneyland with a bunch of teenagers????

They deserve a medal. I've never known a school where this would happen. How many kids have gone on the trip? Because they've clearly taken hundreds when you know what the ratio of teacher to student will be at this age.

But silly complaints from parents are top of the list as to why teachers don't want to go on school trips. They aren't 'jollies' despite what many people think.

MorningSunshineSparkles · 03/04/2024 21:49

Initially I was with you, thinking a poor wee child was left alone for two hours. The lads 16, not exactly an emergency. He could have gone to them himself

Zanatdy · 03/04/2024 21:50

BeaLola · 03/04/2024 21:32

I hope your son is ok

Haven't read the full thread (I know) but as a Mum of a year 11 DS I am amazed they have a school trip right now when it's GCSEs in May

I asked my DD if she wanted to go to Disney for 3 days at Easter and then answer was a big no, she’s revising all the time now