Not to let random parents drive my child on school trip

[Daisysmummyf]

Over the last year or so DD7’s school has arranged trips to a local activity centre for sports festivals, where a selected group of kids are invited to take part. She was invited to the first one which was 9-11 during a school day, about a 15 min drive away on motorway. They sent the letter home 2 days before and asked if any parents could drive their children there. I was free that day so agreed, and when I got to school I was also giving a lift to another child who I didn’t know which I wasn’t expecting, which was fine. I was however surprised they didn’t ask me for anything like my licence or proof of insurance etc, especially to take someone else’s child.

Since then she’s been invited to multiple of these events, all with 1 or 2 days notice and they have all been cancelled the night before as not enough parents are free to give lifts, including myself . Kids have then been devastated as the teachers tell them they are going before they have even got permissions.

Had another letter home on Friday for a trip tomorrow morning, this one is gymnastics so she’s desperate to go but I’m working and can’t take time off at such short notice. Due to the fact they don’t perform any checks on drives I’ve said on the permission slip she can only go if a teacher drives. I now think she probably won’t end up going and I feel so mean. I have emailed the school to express concerns but had no reply.

YABU: I should trust the random parents to drive her
YANBU: I am right to be cautious / annoyed about short notice

Also to say it’s a lovely class and the parents are all nice, I just don’t know everyone that well and it’s the principle!

People can be batshit. I recently found out that a mum who I thought was trustworthy (good, upstanding career; ie, intelligence required) had my DC share a seatbelt with another child, as she had more kids than seats. If they were in an accident, their hips would have crushed each other’s. (Ironically, it wasn’t her own DC who she put at risk in the shared seatbelt. 🤔)

See you just never know do you. This is my point…. Hate that I have to be the bad guy though.

It’s dodgy for safeguarding reasons but also… car seats? Some people don’t even use them! And yes what about previous driving convictions etc. It sounds shit and I’d not let my kid take one of these lifts.

This is common at our school. If you can’t take your own child you accept another parent will drive them.
Parents have to declare they have valid MOT and insurance and licence but this isn’t checked.
I am ok with it as there are usually several children per care and it isn’t a huge school so we’d know of the other parent if not knowing them well.

I had this at my kids school... Asking if I would give permission - I said no - and emailed the head teacher and then all of a sudden they had arranged a minibus to drive the kids. They charged us for that - which I didn't mind - I just didn't understand why it was acceptable!

Until this thread I thought I was going mad!!

I also wouldn't be comfortable driving a random child - because what if they said I did something crazy? I mean I'm sure they wouldn't but there are some crazy kids out there!

I am surprised that the School hasnt done a risk assessment and undertaken proper check. At the very least tax, insurance & driving licence + DBS.

If I was a Governor I would be most concerned

this document is an interesting read

https://www.stmarysmarplebridge.srscmat.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2021/08/TRANSPORTING-CHILDREN.pdf

Of course if our schools were properly resourced then they would have or hire a bus and driver

Any parent who is volunteering needs a DBS check. Unless the school are sending letters home to parents asking for help, from a pool that are already DBS checked?! Have you been DBS checked OP?! No parent who hasn't been DBS checked should be giving a lift to a child that isn't their own. No parent should be attending the trip in any capacity unless they've been DBS checked. DBS is not fool proof, it only checks to see if there is anything within the person's background that is cause for concern or if they live with someone who might. However, it's basic safeguarding, and if the school isn't following these rules, then it's concerning.

I’m a Chair of Governors at a primary school. Unless the parents driving the children in the cars have been DBS checked for and by the school, completed the school’s safeguarding training and shown proof of car insurance to include for work purposes then this is a total no no.

This is massively against safeguarding protocols and Ofsted would not be impressed

You’re 100% not the bad guy in this situation. You could be saving the school a lot of stress and saving a life or a limb.

That’s not on. Our school tried to organise a field trip like this however they also requested whoever volunteers to provide a clean driving record and clean background/police check. Yet, in the end all parents agreed renting a school bus is safer. To add, here kids under 40lbs require a car seat if parents volunteered so that was complicating things ( some of the kids still fall into the 40lbs and under category at 6yrs old).

This is pretty normal at our small village school. Though because it’s a small village school, I definitely know the children and their parents would know me too and vice versa if one of my dc went in their car. There’s like 15 children in the class, so we all know each other. That said, what I don’t know is if they are licensed and insured and have a safe car and aren’t drunk. How would anyone know that without checking? These are the same parents who often already drive my dc to clubs and sports and birthday parties and other things outside of school, so in my case, I’m not concerned because I’ve already assumed the risk on my own.

The irony though is that I’m literally not allowed on school grounds past the office without being escorted by a member of staff because I do not hold a current DBS check with the school. 😂 Some parent volunteers do have a valid DBS so they don’t have to be escorted, but us normal parents cannot be left unsupervised with any of the children on school grounds. But we can drive them 50 minutes away to a cricket fun day unsupervised without a DBS or anyone checking our fitness to drive. 🤷🏻‍♀️ I don’t know, but it does make you laugh.

There is no way in God's earth would any insurance company decline a claim in the situation the op describes. It comes under the definition o f social, domestic and pleasure...Only if the driver was charging for profit could it potentially be declined.
even then the uninsured drivers agreement that automatically covers personal injury comes into play.

I initially thought that it was unreasonable, then thought about the mum driving to school along a busy road holding her phone today and face timing!!! I was cycling past and clearly saw it!

no the school needs to make proper arrangements

This policy and form is exactly what they need. I’d be happy to complete this if it was sent out to parents

My DC has been to several of these recently, they are not school trips. Selected children are invited and the parents have to make their own arrangements for transporting their child if they wish them to attend.

I didn't think schools were allowed to do this. We recently had an occasion where small state primary couldn't fit all the children going to an event in a minibus and asked for parent volunteers, but each parent was only allowed to drive their own child. Giving lifts to other children was not allowed even if authorised by parents because it was a school event. I'd be horrified if I thought my child was being transported somewhere by school and they ended up in another parent's car without my permission being sought.

I would be fine with this, but I come from another generation, I guess- my kids are in their 20s.

This is why schools do fewer and fewer trips and outings; people are more and more concerned about safety and risk assessment. It becomes too onerous and too expensive to do anything out of the ordinary.

I guess there is always some risk associated with a trip, but no one ever assesses the risks of NOT taking kids on trips, not going into the woods to explore, not biking to school, not walking home from school alone in year 4, etc... it is hard to quantify those things.

In my opinion the risk of worrying about every contingency is crippling and sad.

I don’t think you are unreasonable at all OP and I’m surprised that your school not only facilitates the arrangements, but encourages them.

By contrast, my DC’s primary flatly refused to get involved in arrangements between parents. If there was a local trip (and they tried to do these to keep costs down) a carefully worded letter asked parents to drop & collect children from the location and to let them know if another parent was taking them.

YANBU

Do the school not have to do risk assessment? I’d ask to see it.

This happens in our school every week for sports events. I'd never really thought about it because I know all the parents well and trust them. It does seem a bit off though that a DBS check is required to go and help in class but not to take students in your car. No checks on insurance etc either.

I’m astounded that there are apparently multiple schools out there doing this sort of thing….sounds like the sort of stuff that happened when I was at school in the 90s but which no one would dream of being acceptable now! I would have serious concerns about my kids being at a school where they’re deposited in random parents’
cars for lifts on trips, and absolutely wouldn’t give permission to participate. This for me would raise serious questions about the judgement of the school leadership.

DBS checks? Car seats/boosters? People (even teachers) being shit drivers? I’d not like it either!

The other question is are you insured to take children not your own on a school trip. When I was working we were not allowed to take our cars from our place of work even to attend a work event at another place during working hours unless we had business insurance. One event held in a hotel they hired a bus to take us.

Most children in the UK still need a car seat into Y3 and often Y4 (or equivalent) so it's a very relevant concern here.