School trip and my baby

[coulditbeme2323]

Kids school offer some really cool school trips.

School have organized a school trip to ski/snowboard this November in Whistler Canada which is about 80 miles from Vancouver.

Ok sounds great, but it's for my boy in year 6.

AIBU or is it too young?

He really wants to go, his brother has been, and Husband thinks he should go.

So am totally prepared to be told he isn't a baby and IABU.

I think it’s ridiculous that some schools organise trips to such far flung places, especially for 10 year olds. They shouldn’t be permitted.

I wouldn’t send my son who had just started year 7 to Canada on a school trip. Depends on the child my son’s birthday makes him very young for the year, other children are almost a year older. So no.

I am baffled as to why you are describing an 11 year old boy as a baby.
As for the trip, if you can afford it and he wants to go, crack on.

I know you didn’t, I just wanted to make it clear to anyone else reading (before somebody jumped on me, as people are often quick to do on here) that it’s not that I agree/think it’s fair. I agree that it’s unfair that they apply to state schools and not independents when the ramifications are the same. It’s another classic case of rich people getting away with shit the rest of us wouldn’t.

I do have to disagree on the holiday for teachers though. It’s very different taking your own kids who you are already always responsible for 24/7 abroad versus taking 30+ students abroad who you don’t know that intimately and aren’t usually responsible for outside of school hours. If your own kid gets injured on holiday it’s upsetting, frustrating and inconvenient but as a teacher on a school trip if a kid gets injured, your job is potentially on the line not to mention scrutiny and judgment from parents, school leadership, governors etc. Bear in mind too that many of the teachers on these trips may not have their own kids (I didn’t when I ran school trips) so aren’t used to that level of responsibility and having to be constantly vigilant.

I think this thread is a (bizarre) windup.

At my DCs schools (London independents) things like ski trips would be optional, not in term time but generally over a half term break. More educational/language focused trips might be during term time, but often even those were over half-term - one of mine, for example, went on a geography trip to Iceland, but it was optional and over half-term.

UK schools don't generally have a November break. If this school and trip exist, which is very questionable, we have a school not only not concerned with safeguarding procedures or the viability of their trip, but their educational programme.

Your money might be well spent on a better school OP.

His brother went in y7 by Nov he will be y7 so what exactly is your issue ? You're being ridiculous tbh .

But hes not 10 🤣he will be in his first year of secondary school. My sons 10 , 11 in September when he goes into y6 .

There’s another thread going about private/grammar schools and slang which seems a little strange to me…So you may be right. Some bored posters this half term.

I get the feeling you were a bit bored and wanted some attention 😴 ffs cut the apron strings he is not a baby .

I mean I agree for my schools in the West Midlands the furthest they’ve gone is Germany or France no need to travel that far to experience it! It’s a tad extreme and I also wouldn’t like my child to feel left out if all their friends went however if they didn’t want to go they wouldn’t be however that being said knowing my child’s dad he wouldn’t dream
ot sending for her that far without one of us or both.

No way on earth I’d let my child go that far without me or a member of the family until they were 16. If I can’t get to them in a couple of hrs incase something happened they aren’t going. If my kids want to go skiing I’ll take them myself

Snow in Whistler will likely be pretty disappointing in November and imo absolutely not worth the trip at that time of year.

my brother lives there and has done for the past 10+ years. The best time for snow is early in the year, January/february. I’d be disappointed to spend that money and time going in November specifically for a ski trip. The school, if wanting to get the best snow in November, should have looked at Europe instead, or if set on Whistler then push the trip back to the new year instead.

as for letting my year 7 child travel that far, I’d have no problem with it if they were comfortable and happy to be away from family. In your particular circumstance however I wouldn’t send my child to Whistler for skiing in November due to the reasons I stated, it would be a waste and I’d rather take them at a better time of year.

I have never heard of any primary school around my way taking children abroad only to places like the Isle of Wight or swanage. Is it a private school. How on earth do the parents afford it.

High school DC that don’t remember to use the toilet or find things to eat?! Dd went to Disneyland with brownies aged 7 and managed all those things you listed. (P3/yr2). Both my dc are up for any and all trips going. I’d let them go to Canada if I could afford it(I can’t) and if it was offered (it’s not). Most 13 yo has been offered this year is a trip to the local beach 😅

Honestly I just think this entirely depends on the child. Some will be fine. Some children cannot follow orders or keep up with a crowd at that age, some cannot put on shoes, many are not dry at night or still wake in the night.

What specifically concerns you? I would discuss these concerns with your husband, and with your boy before making the decision whether or not he can go.

Don’t worry if you don’t think he’s ready and this is based on reasons beyond “Ican’t accept my little boy is growing up.” Missing one trip won’t matter. My kids’ year 6 trips were about 1.5 hours away in the UK, which seems a bit more normal. They had a great time.

I do agree with you. I’ve done more than my fair share of residentials over the years- but picking the USA over Europe seems to the teachers wanting to go there rather than what is best for the kids and their parents who have to pay for it. My use of the word jolly is incorrect - I mean the teachers are doing this because they want to go to the USA. It’s a hell of a long way to take such little kids and the cost way higher than the Alps. TBH - they must be mad.

How is that comparable to flying thousands of miles away? 🤣

Makes me laugh when people say this sort of shit without paying attention to the OP saying it's a private school, so no fines are going to happen.

Not at all. It would be harder to arrange so more work if it is USA than Europe.

Taking kids abroad doesnt matter if it is 1000 miles or 6000 miles it is abroad.

Most teachers do not want to go on the residential. They do it because it is expected or are forced to. It costs them a lot of money.

I see you've agreed to him going but imo there is not a chance I'd let a year 7 go long haul with a bunch of teaching staff many whom seem to struggle with the logistics of day to day running of a school.

Have you seen them in hi viz jackets trying to negotiate the risk assessments and complexities of school pick up and drop off? Imagine that mentality on a different continent with a bunch of year 7s. Nope.

What age would that make him? (Sorry, I don't know the system!)

That was a post in response to a previous poster who said residentials weren't a thing in Ireland (so no overnight stays, nevermind Canada).

I was replying to someone who said that primary schools in Ireland don't do residentials 🙄