School trips, do they make you anxious?

[WideWebWitch]

There was an interesting article in The Observer today about school trips and regulation and I just wondered how everyone feels about letting their children go on trips with an element of danger, i.e walking, abseiling etc., especially given that some children have died on these trips (I know it's not a lot but still, surely any child dying as a result of a school trip is unacceptable?)

Someone said on another thread they thought trips were often an excuse for teachers to have a holiday (I think it was a teacher but I could be wrong) and I know custardo was/is irritated at the amount parents are expected to shell out for school trips. We're not quite there yet but I'm interested to hear views anyway. Where would you draw the line or have you already?

The article is here, you'll have to cut and paste since Observer links don't work because of the commas.

www.observer.co.uk/magazine/story/0,11913,967925,00.html

Actually I've just remembered that on one week long trip to France for my eldest dd, the teachers set up a "telephone tree" to ring the parents when they had arrived in the late evening. However, no-one rang us and some of the parents were panicking about French roads,etc. One parent then rang the hotel but no-one answered as they had all gone to bed and the reception was not manned 24 hours! It turned out that the teacher responsible for starting off the tree had forgotten and gone to bed. It was only the next morning when a parent managed to get through that we found out they had arrived safely. My dd later told me that the teachers had been drinking on the ferry going over.

Bubbly - I chickened out at the last minute and phoned the school AFTER I had dropped ds off to see if I could go on the farm trip after all - they were fine and waited for me and work allowed me a day off booked at the last minute!

So, as you can tell, dh and I are going to have real trouble letting go so that ds can enjoy school trips etc but I definately won't let him go if I have any unanswered questions about supervision levels, health and safety etc.

It is sooooooooooo hard to let go I cried all the way back from school this morning and that was just after half term. I'm jealous of the teachers getting to spend all day wiht my gorgeous lovely kids....

Just a small practical note here,

My ds is only 3 1/2 but for the last 2 years I have kept putting a little bit of money in the building society now and then (try every month but don't always manage), plus some of his birthday & Christmas money, specifically to save up for the days when he will want to go on school trips. As interest rates are so low right now, when I get up to £100 I buy premium bonds, so who knows, he might win a million before then !!!

I do think it's important to let kids go off on these experiences if at all possible. How else do they learn about the outside world, and start coping without you, unless by going on school trips?

You can't go until they're 17 or 18 never letting them from your side. Just for the record, my BIL and SIL take ds away with them for a week occasionally, and I spend the whole week worrying, even tho I trust them implicitly. (BIL would never dare come home if anything happened, my DH would kill him!!).

These horror stories are really not helping my nerves, might have to cover my eyes!

I haven't got to the stage of school trips, but s a kid I remember all of mine. From camping with the school or brownies, to sailing around Ibiza after my A levels. I feel that accidents do happen, but school trips are a great way to learn to get along with others and learn new skills. I purposely don't read these stories!!

I think school trips are an important part of "schooling" and I find it sad that some schools are reducing the amount of trips just "incase" anything happens.

My first school trip was in 4th year Juniors and we had a week in Yorkshire (I live in Essex, so big trip for us). I had a fantastic time and still remember things about it. Secondary school were trips to France, then once I got into 3rd year Secondary until I left - I took park in the Yearly Exchange trip to Germany. All were successful apart from the last one when I fell off my Exchange family son's "moped" - gashing my leg, which needed hospital treatment.

My 2 at school (age 5 and 7) have a yearly day trip at Christmas to see a Panto about an hour away. The whole school goes, including office staff/kitchen staff/Headteacher and teachers etc.

The first residential trip will be in Year 5 to Cambridgeshire for a week, then Year 6 is an "outward bounds" trip to Wales.

Other years usually have day trips here and there, which I am usually unable to help out on as I have a pre-school child. I don't have a problem with them going and I certainly wouldn't stop them as my neighbour does with her DD, as they always have a great time anyway.

My 11 year old dd went on a 5 day school trip to hayling island the week before half term. She had a great time and the teachers did a good job in looking after the children. There was 1 adult to 10 children. She was able to do alsorts of activities that I would be able to do with her. The centre had trained staff for these activities that included climbing and absailing.
lou33 don't worry about your dd's bed wetting my dd also wets the bed and managed to keep it a secret with the help of a classroom assitant. She actually only wet once. I did mention it to the classroom assitannt before she went.
The trip actually did my dd a lot of good and gave her confidence.
The school don't take children away untill year 5 which I think is good as younger children need much more supervision. I would not be happy for a 7 year old to go away over night.

I find them very scary... as a teacher. The scariest for me was taking kids from Aus to the US for three weeks as part of a tour.

No way have any of them been a holiday - 24hr care of teenagers.... at least younger ones go to sleep eventually!!!!

However, I think they are brilliant for kids - especially where they are giving kids the chance to visit places or do things they might not ever do.

I'm a teacher and I avoid residential trips like the plague. If I'm completely honest it's mainly because I like my holidays to be restful, plus I want to be with dh and dd. The LAST place I'd like to go for a break is away with kids from school. It is a very stressful experience, I think and I can't let go enough to enjoy them - I worry about the kids - so I don't go anymore.

A friend of mine recently stopped her nearly-5-year-old son from going on a day trip into the city with his pre-school. They were sposed to be going to the theatre but with a stop-off in a huge city park on the way. She said she didn't think that the adult to child ratio was enough for kids of that age (I think it was 1:4) plus the park is fairly notorious. What if one kid has an accident and the adult is busy seeing to him and another one wanders off? What happens when a child wants the loo? She didn't care if she seemed paranoid; she's a very sensible lady and her son gets to go plenty of places with her and with school but this was one trip she didn't feel quite comfortable with.

It's a shame things are like they are but it's a reflection of a more wary generation on the whole, I think.

My daughter has her first school trip coming up in two weeks time. It's a day trip to a safari park 20 miles away. I've asked if I can go along as a helper, not because I'm overly worried about them keeping track of the children, although there is a slight worry there as I don't know how many teachers/school helpers are going, but because I don't drive and I haven't been to this particular safari park since I was a kid so I want to go along to. I always helped out on the little trips to the play barn that my dd went on with her nursery and I loved it almost as much as the kids.
I'm not sure how I would feel about dd going away anywhere for a week or two weeks. I know that at my dd's school they do take them on an adventure holiday in primary 7 for a week, but I don't think you have to go unless you really want to. I don't know if I like that idea but I guess we'll just cross that bridge when we come to it. Still a few years away at the moment since she's only in primary one.

Lou - has dd gone to Barton Hall, near Torquay. If so, she'll have a wonderful time, my dd's been there several times.

Yes she has Mabs, I dread to think what sort of acrobatics she's up to!

Actually just got back from a day out with 90 under 7's to Portsmouth and I am SHATTERED!

Lou - I'm not even going to ask how you got involved with that at Portsmouth!! Large glass of wine time I think...

I've been to Barton Hall often (confession time here , I work for the company that owns it) and it really is totally safe and a very controlled environment . The security is great and I bet your dd is having a fab time... even if it is at the top of an abseil tower and yes, i've been up that tower too, when i can't avoid it.

sorry didn't mean that to sound like PR, just trying to be reassuring.

XAusted - where did you work , if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks for that Mabs, I do hope she is. Just not too sure about the no contact policy, although I do understand it could cause mayhem with hundreds of kids and parents calling every night!

The 'no contact rule' is down to the school, they are asked about 2 months before travel what they want. Most schools do say no contact, and I have to say it does usually work better for the kids - hellish for the parents though. Chin up

MABS - at a centre on Shropshire/Worcestershire borders. All low key activities - no sea or mountains around there! I worked for Action Centres UK, a Christian organisation with other centres in Northants and Wales.

Blimmin schools! It's not really that I want to call her as such, but want the option to. Anyway she's back friday evening, hoorah!

I think the no contact policy is a good one, if the children are 9 or ten or over. The teachers would phone you if your child was really unhappy. Some parents would be on the phone the whole time. One of the Mums of a girl in my sons class really couldnt understand that the school said kids couldnt take mobiles and kept saying, but I'll need to phone her at bedtime to make sure shes OK and the teachers had to keep saying, but we'll make sure shes OK. I'm sure its better for the kids to really have a break from their families at that age.

I agree soyabean, but there are other cicumstances surrounding my daughter which could cause her problems while she is away, which is why I wanted the option to be able to talk to her. Generally though it would be impossible if every parent was calling every night I can see that.

There was a no contact rule (except in emergency of course) when my dd aged 6 went on a 2-night school camping trip recently. The reason was that it would unsettle the children. Obviously the school would contact us if there was a problem. In fact when dd came home the first night when I was kissing her goodnight she said she wanted "Mrs *", her teacher, who had cuddled and settled her down for the past 2 nights!

I think soyabean might be right as far as your DD is concerned though lou, if there had been any upsets and she was feeling really unhappy, they probably would have contacted you, under the circs. So I'm hoping that means she's coped brilliantly!

My ds1 is on his first ever school trip in two weeks time. Hes going to a wildlife park about 15(ish)miles from Bristol. Im new to mumsnet and so glad I found this thread because I felt I must be the only over protective mother in the world.

The trip is on the 20th, the same day as a mumsnet meet up at cribbs causeway (local shopping place to north Bristol). My mother will be here for a few days and has offered to mind DS2 and let me be a parent helper. I`m torn between meeting other mums and doing a secret squirrel mission on my oldest.

Lou- did she enjoy it ? one of my colleagues was at Barton earlier this week and said everything was running well - do hope you don't tell me otherwise

Xhausted - is your partner still in the same field of outdoor ed. ?