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Original poster

Should London School Trip be cancelled now

62 replies

Webaz999 · 04/06/2017 06:55

My daughter has a 3 day school trip to London within the next 2 weeks. The head teacher has refused to cancel it due to recent terror attacks. However I am so worried sick about DD going. Especially now after last night's attack on London Bridge. After the last attack I spoke to the head teacher about my concerns and he made me feel as though I was the only parent that had contacted him and the trip was still going ahead. Obviously I haven't heard his view on this most recent attack as DD is not back to school yet following half term, if he still doesn't cancel the trip I don't know if I should let her go. I would love to hear others thoughts on this subject? Just to add, we live 5 hours from London in a rural setting so we are not used to the city.

OP posts:

Chottie · 04/06/2017 06:58

I agree with the head teacher.

I live in outer London and I will continue travelling in and out of London, as will my DH and other members of my family.

DoctorDonnaNoble · 04/06/2017 06:58

School trips have very stringent risk assessments. Any decision the head takes will be based on advice from local authority (it is for us even though an academy).
Personally, I would still send my child.

ohgoshIdontknow · 04/06/2017 07:02

I live and work in central London and this won't stop me at all.

Blinkyblink · 04/06/2017 07:08

You've posted before on this, haven't you.

Look, just make up your mind. It's horrific what's happened and your first thought is "oh I'll repost my mumsnet threat as now there's been an update".

Ifailed · 04/06/2017 07:11

Your daughter is more likely to die in a routine car journey, which has been pointed out before. Have you stopped her travelling in one?

hesterton · 04/06/2017 07:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SavoyCabbage · 04/06/2017 07:15

Don't send her then. Why do you want the whole trip cancelled? She's your daughter so if you feel the risk of her going to London is too great then it's up to you to stop her from going.

Fairylea · 04/06/2017 07:19

Personally I wouldn't send her. I live very rurally and if there wasn't a desperate need for me to travel to London I wouldn't go. Not at the moment. I just wouldn't feel safe. (And I say that as someonw who has lived in London for 26 years previously).

You will get people telling you that you need to be brave and carry on etc but you have to listen to yourself and work out what you feel comfortable with.

Original poster

Webaz999 · 04/06/2017 07:49

Thank you for your comments, yes blink blink I have posted on this subject before, however since then I had decided to fight my own anxieties and let her go on the trip. However now that this awful attach has just happened, I just wanted to see If people would still have the same viewpoint as they did last time I posted. I didn't realise you are only allowed to post once.

OP posts:

CaulkheadUpNorf · 04/06/2017 07:52

I imagine children will still continue to live, go to school, walk around in London because they live there...

Upabovetheworldsohigh · 04/06/2017 07:57

You need to put it in perspective - there were 15000 people at the Ariana concert plus the parents picking up - even if your dd was actually at the concert the chances of her being physically harmed are v v low.
Last night hundreds of thousands of people would have been within half a mile of the incident and only a 50? Got injured or killed
Even if she were in London when an attack happened the over whekming likelyhood would be that she wouldn't even be disrupted from her activities, but might be subjected to a bit of travel disruption.
She really does stand more chance of being killed in or by a car or cancer.

Upabovetheworldsohigh · 04/06/2017 07:59

Having said that - I think it's perfectly fine if you want to pull her out of the trip. You are her parent and you should do what you think best. But it would set an awful precedent for her and she would definitely miss out. Do you want her to have the same anxieties as you?

peukpokicuzo · 04/06/2017 08:00

The answer doesn't change with a further attack.
》your dd is more likely to be killed crossing the road than injured in a terrorist attack. The attack is in the news because it is so rare but was way more people die every single day in the course of normal banal activities.
》 you are more likely to win the lottery than to be killed by a terrorist
》if terrorism stops us from living our normal lives the terrorists win.

WinnieFosterTether · 04/06/2017 08:04

If you're concerned, don't send her. There's no need for the trip to be cancelled simply on your fears.
If you have anxiety, then discuss with your GP how you can manage it best in relation to your DCs.
I don't have an opinion on whether you should send her or not. Children continuing to go to school in London is irrelevant when you've chosen a completely different life for your family.

Frazzled2207 · 04/06/2017 08:04

I don't think it's unreasonable for you to not want her to go but I think it's the Head's call whether or not it should go ahead.
Your dd's travel to and from London would be far riskier than than the chance of getting caught up in something like happened last night.
And as PP have said, there are a lot of children in London and by and large the vast majority will be carrying on living their lives as usual.

Groovee · 04/06/2017 08:05

My daughter has a trip from tomorrow. She's determined she's going! I'll worry like nothing else until she's back home.

se22mother · 04/06/2017 08:07

Children live in London, and will continue to go about their daily routine

Bloosh · 04/06/2017 08:08

My instinct is generally to avoid places and restrict what I do. But in reality I just carry on doing whatever it is that I want to do. For example, after the Paris attacks I wondered why anyone would go to that city, but then I ended up booking Disneyland tickets for my kids. We had a wonderful few days there including going to all the sites in central Paris. Today I've woken up to the horrible news and immediately thought I want to stay out of London for the time being. But again if there's something I want to do there I will probably go anyway.

So I think it's normal to feel afraid. But in the end it's easier and more fulfilling to just live your life, accepting the anxiety that comes with doing that but not letting it rule your decisions.

UsedToBeAPaxmanFan · 04/06/2017 08:08

peukpokicuzo has summed it up perfectly.

OP, only you and your dh can decide what is right for your daughter but if I was in your position I would absolutely send her.

My 18 year old ds was in London yesterday at a gig in East London. So nowhere near London Bridge. Was I worried about him? Not at all. I knew he wasn't in that area, and that there are 8 million people in London so the chances of anyone I knew being involved in this atrocity was tiny.

You need to get things into perspective OP.

forfuckssakenet · 04/06/2017 08:09

Telling the poor OP to just 'make up her mind' is ridiculous. She has quite clearly stated that she is struggling and looking for help to do just that.

OP I sympathise completely. I believe in carrying on as normal but, like you, would be hesitant. You may have been the only person wobbling last time but I don't think that will be the case now. What I do know is that the teaching staff will do everything in their power to keep your DD safe. I wish you the best of luck coming to a decision you are happy with.

NormaSmuff · 04/06/2017 08:12

My dd lives in london, goes to uni. i want to get in a car and bring her home, but in the cold light of day, life goes on,

YogiYoni · 04/06/2017 08:14

If you don't want her to go, don't send her, but don't blame the headteacher. This is your decision to make - for your daughter, not for the whole school.

ginsparkles · 04/06/2017 08:23

Rationally I get all the life goes on. But I wouldn't choose to send my daughter to a major city on a school trip at the moment. I do feel there may be difference between a school trip to London and children in schools in London. These crazy folk seem to mainly be targeting touristy places. Children in school in London are not visiting the tourist hot spots, this school visit no doubt would be.

Have you spoken to other parents? Are any of them also concerned? If so I would present a more united front with your concerns to the head. If your a lone voice, then just make a decision with your daughter about what you feel comfortable with.

Oblomov17 · 04/06/2017 08:24

The consensus so far is the that people don't have the same view as you. This should tell you something.

dangerrabbit · 04/06/2017 08:27

Why not take your child off the trip if it is something that bothers you.

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