Excluded from school tour.

[SAHM39]

My daughter, 12 was told she could not attend her school tour due to her arm being in a cast. It was at a swimming pool. I offered to follow the bus and mind her while the rest were in the water - no, we can't have a parent there and she'd be bored. I offered to follow the bus and take her once they got there. No that was allowed. They said to keep her home and they would mark her present. She was very upset and they did mark her absent. My OH who is quiet calm usually has blown the lid. Last straw was marking her absent after they telling me to keep her home. He wants to go into the school. I don't think we have ever gone into the school and we have 2 grown kids too. Hopefully he'll calm. Were the school wrong in their position?

She wouldn't have been able to sit by the side and dangle her legs in the water. It would be too easy for her to get her cast splashed or to fall in.

Perhaps the school were also concerned about the playground too. It would be tempting for her to want to join in with some activities, but unable to do so safely.

It's a shame, but surely you can understand she would require additional and separate supervision and the most sensible thing would be for her to sit this trip out. It sounds as though you've already made plans for her to spend time with the friends outside school. No need to get furious and demanding meetings with the school.

I get your disappointment, OP. Badly handled by the school IMHO.
Sounds like an end of term fun trip and seems mean not to try to include your DD.
When my DS couldn't do something similar (go into water due to ear surgery) the school found a way to include him - got him involved recording scores, used him as a 'runner' to help organise and communicate between different groups, even got him to help hand out certificates etc. And of course he was there for the coach trip and lunch with his friends!
(Since when has a cast on an arm been a problem for a coach trip or a picnic lunch?)

Sorry but a kid can't go into a swimming pool with a broken arm in a cast...

Touché!

We don’t know where the OP is from as they have ignored all the posters asking that question.

In England, it would be highly irregular to have a class trip to a swimming pool. I have never seen a child with a broken limb fully clothed dangling their feet in the water at a public swimming pool either.

These replies are so bizarre! Of course she could have gone on the coach, and had fun chatting to her friends! Presumably the teachers weren't swimming, so she could have sat with them and watched. Maybe a bit dull, but if she's happy enough, what's the issue?

Likewise for the playground. The teachers must sit somewhere to supervise - she could sit with them and watch. Or they could have allowed a friend to sit out with her (or multiple friends taking it in turns).

And why would she struggle on a picnic? Her friends can help her open packets etc, or OP could have made sure she packed things that are easy to open. Her friends can help her get up and down.

At the very least school could have said that she could stay in school for the day and not made her stay at home. The marking her absent after promising not to is something I'd look into, though - possibly whoever promised it shouldn't have, or maybe it was an admin error.

@Schoolchoicesucks My oh got cross alright but we won't be doing anything. @Shinyandnew1 I'm living in UK originally from Ireland.
@FluffyHamster @JustKeepSlimming thanks for your understanding.
I do think the school could have included her as a helper of some sorts. I did offer to take the day off work to go and supervise my daughter. What's done is done. I just wanted an idea of what other schools etc do. Every child is different. Mine would be happy to cheer on her pals from the sidelines rather than be excluded totally. Other kids might get more upset not being able to join in. Each to their own.

So you’re actually in the UK, op?
So much for all the “Do the Irish really take schoolchildren to the swimming pool for a treat?! We don’t do that here” nonsense.

😂😂😂😂

I worked in childcare and I remember when we had a child with their arm in plaster with a broken arm. They were allowed to play: running around playing tag, playing on the playground equipment. A plaster cast is pretty sturdy and protects the injured limb.

Sure it’s not waterproof but a bit of splashed water wouldn’t melt it. Also, it’s not hard to cover with plastic wrap. That’s how I managed to have a shower with a cast on my leg.

Do you think the Op’s dd is going to avoid washing for 6 weeks? Also, she is 12 yrs old, not a toddler. It is likely that she is capable of being careful not to fall in.

Childcare is 0-5 long daycare. I think you call it nursery in the UK.

Of course she can wash! And when she's with parents, they can figure out how she can manage on play equipment. Childcare ratios are much smaller than on a secondary school trip and the equipment likely much lower. If the school (and likely the pool) have risk assessed that she wouldn't be able to participate if I was the parent I'd be coming up with something else fun to do on that day rather than going all "it's not fair"

0-5 year olds are far less independent than 12 year olds so of course there is a smaller ratio. However, for children over the age of 3 the ratio was 1:15 or part thereof.

If I had 15 kinder kids (3-5 yr olds) I was on my own. Also, some of the climbing equipment such as the fort was quite high. In fact, the fort was exactly the same size as the fort at my dd’s school. Comparing to my dd’s school, her class size is 20 children (1:20 ratio). That’s just 5 more children who don’t need the same level of assistance with toilet, nap time, getting dressed, communicating, taking turns, sharing, packing up etc.

Op’s dd is 12. Just because she has a cast on her arm doesn’t mean she suddenly becomes incapable or in need of extra supervision.

I am blown away with how some pp underestimate children’s capabilities.

Also, inclusive practices are important. My cousin had a disability. He had a leg brace. A number of times he needed surgery on his leg (as he grew) and was in a cast. He would have missed out on a lot and been excluded from many childhood experiences if we had the same attitude as many people on this thread. Thankfully, he was treated like everyone else and included.

I can't see any reason why she couldn't have gone on the trip. Very mean of the school to exclude her and totally unnecessary. I'm not surprised you're upset.

Gosh that seems very over the top from the school. Not inclusive at all. A 12 yr old isn’t a 5 yr old, if they say they’re happy to watch from the sidelines then why not let them.

My DD broke her wrist when she was 12 and school was happy for her to participate in everything she felt able to. Including swimming! I’m in Australia and we pretty routinely use waterproof casts once the initial swelling has gone down. You can’t go to the beach to stop sand getting inside the cast but pools are fine.

Not inclusive at all.

Indeed. Inclusion when planning trips is important, which is why planning a whole class swimming trip for 12 year olds is an unusual choice-my kids have never gone on a school swimming ‘trip’. You’d be bound to have one with a limb in plaster, several with their period who don’t want to swim, some who have just had their ears pierced and don’t want to get them wet etc etc!

This just seems really mean of the school. It clearly wouldn't have been difficult for dd to be included if she wanted to be.

I'm in Ireland and DD's class have just gone to a swimming pool/water park as part of their school tour. There were also other activities elsewhere, McDonalds etc. A couple of the children didn't go into the pool for one reason or another. They stayed sitting with the teachers, chatted amongst themseves, one of two brought books, it was all fine and they were happy to be part of the day even if the swimming part wasn't for them. I think the school was wrong not to allow it, particularly as you said you could take /supervise her while the others were in the pool. Marking her absent wasn't on either imo, as she wasn't allowed on the trip. I would have a quiet word with the school.

Thanks everyone, my dd is good and some of her classmates brought her back gifts of their own accord. I do think inclusion is the bigger picture. This wasn't fair and I feel better advised after this discussion on what to do if I ever find myself in this situation again. Also, if I ever see another child experiencing this I'll be ready. I'm not good at explaining myself and normally just go with the flow. It should depend on the child. Like I said mine would have cheered on her classmates, another child may have been upset and better off not going. It's done now anyway 🤗