Booster seat on coach for reception school trip?

[Maybeitsok]

My just turned 5 year old is going on a school trip soon via busy dual carriageway to another city, journey time approx 45 min each way. They are still in a rear facing car seat with me, which is all they know, and how they will continue until they outgrow it at 36kg or 125cm tall. They’re currently only 16kg and 107cm!

Anyway, I was reluctant to let them go on the coach but have decided to do so but with a booster seat, so I’ve bought a carry on portable one that’ll be easy enough to use.

Thing is, they’ve asked if it’s just them that’ll have this kind of seat, and it probably will be, since people aren’t that clued up on car seat safety it seems.

Has anyone else sent their 4/5 year old with a booster before? I’m fearful they’ll be ridiculed but then again not sure considering their age. Safety first in my opinion, but want them
happy too.

And who is going to carry the booster seat around all day whilst the kids are on the school trip, Will your child be doing that?
Most coaches don’t wait around all day, they have other jobs to do so the chances of the same coach collecting the children at the end of the day is slim.
If the booster seat is left on the coach I guarantee you’ll never see it again.

Ours have always left them on the coach, it's always been fine.

So leave the seat belt off

I’m cringing for you a bit with your line about being hot on car safety op! I think also because it’s clear you are basing your reasoning here on car safety. And this isn’t a car your child will be riding in. Have you researched coach safety? And make your decision based in proportion to the level of actual risk? I say this as someone who rear faced their kids til 5. I think you are overthinking this.

:-)

It's a really interesting one and, despite rear facing my children at 4, not something I ever considered on a coach. It's one of those things though that if every parent wanted to do would become really quite problematic. I know that's not a reason not to do something but it's just an interesting thing to ponder. Perhaps trips for Reception children just wouldn't happen anymore.

This is one of these scenarios where one option being safer does not render the other option “risky”.

I don’t have advice regarding the booster, but understand your predicament. I have a 6.5 year old who is still rear facing in our car - she only went on the coach for a school trip for the first time last month. Previously I would just drive her myself and meet them to drop her off / collect her. None of her friends commented at all and she wasn’t bothered, so no missing out. If your little one doesn’t mind, I’d say just driving yourself is the easiest option, but appreciate it’s a tricky choice.

I think you are massively overestimating how dangerous a coach trip is. And I get it, I really do. I have anxiety and I am also a big advocate of ERF. My son is 4 and will be rear facing until he maxes out his Axkid. I was worried about him going on a coach with this reception class at Christmas, but I knew it was my anxiety talking and I cannot let my anxiety get in the way of his life. There will be many, many things my son wants to do as he gets older which I will feel anxious about but I am determined to never let that anxiety shine through and wave him off with a smile. Your child will be fine OP.

My DD has the axkid minikid so I know where you're coming from. But I'd still let her go on a school trip once a year without a car seat because the risk of serious injury from this is likely less than the risk she has travelling in my car. Accidents from coaches are extremely rare and when they do happen, those on the coach are far less likely to be injured due to the size of the coach.

If it was an every day journey I'd be very uncomfortable with it. But once a year it's a risk I'm okay with and DD gets a lot out of the experience.

"it was okay", is that because the coach didn't crash?

A double decker school bus crashed not that long ago and several children (of secondary age), suffered injuries, fortunately no fatalities. The bus overturned and I'd dread to think how many would have been killed if they were as young and as small as 4yr olds.

We sent our reception aged daughter with a booster seat, school were fine with it and she didn’t think anything of it. She is very small for her age and although they had adjustable car seats, I was more comfortable with the extra safety.

I don't think it would be. At reception it's a 1 to 3 ratio for school trips (or at least at our school). After I started sending my kids with a booster 💺 they did put on the letters home "the coach is fitted with a 3 point seat belt, parent's are free to send booster seats". After parents saw the photos of the kids on the coach more parenting did send in seats. It takes no longer to fasten a kid on to a booster than to fasten the seatbelt yat that age you do need to fasten them for them more often than not.

Your risk perception is wrong OP. It isn't a huge risk to put a child on a coach without a booster. This is because the likelihood of a coach crash is statistically lower, added to which the likelihood of needing protection from a belt/seat is lower than a car.

The booster may make her 1-5% safer. That doesn't mean no booster is not at all safe.

Surely the School or coach company have done a risk assessment regarding the use of seatbelts by small children on this particular coach?

Unless I am reading the government site wrong your kid doesn’t have to by law be in a rear facing seat. So just let your kid be a kid and sit in the bus the same as their friends and go on a trip. The overworrying is a bit far.

Using a child car seat or booster seat
Children must normally use a child car seat until they’re 12 years old or 135 centimetres tall, whichever comes first.
Children over 12 or more than 135cm tall must wear a seat belt.
You can choose a child car seat based on your child’s height or weight.
Height-based seats
Height-based seats are known as ‘i-Size’ seats. They must be rear-facing until your child is over 15 months old. Your child can use a forward-facing child car seat when they’re over 15 months old.
You must check the seat to make sure it’s suitable for the height of your child.
Only EU-approved height-based child car seats can be used in the UK. These have a label showing a capital ‘E’ in a circle and ‘R129’.
Weight-based seats
The seat your child can use (and the way they must be restrained in it) depends on their weight.
Only EU-approved weight-based child car seats can be used in the UK. These have a label showing a capital ‘E’ in a circle and ‘ECE R44’.
You may be able to choose from more than one type of seat in the group for your child’s weight.

GroupSeats
0kg to 10kg
0
Lie-flat or ‘lateral’ baby carrier, rear-facing baby carrier, or rear-facing baby seat using a harness
0kg to 13kg
0+
Rear-facing baby carrier or rear-facing baby seat using a harness
9kg to 18kg
1
Rear- or forward-facing baby seat using a harness or safety shield
15kg to 25kg
2
Rear- or forward-facing child car seat (high-backed booster seat or booster cushion) using a seat belt, harness or safety shield
22kg to 36kg
3
Rear- or forward-facin

I was wondering this. Sometimes the coaches go off on another job and then come back to pick the children up. You might not be able to leave it on the coach.

The law is backwards here, and dangerous.

see below.

axkid.com/uk/child-safety-report-2025/

Make sure you put an air tag in your kids pocket too. Oh and get some cotton wool to wrap them in. Seriously, it’s a school trip, don’t be that parent.

They’ve just turned 5, don’t be ridiculous.

But it’s the law and an article doesn’t make it necessary for a five year old to be in a rear facing seat. I don’t know of ANy child over two that is. Their poor little legs would be so so so squished.

It might not take longer to fasten them but they would have to be carried on to the coach, matched to the right child then carried off at the end and returned to the right parent. It's bad enough getting all the children safely off the coach and handed over at the end. It's such a lot of extra stress that it negate the value of the trip itself. There would be a lot fewer trips taking place. Also, we never had 1 adult per 3 children and that still would not be enough hands to carry the seats and take care of the children.

But it’s ridiculous - coaches are the safest mode of transport by far. So you actively preferred to put your child in danger by driving her in your tiny car! https://www.pacts.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/PACTS-What-kills-most-on-the-roads-Report-15.0.pdf

Mine were in ERF for far longer than their friends so would call myself ‘hot on car seat safety’ too.

However, schools risk assess everything for school trips and booster seats didn’t feature, so I was happy it had been considered.

Statistically coaches are far safer than a car so I was happy on the risk of probability for them to have no car seat.

It never even occurred to me to consider driving them myself, the coach is all part of the fun!

I’m not even going to dignify this with anything further than this comment.

Do your research. Better breaking legs than necks.