Is this normal from Preschool?

[Sandra2013]

My son's preschool has a theatre trip coming up and teacher said usually parents go with the younger ones.

My husband is working and cannot take a day off during that day. I have a baby and no babysitter.

Both of our families live abroad and we have relocated not so long ago so don't have friends around here. And I cannot just hand over my baby to someone I don't know or trust.

I feel that my son is missing alot of stuff just because his parents cannot take him around during the day.

Shouldn't this be a job for the school? After all we have paid for all these trips in advance.

We always ask parents to come on trips because of safety issues with roads and transport and most parents quite like to come with their LO's. However if parents really cant come staff are able to look after children at the venue but we never put children in our cars.

So I would recommend you ask the staff if someone can look after him and then either you drop him off and pick him up or ask another parent to take him.

Good luck and I hope they support you

I would think it has to do with ratio's. Many schools/preschools have a 1:3 ratio for trips out.

It will be ratios however it should not mean that a child misses out because their parents can't go. They can ask for volunteers of course but should have people in place before announcing/setting the trip in stone.

How did you pay for the trip in advance? Do you mean, it's a "free" trip so you feel it's come out of fees that you paid? Or did the LEA pay them? how old is your DS, if I my ask?

Ask the staff, I couldn't make a couple of trips either and the school said they were happy to cover. It's just that they do need the majority of parents to help otherwise they won't have enough helpers.

HTH

Pre school has a theatre trip this term. We were asked if we wanted to go along to help, but it isn't essential. Are you sure you've read the message correctly? I've just posted a message asking what a letter from school means!

When preschool started in September we were told they would be doing different kind of trips and they need a payment of £XX to cover them.
Which we paid.

Children are taken to these places by bus so transport is not a problem.

My son is 3 years old.
It's not that I wouldn't like to come and help, it's just not easy to organise.

That sounds pants. They should have made it clear that you had to accompany or not asked you to pay.

Unless maybe it's an average payment to cover X many or more of the Y many trips they take?