consent for school trips

[3duracellbunnies]

AIBU to not want to sign a form giving blanket consent to take my child on unspecified school trips for the whole school year (with the exception of residential ones). I can see from the school's perspective that it is a PITA if they have to get consent from every parent every time they want to go to a shop to demonstrate how to spend money, or to library etc, but I would still rather have that control than be told that I had already consented to something that I didn't want my 5yr old to do. It's not a specific trip etc that I object to (as there aren't any iminent, as far as I know) but the principal of blanket conset.

I will speak to the school. I think partly it is the lack of consultation on this, it is a change in policy just put in the small print of a medical form, rather than being explained to parents. The form has changed, and previously any trip large or small required specific consent. In the three years that dd1 has been there they have only been on local 'walking' trips twice, compared to many further away trips(as they do have lots of facilities in the school grounds, and the school obviously have found it is too much hasssle to march them up hills regularly), which is why I thought it was more for all trips not just local ones. And yes I know some of you will point the finger at people like me refusing consent, but I have never refused consent for local trips or complained about them, neither has anyone I know. My original point was actually that I can see why they don't want lots of forms for local trips, but I still want to be properly informed if they are going further away.

Having said that this discussion has made me realise that I would want to know (we get enough irrelevant parentmail anyway) if my child has after lunch walked over a mile to a place, over a mile back again and then I expected to walk them over a mile back to the place that they first thought of for an afterschool sports club and then half a mile home (which we regularly do). I expect them to be able to walk over a mile up and down hills after school and have the energy to run around and get home, but four miles in an afternoon and an after school activity would lead to grumbles(at least if i didn't bring extra food). Going outside the gates to count cars/butterflies/bricks would not bother me.

I am not wanting to stop my children doing things, I just want to make sure that we are properly informed, but it seems as if schools who already have this policy do still gain further consent for major trips so that is reassuring. I will talk to the school about informing us if they have walked a long way, at least in the infant school and about clarifying what we need to do if we ever did have a problem with a trip to a local (or not local) stripclub or similar. Thanks.

It is entirely possible that they have only done a couple of local trips in the past as it really isn't worth the chasing the permission slips. With the type of consent I bet they will plan more of them.
Tbh at the end of the day it's up to you if you want to cause a fuss about this. A lot of people have told you why it's easier and few of us really get what you're worried about.

Agree with everyone else - this is so they can stand outside the gates and count cars and lorries when they are doing tallying in maths, or put a foot over the perimeter when collecting leaves or conkers or acorns when doing their Autumn Project, not to take them off on a coach journey. At those times, they need to get the money in to cover the cost of transport - you'll know all about it then.
You need to trust the staff at the school.