Residential school trip for 6 year olds

[Salskey]

My ds3 (yr1) came home from school with a letter offering his yr grp the opportunity to go on a 2 day residential trip, next march. My ds would still be 6. The head and teachers gathered all the yr in the hall and proceeded to 'sell' the trip to the dc, showing them the fun activities they could do and saying the teachers will be your pretend mums for 2 days! All the kids including my ds are so excited but lots of the parents are annoyed that school didn't talk to the parents first. The ratio will be 1 to 5 but lots of our dc haven't slept out before and some including mine still love sneaking into our bed each night. I don't think my ds would cope, I feel he's too young. Am I being unreasonable? Oh and it's £100 ;)

I don't think you're BU in that the school should have briefed/tested the water with parents first (especially at a cost of £100!) But, it's nearly a year until next March so you are perhaps worrying a little unnecessarily about your child coping. My DS (aged 6) has just returned from his residential trip and he enjoyed every minute (it's a fantastic opportunity for them and it's extremely safe and well organised). I missed him and I did worry a little as all mums do (he also climbs in our bed for a cuddle each morning) but he was on such a high when he returned. It's good on all levels - educational, social, emotional, physical. My main concern from your perspective would be the cost! My son's was just £46!

NatashaB - yes, teachers would deal with issues such as bed wetting just as they would any other problems/issues that arise. The other residential trip is Year 6 for two days.

I am not in the Uk, but lots of nursery schools here in Milan take the older children (5 and 6) yrs old on residential trips, which are very popular and generally loved by both the children and the teachers.
I understand your concerns, as at that age my dc both only slept with us or their grandparents, but you have nearly one yr ahead to decide if your son is ready or not. It is lovely, imo, tht your son got so excited by the prospect of such a new experience.

I'm probably worrying as my ds1 went on a residential in yr 4 and told me he cried himself to sleep because he missed us. By the end of the trip he said he enjoyed it on the whole but wouldn't be going back again in a hurry (and he was a very mature 9 year old)

I've heard mention on MN before now of overnights done in Reception year! That's right, taking 4 & 5 year olds away for the night - utter madness!!

My Reception DD is getting her first school trip in July, going to a farm 20 miles away for the day - and even then I'm on tenterhooks (PFB )

All children are different - I guess my DS3 was so relaxed about it because he has older brothers (12 and 11) who regularly have sleep overs and he wants to be 'grown up' like them. If he'd been very anxious about the trip I'd have tried to reassure him and encourage him but wouldn't have forced him to go. I think you should see how it goes between now and March and make a decision then. Only you know your own child and, obviously, cost is an issue too. My two older sons are in same year at high school and are both off to France in July for a week - I panic about coach crashes etc but have to give myself a talking to!! They are really excited and deep down I know they'll be absolutely fine

Rainbows can do overnight sleepovers can't they from 5?

Certainly from 7 brownies go on pack holidays.

I did a weeks camp in yr3 with school, don't remember it being a problem.

Of course the staff on the trip will do wet bed checks/more pastoral care than you can shake a stick at.

Key thing here is your dc WANTS to go. I think adventures (in a safe, controlled way) should be encouraged. If you can afford it let him go!

The cost isn't really an issue, my poor friend has twins!
The head has arranged a meeting tomorrow (better late than never) and I'm sure loads of questions will be answered then.x

Salskey:

Yep - absolutely know where you're coming from because the exact same thing happened to us at end of Y3 for a trip in early Y4 (cost £150).

I think it is incredibly jaded of schools to hard sell a trip in front of children.

Our school had a power point to music with images and film footage of extraordinarily happy children on the previous years' trip and the person presenting it finished by asking the children 'Do you want to go on the trip of your life?" and of course they said yes and then the teacher said "I can't hear you children - shout loud for your Mummies and Daddies - Do you want to go on the trip of your life?"

Not sure about 6 - that can be really young.

I don't agree with checking with the parents first. If you start down that line then you'll end up with the parents arguing and blaming each other etc.

But I think year 1 is too young to take a class. Some children would cope fine, others wouldn't.
Round here year 4 ones are becoming popular, and I'm not convinced it's a good thing.

The cost sounds perfectly reasonable having spent nearly £300 on a 5 day/4 night one this year and (probably) having a £200, 3 night one next year . At least I didn't have both going the same year which some parent have.

My issue would be that some children are not mature enough in Y1 and that has an affect on the other children.

I really don't see the need to offer a residential trip so young. My DSs 6&4 have had sleepovers at friends but that is totally different, its just adding 1 or 2 children to a house that is geared up for children and its when we choose it to be.

It puts parents in a really awkward position of not being able to say no as the children will feel extremely left out.

Well my dh went the meeting and the head started by apologising for not speaking to us first. She answered loads of questions and said she has been taking children away for the past 18 years (in her previous school) and everyone loved it. They take a car just incase anyone is upset and they will bring them home! She said they will take a child who's unsure so will go for a day and then after dinner she will ask if they are ready to go home and they say no I want to stay! Every teacher goes so it's 1-4 and they bring in supply teachers for the other yr,s. Dh was so impressed he paid the deposit and said ds can go. I still think he's too young, its like society wants little ones to hurry and be independent when they have years to achieve this. But if they can promise us they will bring him home if he's upset or ask us to collect him I will agree to let him go.
We also have 3 sets of twins in the yr and school are paying for 3 of them which I thought was nice.

It seems that the school is really thinking it through and trying to make this work. Given that your DS is keen to go I would let him go. I do find it really expensive though.

Peppa Pig went away with school on a camping trip with Madam Gazelle when Peppa was only 4. And the children slept two to a tent, and sang the bing bong song together when one felt homesick. They seemed to cope just fine. :o

Salskey, my DS2 went away for 4 nights when he was 4. He is autistic and all of the 12 DC had SN, some quite severe and non verbal. They went on the beach and on a boat trip. Nobody drowned. They had a 1:2 staff ratio, admittedly, but they had 1:4 in school. It will be fine, they'll love it!

Thanks everyone :o he's so excited as they will be building dens and going on a midnight walk with torches!

Schools here usually start with a sleepover at school in year 3, 2 nights camping locally in year 4, 3 nights further in year 5, and 5 nights in year 6. Most kids also do Beaver, Cub, Brownie trips and friends sleepovers.

DD's school does this at the end of Year 2 before they move to the Junior School. It is something the children know from Reception that the Year 2s do and it is seen as a "right of passage" and very much looked forward to by most of the children. As it is at the end of the year, most of the children will be 7, but some will still be 6. It is only for 2 nights and it is at a centre about 20 mins away from the school. They have the centre all to themselves and do not share with anyone else.

DD will also be off on her first Brownie camp in August (still aged 7) so a busy year for stretching her independence.