School mystery trip - does your school have one?

[Hulababy]

DD is currently on a school trip today. It's actually a whole school trip which they do once a year (its a small school.) And the destination is a mystery beforehand. The teachers know where it is to, but the children don't - and neither do the parents.

We were told they needed a packed lunch, £2 for ice cream if they wanted to, waterproof shoes (but not wellies) and a waterproof coat (the last two due to the weather forecast!) This year we were told it was about an hour's coach ride away - in the past it has been up to 2 hours away.

We then get a text once they have set off to tell us where they are.

This was introduced 4 or 5 years ago at DD's school and they love it. There is always so much excitement about where they are going. They only find out when they arrive - seems most of the journey is spend excitedly trying to guess where it is, looking at sign posts to help them. Never had this when I was growing up but sounds fun.

Does your school do this?

No and I wish they did - it sounds such fun. Hope they've had a great day out and not got too wet.

Sounds brilliant!

They've been to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park and had a great time according to DD. Despite the rain they still spent a lot of time outside. Sounds like it wasn't quite as heavy as it has been in Sheffield, but didn't stop. They saw all the animals, got to touch snakes, etc. and got to go on the big slides lots. They just got back and DD is now tidying up before her friends come over.

In the past they have been to Chester Zoo, Forbidden Corner, some big adventure playground thing and to the seaside where they all had fish and chips and ice cream, and played on the beach and paddled in the sea.

It sounds lovely Hula!

My only concern, if we were to introduce it in my school, is that the (rather high) proportion of children on the Autistic spectrum would struggle with not knowing in advance, they really don't like surprises, but perhaps, with enough warning, it would be a surprise they could handle because they'd be expecting it?

I think a lot of parents at the DS's First School wouldn't say yes until they knew exactly where they were going. They were a bit controlling like that.

OMDB - I would like to think there would be a way round it somehow. Maybe them knowing a bit more than others a week before, or maybe parents knowing and being able to introduce them to the idea more.

Sparklingbrook - SN aside, what a shame for the children. The excitement for DD and her friends is far more in excess as the normal trips which are known about.

I know, I am only speculating though Hula. I would have signed the form straight away.

Sounds like a great idea on the whole, but DS2 has aspergers and wouldn't have coped very well with it - he would have got an idea of what it could be in his head and if the reality didn't match he wouldn't cope. DS3 needs lots of preparation for things and likes to know what to expect, I imagine if he had plenty of preparation at school and all the other kids were OK with it he would probably cope OK though.

Sounds brilliant! I think that sounds like a fab idea, although I can appreciate that it might not suit all children.

Just nice to go on trips our school won't take them anywhere

how do parents's consent to the trip if they don't know where they are going?

I personally wouldn't have a problem but I'm involved in guiding and I know the amount of admin and forms that go with taking them anywhere, surprised they are allowed to do it

Workshy - guess its just trust that the teachers are taking them somewhere ok? They have never had anyone not go in the time dd has been at the school. We give consent to it as in can you child go or not.

The health and safety and risk assessments will be the same. Patents don't see them anyway regardless of destination and if known destination or not. They don't need parents to help numbers wise as have enough internally. All staff go, evn the head.

Sounds like a great idea however due to autism it wouldn't work for mine

I would have thought that they should be flexible to be able to let a child with known anxiety/autism a way of knowing, even if it's a sealed envelope the night before. I guess though it would depend on the child, some children would promptly tell everyone, others would be able to keep the secret fine.

I don't think dd1 would have liked it. She wouldn't be classed in "anxiety" but it would have really worried her not knowing.
She likes to know what she's doing, even if it's just up the road. She's very good at keeping secrets so she would be safe to tell though.

Dd2 would have loved it. But she is regularly sick with excitement before a school trip (difficult one that! Doctor has been brilliant about it) so increasing her excitement would probably not be helpful

That sounds wonderful, as a TA in a school this would help the miserable parents who moan express their views every year about why we shouldn't do to X or Y.

That said if a child had ASD or anxiety surly they would tell where they were going to prepare them?

Ours are doing this in Y6. I think it's a great idea, and didn't consider that it might be a no-no for some, as we have no ASD at present. We do have to pay for it, though, so some might be miffed about that.