School day out - 300km coach trip!

[Bonsoir]

I want to canvass opinions - DD (7 - Year 4) has brought home an authorisation form for a school outing next Thursday that involves a 300km round trip. The outing is to an open air "museum" about pre-history. Frankly, I am not happy about a 300km round trip in a day and there are absolutely masses of fascinating museums and places of historic interest within a radius of 20km that the children haven't been to. AIBU?

Thanks!

How long would it take to travel?

I think anything over an hour travelling becomes pointless unless they travel outside of school time.

It's a 150km coach trip each way - it will take about 3 hours, by the time they have got out of Paris etc.

How can she be 7 and in yr4?

Because she's at school in France and children are grouped by calendar year ie from 1 January to 31 December. DD was born in November. She would be Y3 in England.

I've recently spent 1 hour on a coach with a group of year 4s and that's as long as I could cope with. I think three hours would test everyone's patients.

Is she going to Guise?

Lucky,, I should say. They are broadening her horizons and teaching her something. Coach journeys are always part of the fun. Also, we live in a remote corner and this is really not very far. I have done 4 hours each way. Children cope.

Her horizons are a lot broader than 6 hours in a coach .

No, not guise.

When in year 3 went on a similar distance trip they stayed overnight at a youth hostel.

I accompanied a school trip that took two hours each way.
Going was fine, actually, but coming home was horrendous.

Does seem a long way, certainly. I would think it only reasonable if it were to a fabulous place that would give them experiences that nowhere nearer could.

That said, what are you proposing to do? Keep her off from the trip? In which case she really would be getting nothing from it, or are you hoping to persuade the school to go somewhere closer to home?

Bonsoir I think you're right to be a little concerned. Personally, I loathe these trips that are less about the destination and more about adventures in transport. Also, I guarantee you that there will be delays in a trip of this nature. There will be about 20 minutes at the historical site and then a long boring, hot, fume-y bus ride back. It's too bloody far away!

That's crazy, far too long on a coach and I wouldn't be happy. Do other parents agree?

So about 90 miles each way?
DD's school took the whole school (Yr - Y6)on a day trip last summer which was about 95 miles away. The girls had a great time and no one was worried about the distance. Every child went. But then DD has been to London for a day trip with school too - which is much further, and over 2 hours on the train each way. The school day is extended on such trips though as they tend to leave around 8:30am (normal start time) and don't return home til about 6-6:30pm, sometimes later.

I guess it depends on why they have chosen a particular place and if the distance is worth it for the specific activities offered there.

I guess Paris traffic may make the times much longer but assume the teachers must have good reasons for selecting the location they have?