How much communication is normal on residential trips?

[LadyCrazyCatLady]

My DC has been away on a school residential since midday yesterday. Thus far, we have had no pictures/emails/texts or any updates at all.

When my 2 friend's DCs (2 different schools) went on their residentials, the parents received regular updates in the form of pictures on the school FB pages or texts for example to say that they'd arrived safely. We have had nothing.

Is this normal or something worth mentioning to the school to politely request some updates?

I expect the lack of updates is because the teachers are very busy ensuring the kids have an amazing experience, so I'm not sure whether it's a reasonable 'ask', but it's DD's first time away from us and she was very anxious - a photo of her smiling and doing an activity would really help us stop worrying.

Sit tight. We got bugger all. Some pics emerged on social media eventually. Have you checked their socials?

I don't want to admit to how many times I've checked their social media today 🙈

if It’s a primary school I’d expect at group level eg via school website. For Secondary I would not expect communication at all.

It's Y6, primary school.

My DS went on his year 6 trip. We got a short message at the end of each day - including on the first day to say they had arrived safely. They came via our usual school email/messaging system.

I would say, with my DC having done least half a dozen residentials between them now - no news is good news. I'm sure she's having a blast 🙂

We got 1-2 pics a day from y6 residential

That should say 'went on his year 6 trip recently'.

Thank you. I keep telling myself that no news is good news.

Nope we had a couple of pictures on Twitter quite late on, ds wasn't in either. I worked on the assumption that no news is good news and that the staff were working hard looking after my child rather than fiddling around on their phones giving me a blow by blow account of the trip.

We got very little but that’s because where they stayed had a rubbish signal. We did get an arrived safely message and another to confirm pick up time.
My ds attends scouts and we usually get nothing on those trips again it’s due to poor signal.

IME it’s zero, we don’t hear anything from drop off to collection unless there is a problem. Primary or secondary. Kids obviously aren’t allowed phones either so incommunicado. It’s part of the point of being away I think.

We do get pictures when they get back.

We usually get a quick email to say ‘got here and everyone having fun’ or a group photo.

It depends what they’re doing - sometimes as the teacher you don’t actually have 5 minutes to find WiFi/enough signal to send the pictures back to school (we don’t have access to the school SM account). Especially the first night when they refuse to go to sleep.
She will be fine. If anything was wrong they’d be straight in touch.

Teacher here and residential sites are notorious for having terrible reception and poor WiFi. A message via school should have been sent by now but photos are sometimes impossible to upload!

I think even a message saying "We've all arrived safely and are having fun" might put my mind at ease a bit, but then if they hadn't arrived safely, I expect we'd have heard by now!

DD was anxious and reluctant to go and I gave her a pep talk about how I knew she was strong, capable and independent enough to handle it and that, if there were any problems, the school would ring and I'd be straight there.

I should have given myself that pep talk!

Our primary used to send pics of the children but then there were worries/complaints if it was not fair across the board was too much.

now there is one or two generic photo updates a day nothing with any individual children.

if there was anything you would be rung, general homesickness they can deal with

All my school sends is in relation to the arrival time back at school.

So normal in my experience.

I would welcome no communication. So bloody sick of school emails.

We are getting daily pictures and videos (prep school, 5 day residential)

We got a 'arrived safely' and maybe one lot of pics that's it. Assume that unless you hear something specific that they are all having a great time!

I would expect no updates

I feel old. We never heard a thing apart from an 'arrived safely' which was sent to one parent and a phone call 'tree' system ensured that everyone heard they were there.
The same tree worked at the other end, letting us know if the estimated arrival time back at school. In between there was nothing. Loved the late '90s!

I feel for teachers on residentials now. It's full on enough without having to be taking photos, going on social media, and reassuring anxious parents on top of everything else.

Rubbish signal often means that teachers are unable to send updates. There'll be a landline at the residential centre so if there are any actual problems they'll be able to ring you.

Terrible wifi, mobile reception, hands full with 30 / 60 / 90 kids.
It never used to be a thing: I think it's interesting how much more anxious many parents are now.