School RE Trip

[DillyDallyingAllDay]

Hello all,

I hope someone can give me some guidance on this issue that has come up with my childs school. The school make us sign a blanket trip consent form that covers all trips within the city limits. However, they seem to think its not important to actually tell us when and where the children are being taken- usually its places the children can walk to, because if a coach is involved we have to pay and thus, are informed that the trip is happening. Does this sound right? To me it seems like a safeguarding risk that I'm not even aware where my child will physically be during the day?

If it's somewhere walking distance then that's fairly normal.
They can't be going far.

That seems odd. We always ask for consent for any trips.

I think it's ok, it's not something I would be worried about, unless they didn't have the right clothes with them for walking about.

Yes this is normal.

they get you to sign a blanket consent for short trips out to the local area because then it’s easy to take them out and about.

it’s a good thing. Means they can go to the local church/mosque/etc without shitloads of extra paperwork, also they can do nature walks or walks out to look at types of houses or local historical landmarks.

completely normal.

It sounds unusual but I don’t get why it’s a safeguarding risk?

We sign a consent form like this at the start of the school year, but we’re always told a few days beforehand if they’re going somewhere.

The school has got this wrong. You can hardly give informed consent if you don’t actually know what you’re consenting to. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Failing to see a problem

I am failing to see how this is a safeguarding risk or how this would be a problem.

Unless you go into school and go through the RA for any trip you are informed about beforehand, why would you feel you not knowing they are popping out to do a traffic survey or look at some architecture is suddenly a safeguarding issue ?

It’s normal. Schools are not obliged to tell parents if they go offsite during school hours. They do not need your consent, and the fact that they ask for it at the beginning of the year is just for information and out of courtesy.

Where do you get safeguarding risks from?

Very normal ime for short, local, walkable trips. To church for harvest festival. To local library on world book day. Walk around the park collecting leaves. It also covers things like learning to cross the road. Schools do tend to mention something planned for the next week or so. If you are worried about safeguarding, the kids are safer out and about than in school as ratio of adults to children is better. But going to school is part of the gradual letting go of total child control.

What is the risk as you perceive it? How is it more risky simply because they haven’t specifically asked for your permission?
School will still have done all the necessary risk assessments and made sure the adult:child ratio is correct.
We have a blanket permission form for short, walking trips within the local vicinity. It’s very common.

When my daughter was at primary (now 17 so not that long ago) they would sometimes walk to the library (5 minutes up the road), walk to the park to draw trees or collect leaves for art projects, stand (safely) by the main road to do traffic surveys, walk to the corner shop to purchase ingredients for a cooking session (usually just a few kids - not the whole class), walk to the sister school (15 minute walk away) for a shared special event, walk around the block to look at local architecture, walk to the local church for practice for school plays.....
Back when I was at primary in the 80s we did similar things.
This is probably what the consent form is for.

Our schools are the other way round - every bloody trip I have to give individual consent with at least 2 emergency contacts plus gp details etc I would prefer to do a blanket consent form. Surely you know where they will be going as it will be on the newsletter or similar?

Oh my goodness, schools can’t do ANYTHING now without someone complaining. When my older DD was in Y1, they went litter picking near school. I didn’t know it was going ahead. She had the best day, and I thought, “How lovely to take them out and teach them the importance of a clean environment.” It’ll be areas in the community OP. Kindly, you need to relax.

Unusual in my experience, but that’s limited to the school my DC went to! We live in a small village so there aren’t many places they can walk to except the church, but whenever they do it’s widely publicised, not least because they always need to ask for parent helpers to maintain ratios.

What exactly is the safeguarding risk?

Considering your title are you annoyed by this policy overall or just about one particular trip?

School can’t make you sign anything. You can refuse and they’ll either ask for consent each time OR your daughter just won’t go on these little trips.

I think a short message as a courtesy would be appreciated: class 5 out this afternoon at the local park .. suggest this to the school,this is what ours did

If you'd like, you may well be allowed to opt out of consent for local trips. Your child might miss out on some trips though. Our school inform parents about all trips through a trips letter at the start of term. But many parents misplace the letter and forget the dates so trips seem like a surprise!

I'm not sure that you knowing where your child is helps to safeguard them from anything. But I can understand it making you feel uncomfortable. Maybe ask the school for an overview of trips?

I don't think it's a risk, however if you know in advance that your child is going somewhere, you can get their interest or help them get more out of it.

Normal IME. They will do a risk assessment and have the correct number of DBS assessed adults etc. They don’t just go out on a whim without preparing properly.

Absolutely normal and no safeguarding risk.

I do think some people seem to have no real understanding of what safeguarding actually is.

Struggling to see what the safeguarding risk is. Presumably you signed the consent form at the start of the year, so why is it a problem now? Did you raise your concerns with the school at the time of signing?

Do they put anything in newsletters? How far and how long are these short trips?