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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Would you let your 8 year old go to London for 3 days with school?

62 replies

johnbarrowmanlovesme · 05/09/2008 17:07

It is in two weeks time & the teacher doesn't really seem to have thought things out yet, we have had no itinerary or any details at all. I know some of the other parents also have concerns about the lack of information.

I have said I am willing to go along to help, but am now having second thoughts, don't know how many kids I will have in my charge, at least 6 I'm told

Would you expect to have to pay to go on this sort of thing, as it won't be a jolly, quite hard work I would have thought.

My DS really wants to go & I know he would be disapointed if I say no so would have no choice but to go with him for my own peace of mind.

Also, would all the helpers be requited to have CRB checks do you know? You do if you help at school so I would have thought it would be absolutely necessary for an overnight trip.

Loads of questions, sorry. Well done if you have got this far!

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Buda · 06/09/2008 12:43

Sounds a bit airy-fairy to me.

I would be worried that the teacher doesn't seem t have much experience of doing things like this or she would realise the logistics would need to be sorted way in advance.

roisin · 06/09/2008 12:43

I read the title and thought yes, definitely, but I having read the thread I think you're right to be concerned.

Our LEA doesn't approve of parent helpers on residential trips at all. Under exceptional circumstances governors etc. could go, but must be CRB checked.

I do all the admin each year for two residential trips for yr7s and accompany one of the trips. It is incredibly hard work as you are on duty 24/7. Risk assessments and so on have to be sent to County months in advance and planning is meticulous.

I would put a formal enquiry to Head or Governors on this asap.

If you are not 100% satisfied with the responses withdraw your child and your offer of help.

roisin · 06/09/2008 12:43

I read the title and thought yes, definitely, but I having read the thread I think you're right to be concerned.

Our LEA doesn't approve of parent helpers on residential trips at all. Under exceptional circumstances governors etc. could go, but must be CRB checked.

I would put a formal enquiry to Head or Governors on this asap.

If you are not 100% satisfied with the responses withdraw your child and your offer of help.

roisin · 06/09/2008 12:43

I read the title and thought yes, definitely, but I having read the thread I think you're right to be concerned.

Our LEA doesn't approve of parent helpers on residential trips at all. Under exceptional circumstances governors etc. could go, but must be CRB checked.

I would put a formal enquiry to Head or Governors on this asap.

If you are not 100% satisfied with the responses withdraw your child and your offer of help.

Ellbell · 06/09/2008 12:45

Dd1's school has in an overnight trip in Year 4 (I presume this is Year 4 if the kids are 8). I think it's two nights (Friday-Sunday) and it's to a sort of 'study centre' place owned by the Local Authority (so I presume already risk-assessed). The trip is in March, and we've already had a letter home this weekend giving us the dates and telling us how much it will cost, and asking for initial statements of interest in going. Obviously we'll get more details nearer the time, but it's clearly already being planned 6 months in advance.

So, in general I'd have no problem with 8 year olds going on an overnight trip. But I would be worried by the fact that this trip is in two weeks and no-one seems to know yet what has been going on. I definitely think you need to talk to the school (do they have an 'educational visits coordinator' - dd's school does) and get more information.

pudding25 · 06/09/2008 12:49

I think roisin got a bit trigger happy!

Thinking about it, I would actually ask to speak to the head about this as it is really not on.

roisin · 06/09/2008 12:51

Sorry! My PC seems to be throwing a wobbly. I think I've just done it on several places on the boards

I'm probably about to do it again with this one too.

WideWebWitch · 06/09/2008 13:02

I agree with everyone. My ds is 10 and had a 2 night stay with school and there was a meeting and presentayion about it a good few weeks ahead. She hasn't thought about it has she, silly woman.

agree, speak to governors.

Original poster

johnbarrowmanlovesme · 06/09/2008 13:40

thanks roisin & pudding 25, very informative. If we weren't questioning this as parents, I wonder if it would all go ahead, surely they as a School wouldn't be so irresponsibel, it is a good School that we have been happy with up until now.

Do the Governors HAVE to approve the risk assesmants then, or it that just what they do at your School pudding?

Am going to speak to the head on monday

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littlerach · 06/09/2008 13:45

On a similar note, dd1 was invited on a Brownie camp, but the helper had no info at all about it.

We looked at the place on line and were quire concerned that it was all chalets sleeping 4 people with a door that opened to the outside.

When I quizzed the woman in charge at Brownies she had no idea about it, and was under th eimpression that all the girls would be sleeping in the chalets without an adult being there. And they couldn't lock the doors in case of emergency.

They are due to go in October and haven't sorted it out yet.

I may being over protective, but Dd is not going.

pudding25 · 06/09/2008 13:45

I am not really sure but I would imagine that if not the Governors, then definitely the Head. We are a State school though, so I imagine it is standard throughout.

It all sounds rather bizarre. The teacher, quite frankly sounds mad! I remember all the stress and organisation involved in taking the yr4 class away and we were staying at the one place the whole time and not leaving the site (and the othr teacher I was with had done the trip tons of times before!).

Also, I think someone mentioned about parents going on the trip. I have never heard of parents going on a residential. A day trip, yes, but definitely not a residential. That would only be teachers and other school staff. It would not be advised to have parents with as it would be disruptive to the child and not fair on the other children who would be feeling homesick and would be jealous that someone had their mum with them.

marmadukescarlet · 06/09/2008 13:48

My DD is 8 and did 5 nights at Brownie camp this year, but some older girls went home after 3 days.

The lack of information would bother me.

cascade · 06/09/2008 13:51

how do the parents pay, 3 weeks notice would surely mean that some parents wouldnt be able to fund such a trip.

roisin · 06/09/2008 14:45

At our secondary there is a 'trips co-ordinator', she has been trained and can issue approval on behalf of the LEA for certain categories of low-risk trips (i.e. day visits). But higher categories have to go to the LEA for approval.

Have a look on your local government website for your council under the schools bit, and they may well have all the trips policies on there.

AbbeyA · 06/09/2008 14:53

In theory I would be quite happy depending on the DC. DS1 and DS3 would have been fine but DS2 couldn't have done it.
However I would have grave doubts about this trip. You should have all the information by now and it all sounds much too vague.

hatwoman · 06/09/2008 15:18

totally agree with roisin et al. I too was going to post "yes" in answer to the title but having read what you've said I would have serious doubts. they don't know how they're going to get around? do they know how they're going to get there? do they know where London is? sounds dreadful and imho there's no realistic way of bringing it round in the time available (unless this has all been lack of communication, rather than lack of planning). I would foment a [hat struggles for that word used in shipping, when crew refuse to co-operate...darn, what is it...] a you-know-what. a mutiny. that's it. write to teh head and say you can't go. and get lots of other parents to do the same. can I ask if it's a state school? I thought that such things were very highly regulated in state schools and that they simply wouldn;t be able to do this...

Original poster

johnbarrowmanlovesme · 06/09/2008 18:56

Yes, it is a State School. I am looking at local Gov website at school stuff but just can't find anything about taking the children out of school, will keep looking....
Pudding, you hit the nail on the head about her being mad there have been a lot of compliants about her in the past but we have started the year with an open mind & given her the benefit of the doubt, however, 3 days in & we are

I have spoken to a couple of parents today who seem happy as larry about the whole thing, they were sort of 'what's the problem? they will have a fantastic time!'

It may well be all planned (although I do doubt that) & it's lack of communication, there are too many things that don't seem right. Thanks for all you comments so far, with not having been in this situation before & not knowing the procedures for all these things, your comments on it have given me more idea of what should be happening.

OP posts:

roisin · 06/09/2008 19:01

On our LEA site it's under:
children's services - health & safety - educational visits

Cumbria policies here to give you an idea of what's involved.

pudding25 · 06/09/2008 19:17

I am that some parents are so blase about it. It probably is well organised but just the fact that there has been no communication with the parents is very odd. Communication with parents is the key to keeping them happy I find! Please keep us updated as I am curious to know what is going on (can you tell that I have no life being on maternity leave!)

Original poster

johnbarrowmanlovesme · 06/09/2008 20:58

Thanks ladies,will keep you updated on what happens.

OP posts:

Remotew · 06/09/2008 21:01

DD went to London from up north when she was 8 with the Brownies. No problems at all. She enjoyed it. I went to York for the weekend and enjoyed it too.

OK I worried a bit.

Original poster

johnbarrowmanlovesme · 07/09/2008 10:27

Jusr re-reading through all of this now & realise that I didn't mention the fact that the letter asking if we were interested in this trip came out the last week of term, to be handed in before we broke up for the summer. So really, there hasn't been time for any connunication as we have only been back at school for 3 days

OP posts:

b1uesky · 07/09/2008 11:20

I would let my 8 year old go on a sleepover trip but not to London.
I used to live in London and the thought of one adult looking after 6 kids on a crowded street in London would terrify me.

I just think it?s a really bad idea to chose London as a location for a sleepover trip for children so young.

pudding25 · 07/09/2008 11:54

johnbarrowman even more ridiculous now that you have mentioned this.

I do live in London and I think a trip there would be fine as long it was extremely well planned with several helpers. When the juniors go on museum trips, they do get the tube (we are in N London) into town but they have several parents along to help. As I mentioned before, I would be very surprised if parents were allowed on the trip so you would probably need quite a few members of staff.

Wordsmith · 07/09/2008 12:12

My 8 yr old DS would love 3 days in London (so would I as a matter of fact) but I would expect:

an pretty detailed itinerary
address and tel no for accommodation
list of menus so kids can choose beforehand
parents' meeting about 2 weeks beforehand
forms to fill in about medication, allergies etc.

It's not the 3 days in London that would worry me, it's the people taking him!

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