Residential school trips - what age would you think is okay for this?

[shouldbeironing]

How young would you let your DC go away on a supervised residential trip with school/Scouts or another reputable child-friendly group which the child knows well?
Does your answer vary if:
a. less than 5 nights
b. 5 nights or more
c. to another country (France)?

Would be interested in actual experiences as well as views on this. Specifically interested in primary age.

Thank you.

My DSs will go on a four night trip when they are in Year 6. I'm already dreading in (they're only in Reception and Year 1) but will let them go as everyone else will. I doubt I'd let them go before that for so many nights.

DS1 is in Beavers (age 6) and I have just refused permission for a one night camp. Maybe next year.

More than five nights and to another country, they'd have to be about 13/14, I think.

At my DD's French-English bilingual school, in Paris, there is a 12-day residential trip within France for children in the equivalent of UK Year Three and a 6-day residential trip to the UK for children in the equivalent of UK Year Five.

This sounds fine to me and most children go on the trips, which are done year-in year-out and are considered very useful and successful by the school.

Hi!
I would say 1 night ok for Year 3, 1-2 nights for Year 4, 3-4 nights for Year 5 and 5 nights for Year 6. Anything more than 5 nights sounds rather long for a primary school age child.
In our school, children go on a residential trip to Continental Europe for 4 nights in the final term of Year 6.
I would not recommend residential trips for children younger than Year 3 but I think that it really helps if they go on day trips in Year 2 and even Year 1.
My DD loved all her residential visits and does not appear to have been homesick at all . I have seen some children cry when saying goodbye but I have never heard that there have been problems with homesickness once on their way. In fact, they seem to have a ball! It's the parents who seem to miss the children more than the other way around.

DD will go on her first trip like this in June; she is 9 and will be 10 in Aug. The only thing that's worrying me about it is that she's just changed school, so, apart from two classmates, every one is a stranger to her. They're going to a youth hostel in the UK.

I think she'll be OK.

dd1 has just done her first 2 night trip away with school in yr 4.

DD1 went on her first four-night trip at 8.
DD2 went on a three-night Brownie holiday at 7.
Less than five nights - from six.
More than five nights - probably nine or so, depends on the child.
To another country - same as b.

Ds is in yr 6 and will go to France for a fortnight in June. I think its a great rite of passage before senior school, they seem to grow up loads. He has already done 4 nights on a rugby tour this year , no probs.

Thanks for the replies so far - I have been deliberating about a trip for a year 4 DS- young end of the year as a summer birthday (so 8 nearly 9) going to France for a week. I was already having second thoughts. DH thinks would be okay. Any more opinions welcome thank you.

DS1 is in Year 6, and is going to Cyprus for a week (well, 5 days) in a couple of weeks. It's not quite as random as it sounds - it's a Greek Orthodox school, the trip is subsidised by the Cypriot Church, and their Educational Board.

Would have been happy with this last year, and any shorter trip in the UK, probably from KS2. I actually think DD (in reception) would be OK for an overnight trip (but know there are others in her class who probably wouldn't)

DD just did 3 nights at Pirate Camp (not school related) aged 5 and loved it. She will go, at her request, to a farm in the summer for 7 nights. The first school trip that I know of is aged 8, for a week at the seaside. Then skiing aged 11/12 (definitely abroad as we are in Belgium!). The last 2 are part of the standard curriculum.

OK. DS2 is a similar age (9 in June) and I'd be fine with him going to France for a week (if he could go when DS1 is in Cyprus, that would be lovely )

But they went to Eurodisney with my sister when they were 4.5 and 7 (iirc) so I've done it once already, and they survived.

Both my DDs have been away in year 4 ( aged 8/9 for three days)and year 5( aged 9/10 for mon- Fri) They don't do a year 6 residential as the teachers won't take them away (fair enough it's a big responsibility.)

I would not have been particularly comfortable any younger than that though.

Good to hear some positive views - DS is keen to go. But has not been away from us for more than one night before. Oh the dilemma - I have to decide by the 30th.

Cub camp aged 8yrs- 4 or 5 nights. However it depends on the DC-my DS1 and DS3 could do it. DS2 couldn't manage a night at that age. No point in forcing.I wouldn't do abroad before Yr 6.

At ds school they do a 3 night 4 day trip in y3 and a 4 night 5 day trip in y5.
Nearly all the children go and they have a fab time.

I would definitely feel more worried about a trip abroad though - before y6.

I would like to reassure you. I was paranoid and nervous but all trips have gone well.

Year 4, four nights, five days, new school, new country but within that country: surprisingly successful despite my misgivings

Year 5: same length of time, different country

Year 6: same length of time, further away country

Year 7: sodding abseiling and river wading for four days : hell for me sat at home eating my nails: great for them

all organised by the schools.

If you are confident that supervision and duty of care requirements are met, then I would say it's ok. I must admit, I didn't think my dcs were up to it, but they were, and I was wrong. If there's swimming involved I would check supervision numbers and whether public pool etc.

Yr 4 for a week in France is very young. I haven't heard of trips abroad for younger than Yr 6.

My dd went to a 2 night camp with school when she was in Yr1 but it was only a few miles away from her school; then went on a 3 night Brownie trip and a week long Guide trip before finally going to France for a week with Yr 7

My own children both coped with 5 day residential trips in Y4 (but within driving distance if I'd been needed)
As a teacher I've taken groups of children (Y4/5/6 mixed) on 5 day residential trips and truthfully some children cope better than others. Personally I wouldn't be happy taking children that young to a foreign country (the Isle of Wight was my limit ).

I wouldn't have a problem if my DD1, age 8 wanted to go to a school trip or scouts trip for like a week.
I come from Catalonia (spain) and if you are in a scouts group, summer camps are minimum 7 nights from age 6/7. There are summer camps organized by the councils,where you which are 15 days in the mountains or Language camps where kids stay there ( not going home for sleep) and the minimum age is 6 ( I think).
I think most of the time, we think they are note ready but usually they are and they have a brilliant time.

a. less than 5 nights

DD will do this next year, in Y3 - she'll have just turned 8y.

b. 5 nights or more

Don't think they do it til secondary. If earlier I am nt sure, will ahve to see how we and she is at the time.

c. to another country (France)?

DD will do this for 3 nights (IIRR) with school in either Y5 or Y6 (it is run every alternate year) so she'll be either just 10y or just 11y.

DD is going away for one night next month with school. She is yr 3. DS1 did it too.

DS1 also went away with Beavers so from age 6-7 - again just a one-night sleepover.

To Op, I think a week at aged 8-9 in France is rather young. I would not be keen. It's the length of time and the distance I think.

It depends on the child, I think. My dd flatly refused to spend a single night away from us for any reason at all until her Year 6 5 day residential trip - and it took her all her nerve and courage to do that. She had a great time - but had to nerve herself again for a 5 day trip in Year 7. She's in year 8 now and is going to Spain in June. She's is very nervous about it, but knows she'll be fine and have a great time.

Ds is 8, went to Beaver camp at not quite 6, happily goes to sleepovers anywhere and everywhere, slept in a tent in the garden on his own last summer, and if his school did trips abroad he's be the first in the queue.

Asssuming the trips are well planned and organized, which if they are school or Scout trips they certainly will be, it's not about age, or whether parents think they should go, its about whether they want to go. IMHO.

After all, what's the worst that could happen? They might get a bit homesick and have to have a weep on the shoulder of a trusted adult.

I agree, I don't think it is age.
DS1 got a train for cub camp when he was 9 and had a week over 100 miles from home. DS2 couldn't manage a sleepover in the scout hut when he was that age, we had to collect him at 11pm.
DS1 went on the school yr6 residential trip without a single worry; everyone was on tenderhooks (including teachers) with DS2, but he managed.
We just accepted the difference-didn't force anything and you can't tell the difference between them now. Different personalities are ready at different times.

The youngest any of my children have been away is Y3. She was not very sure about going, but her elder sister was on the same trip so that made it better. When that child was in Y3 or Y4 and the opportunity for the same trip came up, I declined.

Other than that, Y5 or Y6 is when the opportunities have arisen for my older kids and we had no qualms about their readiness.

Apart from a week in France, these have all been activity courses (eg PGL-type) at that age.

Once they are in senior school, they go on visits directly connected to the curriculum, eg Geography fieldwork.

We've never had the opportunity to go on trips longer than a week. I think I would want to visit at the weekend if it were a two week holiday (which I did myself as a child).

I don't think it is a big deal to the child to spend their nights away from you abroad vs somewhere in the UK, especially if going by tunnel or ferry. It might be an issue for parents, but the school risk assessment for overseas trips is very rigorous - there is really no need to worry.

I think a bigger issue is if they go on an activity holiday and can't swim 25m - that means they can't take part in the watersports.