Yr 3 staying in a youth hostel open to other residents

[luciemule]

Hello -haven't been on MN for ages but wondered if anyone had experienced the following:
Next year, my DD is potentially going on a 2 night residential trip and they're all staying in a youth hostel (a really nice one). However, when questioned, the school have said that the children will be staying in unlocked rooms of about 3. Once the staff go to bed at night, any other of the hostel residents could enter their rooms. I am very NOT ok with this set (case of Caroline Dickinson, Brittany 1996)and feel that further measures could be taken to ensure more security at night. I have written to the hostel to double check what they say and they said they issue group leaders with keys to lock all rooms but the school told me they can't lock the rooms due to fire regs. I need to talk the head about the risk assessment but she's sooooo keen on the whole school trip (as I am in an ideal world) and I fear she'll shoot me down in flames before I've begun. What's a good way to approach this and get a satisfactory outcome that doesn't result in my child not going (which is what we'd decide if nothing is done).

I'm only explaining what the YH told me and what the school told me.
Drinkmoretea - so what do you think to what they say?

doesn't really explain about staying in a non-sole use area and having other residents staying near.

Personally I wouldn't be happy with it, maybe that's because where I work we are so strict about it.

Even if the group size is as small as 10 and they stay in a block with 40+ beds it would never, ever be shared..

Anyone could be staying there, and to have doors open at all times...

And on the other hand, Yr 3 is still so little to be responsible for a key, unlocking and locking a door...

I don't understand why they would allow 'anybody' to stay in the next room.. what about CRB checks??

I can't find anything legally to say they are in the wrong though.

When does your DD go? I will try and find out any legalities when I go to work next week.

If the school paid for the 4 spare rooms and didn't use them - that wouldn't be £1200 would it? Where does that sum come from?

Luciemule - not wanting to go down the whole Madeleine route - but I thought the McCanns left the door unlocked?

It all seems very peculiar to me. I most definitely wouldn't want them in a locked room.
I can't understand why there is all the fuss about respected authors having to have a CRB check to give a talk in a crowded hall with all staff in attendance and yet the same authors could stay in the next room in a YH, with access to the DCs room at night with staff asleep, and don't have to have any check at all. The world has gone mad!

The sum of 1200 pounds cmae from the manager who said the 4 rooms take 20 people alotgether, for 2 nights is 40 places and @ 30 quid a pp, = 1200.

Thanks DMT for finding out at work - that would be great x

Whoah, so that's 20 random strangers in the hostel with the kids? If I was going to think of the worst case scenario (and it doesn't hurt to do that when kids are concerned) I would worry that some undesirables would hear about school children staying there and make sure they booked a room that night.

I don't know why the school is using a YH with such young DCs when there are plenty of places that are specifically for school parties. I think the risk is very low-far less than a fire- but I find it odd that it is allowed, in the current climate of CRB checks.

Clarabel22 - that's what I thought. Oh well - will wait and see what drinkmoretea finds out at her activity centre this week.

Lucie - Im very confused. As far as I know NO Youth Hostel in this country charges £30 per person per night. The figure of £1200 just dosent seem right.

Clarabel22 - School parties stay at Youth Hostels all the time. You make it sound as if word got round that these were school parties staying there then 'undesirables' would book in. This is absolutely ridiculous. You are making the YHA out to be some seedy organisation and insulting its many members and this is simply not the case.

Can I make a suggestion - book all the other beds in the hostel and pay for them....problem solved no stranges in yha that night

Probably be cheaper than petrol and travel lodge

sorry - mr agioan mot reading all the posts - got to make sure

Have just looked at prices for the YH and it's 19.95 for an adult. The bloke said 30 quid pp but that's wrong. If each room takes 5, which is is what he said, for 2 nights that's still 800.00. Therefore I'm not able to book those 4 rooms and imagine nor are the school - even though it would only be another 15 pounds a person. Will put it to them though - wouldn't bother me to pay another 15.

COme off it. I've stayed in youth hostels where the clientele were decidedly fucking dodgy. I was uneasy being there and was very glad I was with my friend.

This Would Not HAppen in my house. It would be a resounding "No, because I do not think you have taken appropriate precautions for the safeguarding of the children"

I am not hugely over protective, but I have stayed in youth hostels, and anyone can just wander in and book a room.

i will add - anyone can go and sit on the toilet and leave the door unlocked, anyone can stand there washing their genitals in the sink. Sure, they arne't allowed to, but they sometimes do.And they aren't to astute about door locking sometimes. I wouldn't particularly want my 7 year old to see a strange person's genitals, whatever her/his intent.

thank Colditz - I feel fully prepared now to go into school and assertively make sure they do something about it. The response on here has been overwhelmingly negative for how the school have organised so at least I don't feel as though I'm the only mum in school who gives a toss.

The manager said they don't have 'blocks' of loos and sinks as the building is actually a 16th centuary manor house but even so, I keep imagining DD going to the loo and finding some weirdo on the loo with the door unlocked!

Not to mention there's the possibility of kids waking up and deciding to be silly and muck around going from one room to another, maybe getting locked out and then wandering further because they're afraid to wake an adult in case they get into trouble. Year 3 just seems too young for this kind of accommodation.

And I think the difference with camping is probably that everyone is in earshot of everyone else all the time, which gives an extra level of awareness to the adults in the party. Children in separate unlocked rooms aren't as close to the adults looking after them.

I've met some lovely people in youth hostels too, but that doesn't mean I'd be happy with my kids sleeping only an unlocked door away from all of them. I agree with whoever said that drunks and oddballs who might scare a child by wandering in on them are enough of a reason not to be keen on this kind of accommodation for seven-year olds - you don't need to be thinking only about the most extreme possibilities not to think this is OK.

Colditz are you referring to YHA youth Hostels or Independant Hostels? Its not true that "anyone can wander in and book a room" at a YHA hostel. You either have to be a fully paid up member OR if not you must produce ID such as a Passport or Driving licence upon booking in. Unlike Travelodges or hotels where any Tom Dick or Harry can wander in and get a room.

Anyone can get a driving license, it doesn't matter what your criminal record is like - if you pass your driving test but rape ten year olds, you can still have a driving license. identification would rely on the child to remember what someone (possible with a covered face) actually looks like, in the dark. Too late, IMO - the damage is done.

And I wouldn't leave 5 seven year olds in an unlocked bedroom in a Travelodge, either!

Colditz - ive heard it all now - washing genitals in the sink!!!!! I have never ever seen anyone doing this in a Youth Hostel. Some of the comments on this thread are getting too ridiculous for words.

But since when has having a passport or a driving licence been a sign that someone can't be daft/drunk/generally inappropriate? Or even being a member of the YHA?

Squishabelle, I fucking saw him! This isn't a guesse, he was a Huge blonde man with a ponytail. Luckily, I was 28, not 7!

Just because it hasn't happened to you doesn't mean it never happens and won't ever happen to anyone - it was at Lambeth Youth Hostel in November last year, at about 7 am!

I bet Jermemy Vine would be interested in this dilema and to me, this isn't really just about my daughter - I don't think primary aged children should be sleeping in any accommodation where it's not sole-use only and considering the CRB rules and the new ISA checks that are coming in soon, I'm amazed that primary schools are allowed to book this type of place and take what is, to me and obviously many others, too much of a risk.