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've been reading this thread over the past few days and wanted to add my thoughts as someone who has helped arrange and run school trips to YHA properties over the last few years.

It was made clear to me when ringing to enquire about booking the trip that other people would be using the YH while we were staying.

On one trip our pupils would be the only ones sleeping in the premises, apart from the warden in his flat. As staff we were camping outside, there was no room space for us. We were told that another party would be using the bunkhouse next door and might be using the lounge/kitchen facilities in the evening/morning. I elected to stay up to ensure all the members of the other party had vacated the main building. I made sure our kids were happy, safe and asleep and then sat for a while in the corridor outside their rooms. All in all about two hours after the kids had gone to bed. My colleague had gone to bed earlier and was getting up early to allow me a lie in.

On the other trip we were clearly told when booking that other users would be in the hostel overnight. I again elected to stay up until all the other hostel residents had retired to bed. I sat outside the kids rooms again to make sure there were no problems. Another group of residents were still up so I stayed where I was until they had gone to bed. I then went to bed and left my door open so the kids could easily find me if they needed me and so I could hear if anyone was about.

My groups were boys aged 14-16, a lot different to a party of y3 children. If I was arranging your trip I would insist on sole use of the property.

As I was reading your post dinasaw, I thought you would end up saying that they were similar aged children but then when I read they were 14-16, I was amazed that they were that old and you had still stayed up to make sure everything was fine. I'm not overreacting to the fact that they're 7 and 8 yr olds then!

lucie I think you should make other parents aware of the situation. It is something that I shall be very vigilant of in the future thanks to this thread.

Dinasaw what a brilliant teacher you are.

Lucie that is SO FLAKY of the school.

Agreed, lucie, share your thoughts with other parents at the school.

It has made for very interesting reading, this thread.

I actually have a load of email addresses of parents due to a club's admin error of not blind copying the emails! I was wondering about emailing parents to let them know but DH said it might look underhand and it might not help my relations with school in future. I've told a couple of friends but one said it didn't bother her in the slightest and that she knows how many hoops schools have to jump through to make sure trips go ahead and one other said she was very concerned but not sure if she's said anything.
Have spoken to DD about it today and she understands why we're concerned (didn't go into too much detail about dodgy people!) and DH said he'd take time off work and take her on some exciting trips to make up for it.

The bottom line is if they don't change it, we'll just keep her here. In our minds, on a school trip, they should take care of our children as we would and I just don't feel that that would happen.

Wwiw lucie I agree with you and I really am not in any way shape or form the over-protective type. Honestly. But I would not allow my dc to go on a school trip that had those sleeping arrangements either.

And of course Youth Hostels are wonderful places, I have stayed in them as an adult and indeed been on school trips to YHAs, but this is poorly planned and just not good enough. It really isn't. And with a few exceptions I think most people who have posted on your thread agree with you.