Year 7 trips abroad

[2Girls2Souls]

Hi there ,

I would love to hear from the parents who have or recently had Girls in year 7 .
What is your view on the educational trips abroad at the end of the year ? I had no worries before but with recent events across the Europe ( Sweden , Germany , Finland etc gang groups attacking young girls ) I am slightly concerned now .
Many thanks in advance .

I can understand your concerns. Dd went to Normandy last summer with school for a week and had an amazing time. They stayed in a chateau in the middle of nowhere, visited war cemeteries, small local towns, chocolate factory etc, so very safe and pretty controlled environmentso I guess. I'd definitely let her go again but would be less keen on her visiting large towns and cities in France if she would have free time without supervision tbh.

I have asked school to send me a more specific plan with every day schedule but believe there was a trip to a theme park with no supervision once inside , however I might be wrong ( hope to be wrong )

I think that for 12 year olds being closely supervised in a theme park would not be enjoyable for them or the teachers. As long as they have a phone and know where to go for help if there is a problem.

I think France is being targeted because they have taken a stand against ISIS. It seems a pity for people in the UK to punish their economy for that. Also ISIS attacks could happen in the UK too. Its really tricky we are living in a new world.

I think I will have no issue with DD2 going to Paris for her y7 trip (which will be in 18mnths, but even if going at the end of the summer).

They have to keep to a minimum number group size of 3.
They aren't allowed to wander just anywhere, they have tightish boundaries, e.g. stay in the main 'place' of the Eiffel Tower.
They aren't wandering around in the dark.
In a theme park there are so many staff and tourists that I (perhaps naively) can't imagine any trouble. At our school the kids have to report in every couple of hours or so I think. A member of staff stays in a pre-designated location, plus they have the mobile of the organiser.

I would be more concerned with a y10/y11 trip where they have much more freedom.
But I have confidence in our school to manage things appropriately. DD1 went on 3 trips abroad and all were very well organised.

My DD is Y7 and lives in Paris. I would not countenance her "wandering around" in a group of three anywhere! She takes herself to and from school on foot (bus if heavy rain) and is allowed to dawdle briefly outside school (10' max) and when saying goodbye to her friends by the metro station. She occasionally goes shopping on an errand - again, a few minutes max. 11/12 year old son shouldn't roam unsupervised in Paris and especially not around the Eiffel Tower, which is not a safe area. My big, strong and scary DSS2 used to go to school near the Champ de Mars and large groups of 16 year old Parisian schoolboys would get accosted there.

11/12 year olds shouldn't

I run a trip to France each year for year 7s, we are running it as normal this summer. It is great for the students, really expands their use of French and cultural understanding an I really recommend it.

For some of them it is the first time they have been abroad; for others (or the same ones) the first time they have been away from home so it is really broadening for their minds.

And by the way they go off in a theme park in small groups. How could we do it otherwise? Do you really think 11-12 yr olds would want to go round in groups of 10 with a teacher? We are in an easily findable spot and they have a school mobile number they can contact us on.

They aren't going to be wandering the streets of Paris alone ffs.

I took a group of Y7s and 8s to Paris last year. We supervised them closely at all times apart from when inside the theme park. It just wouldn't have been fair or reasonable to follow them around or insist they moved everywhere at a speed/route dictated by us. We set up a base in a shady spot, they all knew where we were, we had at least 2 teachers at base at all times, they had to stay in groups of at least 3 and not split up and they had to come back and check in with us during the day. The staff not at base moved around the park in shifts and accompanied some of the younger/less confident children on rides as when we felt it was needed. It was all fine. However, while at the Eiffel Tower we had it drummed into them that they had to stay in their small groups allocated to a teacher AT ALL TIMES. I did have to intervene to stop some of the more mature-looking female students getting harassed and I think prevented one pickpocket attempt. The theme park felt very safe by comparison!

thank you everyone for the advice , really appreciate that .

Our school has cancelled all overseas trips for 6 months, following the events in Paris and Belgium. I'm not sure whether I think it's justified or an over reaction, but I think I'd rather they carried on with the trips.

I can't see how they would necessarily be any safer next year, or the year after that, so am not entirely sure what reasoning they will use to reinstate overseas trips.