Independent travel back from school trip into London - normal at secondary?

[graniteornot]

Just curious as to whether this is the norm or not. I've accompanied a few KS3 school trips (G&T enrichment) into London by train. On the way back there are usually a few students who want to get a different train because it's more convenient for where they live, so the teacher dismisses them at the (busy central London) station. The first time there seemed to be a process of students texting their parents for permission, but as it's become "normalised" students now just tell the teacher they have permission and the teacher takes their word for it. These are relatively bright, "responsible" kids, but I guess I'm a bit concerned in case something goes wrong - someone gets on the wrong train, or there's an "incident". But is it fairly normal at KS3?

I think it depends on what is on the schools safeguarding policy.

We have to give specific permission each time and it’s not always an option depending on the time the trip finishes

I'd expect a written request from parents. Bright or not, at 12 it needs to be a decision made by parents are formally confirmed.

That doesn't sound right to me. Would definitely expect written permission from parents, every time, for a non-standard arrangement like that. As you say, imagine if a kid subsequently got lost or worse, the school would be on very dodgy ground.

For my dc at central-ish London schools there was generally an option on the permission slip that you had to tick and fill in details if you wanted your child to come home via any route other than back to school. If you didn't specify otherwise, the child would have to go back to school with the rest of the group and make their way home from there.

The arrangement you describe sounds like a major safeguarding/Ofsted issue - it's reasonable for dc to go back via a different route, but only if the school have details of what the plans are and can show there is parental permission.

Gosh that seems to be a bit young to be expecting them to find their own way home (unless they're super confident about navigating public transport). DS's school always has the default option as all pupils heading back to school (even after evening trips to the theatre). I think it's quite sensible. I would expect schools to potentially operate such a policy for sixth formers but not younger pupils. What would happen if there was an untoward incident? I can imagine that older teens would be capable of decision-making to circumnavigate problems with finding an alternative to a set route, but would KS3 pupils? I think not?

However, it can be a PITA operating a default 'return to school first' policy particularly if the events from which they're returning mean they will be arriving back 'after school hours'. We live closer into London than DS's school. It essentially can add upwards of an hour onto his potential getting home time which can be a PITA late at night and/or in the winter.

I might expect a school to allow travelling home independently to those parents and pupils who put in special requests to do so, but not to expect it to be a free-for-all for that age-group. It would seem to be an arrangement potentially made for the benefit of the teachers rather than ensuring the safety of the pupils?

Our school insists everyone returns to school for dismissal

I would expect it to depend on school policy and included in the risk assessment for the trip

I allow it with Yr 7+, they are either picked up at Waterloo by a parent (usually Dad coming home from work!) or we push them off the train at their stop and the parent has to immediately email me that they have them.
Had one I met at Waterloo, but his dad waited with him, I would not have allowed it if he had been solo.

My DD's school allowed this, but a parent had to give permission or they were taken back to school. Which, from the school's point of view is, I think, sensible.