What's best in this field trip situation?

[Shadowboy]

I'm currently on maternity leave but return in a month. Last June we gave out letters regarding a field trip for 1 week to a European destination (I do t want to reveal where as I don't want to out the school) 60% of our cohort is attending in the year group. Before I left for maternity I booked hotel/centres for the two locations we will be in. The rooms are split girls on top floor in rooms of either two or four (hotel all in pairs) and boys in 1st floor. 2 members of staff on the top floor and 3 on the 1st floor.
Last Friday I received an email from a parent of a student who was when I last saw him a male. His (or her I really need to know the correct etiquette for this!) mother has asked for her to be roomed on the same floor as the girls as she is now fully engaged in being considered of the female gender. I have contacted the hotel and they have no rooms left. The centre has a spare but it's the other end of the centre in an annex.

I did find another hotel but it's more expensive (fancy place!) and would mean £57 more per student for the trip.

We have a contingency fund but not at a rate of £57 AND enough to cover any other issues. Do I ask two members of staff to share a room (issue is I have booked double beds so they would actually have to share a bed! But this would free up a room on the correct floor)

We have also never let students sleep in rooms alone (a safety issue when abroad but I'm not comfortable asking girls to share with a student who they 8 months ago believed was male)

I'm not even actually back in work officially yet but the trip is in 6 weeks so I need to sort it ASAP. My line manager has no idea what to do as we've never come across this at short notice. What would you do?!!

They could have added an extra bed into one if the boys rooms

I hope one or both of the displaced girls discovers she identifies as a boy in the next couple of days

That would be convenient, they could then use the room that the boy who identified as girl left behind.

This all renders the whole floor separation completely useless, but whatever.

I suspect that would be high risk under the risk assessment :)

I do not believe there is any safeguarding policy or risk assessment that says, have sex segregated accommodation but 1 boy is allowed to sleep with the girls

As for having a male on the female floor there may be other male guests on that floor anyway. We could mix the floors up but it still doesn't add an extra room into the mix.

Do sex segregated floors matter or not?

If 3 boys or 3 girls share is that a problem? (obvs. if the hotel can fit an extra bed in a room somewhere)

The simplest arrangement would be that the boy who was booked to share a room with the trans student bunks in with 2 other boys, but if you jumble up the floors any 3 boys or any 3 girls could share and it would still work.

I said earlier that the parents might complain about this arrangement but these are quite grown up students and it's likely that they themselves might complain. There must have been a reason originally to segregate floors by sex. What was it?

So what happens if you cannot get this extra person on the same flight?

Not sure how you have got round safe guarding either to have one staff member with the two students. I understand that one is her own child, but that just makes everything else more blurry.

Never mind organised everything in a few hours including earmarking £900 and having meetings with everyone. We have a really good budget but would still need to wait until next week even for less, never mind contacting someone in the LA to get guidance. Although if she has already id'd as girl and been using females toilets etc this should have been raised months ago by the school never mind mum calling now.

Does it also now mean that there is a boy, originally due to share with the child who has begun to transition, now in a room of their own as well?
Only thought they couldn't be in a room on their own really. Can the hotel not put a third bed into a twin for that boy? And thus free up a room so no need to send the two girls to another hotel?

Else ask if any girls want to share a double and see if two teachers don't mind sharing a twin? Many schools have children (of same sex) sharing double rooms with one double bed.

Boiled 7Up They knew the arrangements when I asked them to come on the trip....7 nights in USA skiing with a night in NYC. No one said no due to the sleeping arrangements..

The response should have been
"We can accommodate X girls on the girls floor. Every single one of these sleeping arrangements have been finalised.
We can accommodate Y boys on the boys floor. Every single one of these changes have been finalised.
From this point onwards, if a boy forfeits his place it will be filled by another boy from the waiting list.
likewise a girl.
If you wish to forfeit your boy's place then that is up to you. "

I actually believe accommodation should not have been made at the expense of the school and the girls who will relocate.

We are terribly afraid of saying no to anyone trans aren't we?

£900!

So the standard solution was chosen.

Girls, move over.

Oh but theyd just been waiting for the opportunity to sleep elsewhere!

Honestly I think the way to tackle this has nothing to do with a trans issue
I'd treat it as a notice period issue . If any parent came looking to change booking at this stage what would your response be. I'd give the same answer to this lady

So the standard solution was chosen.
Girls, move over.

Come on Basil.

You know girls with penises take priority over girls with vaginas.

Op we're all frustrated but not specifically with you. This madness is out of hand.
Hope your lo is better today

A male staff member declares that he identifies as female. The two transfeminine individuals go to a different hotel. Problem solved.
The teacher can detransition afterwards, or discover that he is genderfluid and just identified as female during the stay
Genius!

£900!

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. That's a lot of money out of a tight budget to pander to ONE student.

The school should be setting a much better example and honestly if this was my daughter Id be moving her for the way you treat women and sueing the arse off the school for breaching the 2010 Equalities Act.

With the current push to get sex replaced with gender as a protected characteristic, it's probably not long before the 2010 Equalities Act will be a hindrance there, not a help, Bev.

Rights as women? Or rights above women?