Unauthorised school trip

[Quicknamechangeforthis1ok]

Name changed for this as may be very outing. Penis beaker, Scottish mummy, Korean granny etc

Bit long, sorry.

14yo brought letter home and was really enthusiastic for a school trip to a theme park.so I booked and paid, bit expensive but I don't want them to miss out.

3 days before they started saying they didn't want to go, basically because they wanted to see a special showing of musical the other end of the country and tickets had come up on twickets. I said no to their new plan, it would have cost a fortune anyway for hotel and travel.

14yo still complaining 2 days before trip. Night before trip they came home from school and proper kicked off about how they hated theme parks, weren't going, had nothing to wear (humourless lol at that) and had said all along they didn't want to go (double humourless lol), why was I so stupid to pay for it and so on.

It was turned 4pm and the reception staff had finished so sent a panicked email to the organiser to say 14yo had refused to go slightly glossing reason, not knowing if it was too late and teachers would be wondering where they were at silly o'clock the next morning. Luckily the organiser picked it up.

9-10pm ish, it must have sunk in that expensive theatre trip wasn't happening and rude, spoilt 14yo had another kick off demanding to go. Too late, nothing I could do, you can't mess people around like that anyway. 14yo threatened to just turn up but I explained the teachers couldn't take them because they were no longer on the list which didn't go.down well but tough.

Next morning I got them up and out to school for the normal day despite strenuous attempts at refusal. 14yo has to learn that choices have consequences, this would be a very mild consequence. The theme park trip had long gone by this point.

So - expected 14yo to be safe in school all day.

14yo got home from school and it turned out they'd been offered a place on an alternative extra-curricular, not linked to schoolwork, smaller off-site trip and they said yes... I knew nothing about it, hadn't paid and obviously wouldn't have authorised it anyway.

This really is long!

Massive safeguarding issue, if anything had happened 14yo wouldn't have been covered by insurance. Contacted school immediately. Teacher had felt sorry for the little so-and-so left behind and asked them. I am not happy in the slightest and made that clear. Also had to pay for this bloody trip after wasting theme park money, that's by-the-by because it should have been used but I didn't want a further bill.

I get the impression the school wants to sweep the safeguarding aspect under the carpet as all communication from them has very carefully skirted around this issue. WIBU to follow this up in no uncertain terms after the holidays? I get that the teacher felt like they were being kind and don't necessarily want them punished for being nice but I'm really not happy. Anything could have happened but luckily didn't and they should have at least asked for permission before taking 14yo off site for an extra-curricular.

What do you mean by a generic permission slip? Surely the permission slip OP gave permission for would have been labelled as a theme park trip.

Schools normally have a generic permission slip/inform you when your child starts that they may do local trips within school hours.

I signed one of them when my children were in school to cover free local trips or visits, each trip that had a cost had its own individual slip. They can’t take your child on a trip you know nothing about and then after the event say “oh that’ll be £10 please”

Looking on the bright side, you aren't ever going to need to pay for any other school trip for the next two years - 'after the performance we had when you refused to go on the end of year one when you were 14, there's no way on earth I'm wasting money on anything ever again'.

I would refuse to pay for the additional trip. But I get that's not your main concern here.

I understand why you are concerned about their processes and an official complaint focused on that would be an appropriate way to try to get them to focus on that aspect.

Certainly most primaries make sure they don't need permission for what is classed as local walks. We can go to the church, the river, the playing field etc without asking parents. We usually let them know as a courtesy in case their child has an appointment.

Yes, as my above comment says I had these slips when my children were in school but they were for free visits, never for trips that cost anything. School can’t take children on a trip you know nothing about and then request payment afterwards

Very very likely none. But what if one did? Thats the point of insurance isnt it? the what ifs.
However small the issue, a school would be in hot water if something did happen and the trip wasnt authorised and insured.

Most schools now have a permission slip that covers any trips that occur during school hours. You sign it at the beginning of the school year and it covers the whole year . Saves the school sending slips out for every single trip. Lots of other people have mentioned this too, so it's definitely pretty standard.

Yes, I know it is standard for local and free visits and trips, it’s not standard for trips with a cost

Any child on a school trip permission slip or not would be covered by schools insurance. The school however may face legal issues

Yes it would be usual to ask for payment/ a contribution for transport etc before the actual trip. But that doesn't have anything to do with ops 'authorisation' and safeguarding concerns. Which is what I was addressing when I said about generic permission slips . She can of course refuse to pay the £10.

@Coconutter24 would they not? My bad, I assumed thats how it works.

You can take children on local trips without parents permission.

Local trips, anywhere in walking distance, don’t need permission.

Trips within the school day and part of the curriculum also don’t need permission, even if they involve transport. However most schools will get permission anyway and certainly wouldn’t do it without letting parents know.

Trips involving and over night stay, leaving the country or that take place outside the school day need signed permission.

I wonder if "glossing over" the reason for your DD not going to the theme park maybe made the teacher, with space on their trip, feel sorry for her? I understand that you were simply trying to ensure the theme park group weren't waiting for her (and maybe a bit embarrassed by her brattiness). It's annoying she hasn't had the punishment you hoped for - a boring day at school - but not sure school have done wrong. Perhaps you can recoup the costs from her allowance or cancel an activity you have planned for the holidays and she can wash your car, clean windows, clear the garage etc. I think you're trying to stand firm against her spoiled behaviour so keep working on that.

They can certainly take them on the trip, but charging afterwards without agreement isn't on.

The school have authorised and insured the trip.

Ive completely lost any need to want to reply about safeguarding when what stands out most is your child's bad behaviour but even worse the names you're calling them is it any wonder they behave badly and disrespectfully with a mouth like yours.
The cheek to talk about safeguarding aswell.

Permission and contribution to cost of a trip are two very separate things. I used to organise such trips in a school. Cost is just a request for a contribution. Schools cannot ‘charge’ for a trip. If too few people contribute then the trip may be cancelled. We had a generic consent to local events etc. anything major (where children need to go early or arrive back later) would have a specific authorisation form.
unfortunately it sounds like the teacher was trying to be nice but they should have called you. I have come across this exact issue before. Teachers occasionally act without including the office. An email to thank the school for including your child but to remind them of their safeguarding responsibilities. You are under no obligation to pay.

No everyone on the trip would be covered by schools insurance

What safeguarding issues are there here, really?
The child already had permission to be taken offsite. The alternative activity is unlikely to have been radically more dangerous.

Yes 100% they can take them on local trips without permission ONLY if a parent has signed one these forms at the beginning of term. Like you say the asking for payment after the trip isn’t on

The only safeguarding issue I can see is that the parent didn’t m is where their child was, they expected them to be at school then found out they weren’t

The school may be, but that makes no difference to the child or their parents. It's certainly not a safeguarding issue.