School Changing Trip Destination 3 days before travel

Tiddlywinks

mossstitchmama wrote: »

What I have problems with is that the school have been so poorly organised that bookings made in October last year have not been confirmed until now. I will be interested to see if the parents who's children who went to Norfolk last year, ask for their money back.

It just feels like second best, the teachers have been saying how much more there is to do at the I.O.W. site and that the equipment is better. I know the alternative is to cancel. It just puts a downer on what should have been a great end to their time at primary school. Sad really.

For goodness sake - your attitude will be smothering any excitement your son could be feeling if you just took a bit more of a laid back approach.

How do you know it's the school's fault?

Why do you think parents would want to ask for a refund if their children went last year? A trip is a trip... even if the destination is the same, the experience will be different.

Think of your son. You should be telling him how great it will be and building him up to it - not sniping and raining on his parade.

JoW123

mossstitchmama wrote: »

The course I booked is only run twice a year at a time I can make. As I was getting up at 5am to get my son ready and at school for 6.30am as the school required, going home and getting other child off to a different school at 8.30am I expected to have plenty of time to spare. It's called organization. Many other parents will now have to try and arrange time off work, which will be difficult at such short notice.

I cannot change dates at such late notice without forfeiting payment which is reasonable. As one of the other parents said, if we cancelled he trip, the school would keep all the money we paid, we agreed to that when we booked.

What I have problems with is that the school have been so poorly organised that bookings made in October last year have not been confirmed until now. I will be interested to see if the parents who's children who went to Norfolk last year, ask for their money back.

It just feels like second best, the teachers have been saying how much more there is to do at the I.O.W. site and that the equipment is better. I know the alternative is to cancel. It just puts a downer on what should have been a great end to their time at primary school. Sad really.

Whilst I agree with the majority of posters that the school have tried to make alternative arrangements not to disappoint the children I wonder whether the issue for you is more about wanting his last term at primary to be 'perfect'. This time last year my son was leaving year 6 and I was very emotional about it all being good as it was the end of an era etc. Now he has been in year 7 for a year I realise that a lot of what I wanted didn't really matter in the end....

mossstitchmama

Yes, JoW123 I think you hit the nail on the head. There have been numerous niggles, some minor, some not. I just wanted him to enjoy the last few weeks at primary school.

Their year six teacher who I though was great, left the school whilst they were studying for S.A.Ts. Most of the parents were concerned it would affect the children's results as he had been absent on a regular basis. This was an important year and the children needed stability which they haven't had since year three.

I am sure they will have a good time no matter what. I am just curious as to how many of you would accept a change of destination on a holiday you had booked eight months in advance without any complaints?

gingin_2

mossstitchmama wrote: »

I am sure they will have a good time no matter what. I am just curious as to how many of you would accept a change of destination on a holiday you had booked eight months in advance without any complaints?

This is a school, not a professional travel company operating for profit. You can't compare the two. What will complaining achieve? If it's a bit of self satisfaction ( which I suspect) then you will achieve nothing other than dampening the efforts of what sounds like a reasonable, caring school.

Lily-Rose_3

mossstitchmama wrote: »

Yes, JoW123 I think you hit the nail on the head. There have been numerous niggles, some minor, some not. I just wanted him to enjoy the last few weeks at primary school.

Their year six teacher who I though was great, left the school whilst they were studying for S.A.Ts. Most of the parents were concerned it would affect the children's results as he had been absent on a regular basis. This was an important year and the children needed stability which they haven't had since year three.

I am sure they will have a good time no matter what. I am just curious as to how many of you would accept a change of destination on a holiday you had booked eight months in advance without any complaints?

Probably most people. The changes are minor. Most kids will just enjoy any time with their mates.

I have to agree you are over-reacting terribly and being a drama queen.

I have a daughter - now grown at 19, and mishaps like this happened occasionally, and the school - just like your child's school - would fix it as best as they could. Most parents were fine and very grateful, but there was always that one parent that had to kick off.

I don't think saying 'well I bet all you lot would moan if it happened to you' washes with anyone. Fact is, most people would be fine with it.

As a few people have said. What exactly do you want? And what do you want people to say? Do you just want people to be 100% on your side and say you're 100% right? Because if that's the case, maybe you should have made it clear in your original post.

Oh, and my daughter's 2 schools (primary 'and' secondary) had teachers changing halfway through a term quite often; they got by, they got through it, they did well in their exams. Stuff happens, roll with the punches, and suck it up. Worse things happen at sea.

tomtontom

mossstitchmama wrote: »

Their year six teacher who I though was great, left the school whilst they were studying for S.A.Ts. Most of the parents were concerned it would affect the children's results as he had been absent on a regular basis. This was an important year and the children needed stability which they haven't had since year three.

Given the notice teachers are required to give I can only assume your child's teacher left through ill health - there is no other reason they would leave so suddenly. Whilst it would be disruptive to the children I would not judge the teacher on something that is beyond their control.

mossstitchmama

No Tomtontom, his teacher left to take up a position at another school. He had been allowed to go there a couple of days a week since January, and left completely the week before they started SATs.

I must say I had been told by the previous head teacher (who had also been absent on and off for eighteen months before she left in December 2013), that unless it is illness or maternity leave, teachers had to let the head know in May, their plans for the coming year. So it surprised me that he was allowed to leave during a school year. Many parents were very cross and the staff did not have a party for him when he left which I am told is very unusual.

I am being pretty calm, if you could read the comments being left on social media by parents and pupils, most of them are wanting a refund. Will be interesting to see what reception I get tomorrow from the party leader.

totallybored

I think it's such a shame that the parents want to create this negative attitude towards the trip that the children will probably pick up on.

I've just been on my first residential trip with my primary school class and the children got so much out of it. Based on the experience my class had the children honestly won't care where the centre is located. To them, they're more often than not on their first big adventure away from their parents. They get to go somewhere new, do fun stuff and share a room and midnight snacks with their friends. When they get back they'll constantly talk about it for what really does feel like forever.

We left before 7 on our trip so all parents were there. However, 90% wanted nothing more to get on that bus and had no interest in their parents being there! All the parents were stood waving while their little monsters just wanted to show each other what they had in their backpacks and didn't bother looking out of the window!

My advice to OP is let your son go, drop him off at school at the regular time and let him have a fab time.

bestpud

Crikey! I hope the children are more mature than the parents and just get on with having a good time!

Not really any call for a baying mob!

Say_who?

I think people are being a bit harsh with the op. Surely it's not asking too much for a school to have its act together. School trips are extremely expensive. My daughter is in year 6 and just came back from France, if I'd been told she was going to newlands again with short notice I would not have been a happy bunny.

As it is she was encouraged to watch 'the hunger games' (12 rating) on the ferry and witnessed teaching staff drinking alcohol.

Hey ho not worth making a fuss over but not very professional.