School Changing Trip Destination 3 days before travel

mountainofdebt

The OP (and the other parents) would be wise to find out exactly what has happened before shouting their mouths off.....and even then they might be wise to keep quiet - otherwise they may find that next year none of the teachers are willing to supervise these trips and that this year's, where ever it may be to, is the last

haras_nosirrah

Maybe if the parents kick off and want refunds the school will just cancel the trip.

RedBern

mossstitchmama wrote: »

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.

Most teachers are on a one term notice - so you could tell the Head your plans in May for the coming year - change your mind in August and be in your new job in January.

Teaching is the most stressful profession you'll come across in daily life - they have all the ills of the world to deal with. Today, teachers in your child's school will have to deal with kids who are being abused, and all the crap that goes with that, and try and keep a class of 30 children busy and learning.

To be honest, making little Johnnie's last weeks at school happy, whilst an aim, is not going to be a priority for them. You need to to think about what's important in life, and a week away at a residential when you're 11 should be fun wherever you are.

Say_who? wrote: »

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.

So she paid to watch 'hunger games' on the ferry herself (or the staff paid?) and they had a glass of wine with their meal? They are giving up their time to take these school trips - and it's flippin' hard work.

picklekin

Should the school have been more organised? Yes, probably. But YOU can only act on what has happened now, you can kick up a fuss, make yourself miserable and angry and possibly ruin your sons memories of his last year of primary school or can take a deep breathe, step away from social media frenzy and put a great big smile on and tell your son he's going to have a wonderful time. Dropping him off at 8:30 seems fine to me, you want that picture perfect moment of seeing him onto the coach I guess, but life isn't perfect and you have to do what you can with what you have!

Oh, and teaching staff having a glass of wine..? CALL THE DAILY MAIL AND HAVE THEM HUNG!!

POPPYOSCAR

OP I understand how you feel.

However, there is nothing you can do about it unfortunately so just have to make the best of it.

I know you wanted to see him off but he will not be bothered.

As others have said, at least they have managed to book somewhere else at such short notice so the children still get to have their trip. Imagine if it had been cancelled altogether.

pimento

Talk about first world problems. Sheesh!

mossstitchmama

Just been in for a meeting with the party leader who is also deputy head. Due to the festival and problems caused by festival goers, most coaches have been banned from the ferries for the duration of the festival. Normally a coach and driver accompanies the party for the four days there and back so transfers have had to be arranged from the ferry to the destination. It is the return transfer that the coach company forgot to book.

The Party leader said that there are always transport problems every year due to the festival. My daughter arrived back at 3am after the ferry was delayed while drunken festival goers were removed.

Please someone tell me the saying that goes something like "madness is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different outcome". The festival is on the same time every year so why not pick a different date? Too late for this year six but hopefully better for children in the future.

SandC

A little overreaction I think. These things happen.

I had a holiday major change one time. We had booked 6 months previously but 2 weeks before departure date we were told the hotel was overbooked. Alternatives were different hotel of same standard in different resort or full refund. Disappointing but nothing we could do about it and not uncommon apparently.

I had a school trip in my last year at primary also, to London. My mum had passed away and my dad worked full time so I walked to school every day. That day, I walked to school as normal and dad went to work as usual.

Seems it's a bit *all about the parents* these days to me.

I'm sure he will have a great time. Although I have to admit I would be a bit disappointed at not having the ferry trip part of it, cos things like that I still find cool and did so even more as a kid.

picklekin

Its "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Albert Einstein, is your Google broke?

I do agree that it seems silly. why can't they go a week later? Although schools have quite rigid timetables, they might not have free teachers at that point. But why they still arrange to go THERE is defiantly daft, should have gone to Norfolk in the first place!

globetraveller

All this nonsense with parents venting openly in fb and one parent actually wanting school to refund a course so that she can wave goodbye to the back of a head on a bus- is it any wonder there are less trips away through schools. And that is just the trivial stuff, we haven't even touched the immense responsibilities staff have.
These outings are mainly about activities which would be identical whichever location it was. And of course, horror of horrors, which parents in their right minds go on holiday to the same place???