Educational school trip that wasn't! FIRST POST UPDATED

LittleTinker

bestpud wrote: »

Yes, she's home safe and sound. But then I wasn't concerned about safety as such - although I do think it would be good for her and us to have known that was going to happen.

They spent most of the day just wandering really as they didn't know the area and had no money - but yes, she was very pleased with what happened!

Well, that is a good thing that has come out of it at least :-)) I would definitely still speak to the teachers in charge about it.....if only just to let them know that not all parents are as amenable as you seem to be :-))

devils_advocate

I'm a school governor, with specific responsibility for health and safety. I cannot see how allowing an admittedly 15 year old to wander around a strange city unsupervised would tie in with the risk assessment which was necessary before the trip.

Feel free to write to the Governors if you do not get any satisfaction from a letter to the Head.

bestpud

Thanks for the replies everyone.

It seems I'm not alone in thinking this was out of order.

Hmm, I will give it more thought over the weekend, and try to get some more info too.

Thanks again,

Bestpud

jess1974

That is awful, i would be livid.

elaine373

I would be very unhappy with that. When one sends their child on an educational visit, you do not expect them to be wandering around unsupervised. I would ring the teacher or head of year. Not acceptable at all imo!

beefcarrot

Just to give your teacher a bit of food for thought, there was a case in Devon this week in which a ten year old child went missing on a school trip. Thankfully, she was found safe and well, but things could have been a lot worse. The school is holding an investigation, apparently.
LINK

melancholly

even if your daughter did wander off and go shopping instead, without the suggestion from the teacher (just in case your daughter is making it up - i'm not suggesting that at all btw), the teacher was pretty bad not to notice mulitple children missing. either way they haven't really fulfilled a duty of care to the students! i think you should complain and complain loudly, and i bet you won't be the only parent doing so!

morganb

I'm a teacher and I've organised several trips and days out over the years.
What has happened here is TOTALLY irresponsible.
As a parent, and also as a fellow teacher, if this happened on any trip to do with my own children or children at my school, I would ask for a full inquiry without hesitation.
The teacher, as melancholly states, has not fulfilled their duty of care.
Thankfully everyone got back safely and there were no incidents. If that hadn't been the case, then we all know full well that complaints would have been made.
We cannot be complacent with children's safety. An inquiry MUST take place to ensure that this doesn't happen again and that children are not put at potential risk.

duchy

I agree-I'd be livid too and having worked with that age group in a school I can't believe how irressponsible the teacher was. If some of them hadn't been back at the assigned time she'd certainly had some explaining to do and absolutely no idea where to tell the police to look for them.
My son is in the same age group and as we are an easy journey to London his school frequently has visits-often to the theatre and within that visit there is sometimes free time at places like the Trocodero but it's a part of the trip not the whole trip and the students aren't allowed to leave the building-certainly not allowed to trip where-ever they please all over the city.
As for what you do-if you think it's an inexperienced teacher who made a mistake (although I do wonder if there was more than one teacher escorting) then make an appointment to see her and make it very clear it was unacceptable and that you are thinking of reporting it-may be enough to ensure she doesn't do it again-or if you feel she should have known better or if more than one teacher was involved (escorting TAs would not have had the authority to over-ride the teacher but should have reported it when they got back-although not all would) then put it in writing to the head of department with a cc to the head and the governers. If the escorting teacher was the head of department then to write to the head direct.

mr_rush

I wouldn't ask for the £20 back though. Its just cash out of the collective school kitty and although it wasn't spent wisely, taking it back would be to the detriment of the school (in a very small way).