Educational school trip that wasn't! FIRST POST UPDATED

louise540056

bestpud wrote: »

I'm glad you have said that poet, as it has featured heavily in my thoughts about this, and what to do about it. I wondered if I was being daft though for even thinking it a possibility!

That said though, dd has a conditional college place and only needs one more GCSE, and in any subject. Takes the heat off a bit!

I'm sure the teacher wouldn't do this- but if there was any suspicion that she might have done it is easy to appeal marks given

morganb

OMG, this is sounding even worse! I've been on a school trip with 130+ children in EuroDisney and we made sure that they ALWAYS knew where the staff were, they checked in every 20 minutes and were always in a group of 3 ... even then, not one single member of staff relaxed all day! I cannot stress how irresponsible this was. I wouldn't even bother speaking to other parents, I would go direct to the Head and say this is what you've been told happened, can he please shed light on the matter.

louise540056

morganb wrote: »

OMG, this is sounding even worse! I've been on a school trip with 130+ children in EuroDisney and we made sure that they ALWAYS knew where the staff were, they checked in every 20 minutes and were always in a group of 3 ... even then, not one single member of staff relaxed all day! I cannot stress how irresponsible this was. I wouldn't even bother speaking to other parents, I would go direct to the Head and say this is what you've been told happened, can he please shed light on the matter.

I agree completely! Even if your daughter is sensible the others may not be - and it is so easy for accidents to happen! The story about the street artist made me cringe! _pale_ I would complain to the Head

poet123

It is not likely to happen as many teachers have"run in's" with parents!and still act professionally,but IMO it is even less likely to happen if you mention during your informal talk with the head or whoever, that you would hope that your complaint will have no repercussions on your daughter or her marks.

Better to be upfront and voice your concerns than have to appeal.

Getting back to the original point though,if the itinerary had to be changed due to staff issues you should have been informed. You were (relatively)happy for your daughter to have free time,other parents may not have been. I suspect many of the other kids have not disclosed what actually happened perhaps becasue they know full well their parents would disapprove.

I would definitely take it further,imagine if the same thing goes on next year and you find yourself reading about an "incident"(insert nightmare scenario!!!) which happened on the trip in your local paper,how would you feel?

bestpud

Quick response as I'm off to work.

Thanks again everyone. I will be, at the very least, contacting the school. I don't know in what form yet, but I'm thinking in person first and then following up with a letter, based upon the response I get!

Will let you know the outcome,

Bestpud

melancholly

just had a thought - the national portrait gallery is near trafalgar square, right? so did the teachers leave them to wander off shopping to covent garden, oxford street, soho - did they get on the tube/bus......?! they could have gone anywhere, particularly if they're not from london and just don't know their way around! letting kids go off in groups in a restricted area like a shopping centre is one thing - sending them off in central london is another. given the hassle of risk assessments and staff/student ratios on trips i just cannot believe that experienced (or even new!) teachers would do something so ridiculous. i think it's shocking!

Gingham_Ribbon

I've taken lots of teenagers on school trips. There is NO way that would have been considered acceptable from a school point of view.

From a mother's point of view I'd be asking for my money back and an apology for failing to carry out their duty of care to my child.

I would be FURIOUS.

misty

I went on a school trip to London - we were supposed to be looking around up to 3 galleries. We were in groups and most of us - either just went to one and then went shopping or just went shopping straight off.

The teachers told us to meet back at the train station at 7pm to get the train home. We (kids) arranged to buy some alcohol to drink on the train on the way home.

Me and my friends spent up early and got back to the station for 5pm - whereby I tucked into aforementioned alcohol neat!!!!!!!!!! I was later pulled by the station police for being drunk and disordly!!!!!!!

When the teachers arrived back at the station they were mortified to have to come to the station at the platform. By the time I was sober enough to move from the station - we had missed the train - the last train of the night back home. The other teacher took the other kids on the train - others were half cut - I was legless.

The parents of the art teacher who stayed with me lived in London and we had to stay at their house for the night. My teacher was male and my friend had to stay as there was no female member of staff on the trip and we stayed at his parents house. His mum made us home made bread and told us the things him and his brother had got up too!!!!

I was in soooooooooo much trouble when I got home - no mention of no female staff member etc It was my fault and should have known better. This was the 80s though and there didn't appear to be anything such as risk assessment required. the teacher talked to me and my friend about philosophy on the train on the way home - a conversation that has stayed with me for a long time - as has a life long aversion to Cinzano .

I'm a teacher myself now adults though- and on a recent History trip to London ( I wasn't on it) a student nearly got arrested.

Not in the slightest bit useful to you but at least your daughter is sensible.

bestpud

melancholly wrote: »

just had a thought - the national portrait gallery is near trafalgar square, right? so did the teachers leave them to wander off shopping to covent garden, oxford street, soho - did they get on the tube/bus......?! they could have gone anywhere, particularly if they're not from london and just don't know their way around! letting kids go off in groups in a restricted area like a shopping centre is one thing - sending them off in central london is another. given the hassle of risk assessments and staff/student ratios on trips i just cannot believe that experienced (or even new!) teachers would do something so ridiculous. i think it's shocking!

Yes, it's in Trafalgar Square.

They didn't get any transport as, in dd's words, they didn't have much money and didn't know where they were going or how to get back. She also said it would have been stupid to go far anyway, when they only had a couple of hours.

The thing is, dd is adament (sp?) there was always going to be free time, but then she didn't ask me for any money and it says nothing on the letter, so I think it must have been an informal agreement.

bestpud

misty wrote: »

I went on a school trip to London - we were supposed to be looking around up to 3 galleries. We were in groups and most of us - either just went to one and then went shopping or just went shopping straight off.

The teachers told us to meet back at the train station at 7pm to get the train home. We (kids) arranged to buy some alcohol to drink on the train on the way home.

Me and my friends spent up early and got back to the station for 5pm - whereby I tucked into aforementioned alcohol neat!!!!!!!!!! I was later pulled by the station police for being drunk and disordly!!!!!!!

When the teachers arrived back at the station they were mortified to have to come to the station at the platform. By the time I was sober enough to move from the station - we had missed the train - the last train of the night back home. The other teacher took the other kids on the train - others were half cut - I was legless.

The parents of the art teacher who stayed with me lived in London and we had to stay at their house for the night. My teacher was male and my friend had to stay as there was no female member of staff on the trip and we stayed at his parents house. His mum made us home made bread and told us the things him and his brother had got up too!!!!

I was in soooooooooo much trouble when I got home - no mention of no female staff member etc It was my fault and should have known better. This was the 80s though and there didn't appear to be anything such as risk assessment required. the teacher talked to me and my friend about philosophy on the train on the way home - a conversation that has stayed with me for a long time - as has a life long aversion to Cinzano .

I'm a teacher myself now adults though- and on a recent History trip to London ( I wasn't on it) a student nearly got arrested.

Not in the slightest bit useful to you but at least your daughter is sensible.

Oh my word! I can see why you were in trouble when you got home!! :rotfl:

Shows how times have changed though, doesn't it?