Yeah - I managed to keep it secret!!!!

[sherrardk]

My son is in Year 6 and is going to Drayton Manor tomorrow but he (and all of his classmates) think that they are going to some stately home with a world-class collection of teaspoons and a postcard collection plus loads of other dull stuff.

He so doesn't want to go and I really don't think he knows where they are actually going - even the bus driver is in on the deception.

Can't believe I didn't crack and tell him, he has looked so miserable about it.

[cazzz1975]

I'm the little geek who would preferred a day at the natural history museum to a theme park

[sherrardk]

Luckily the boy likes theme parks but is also a bit of a nerd - he got the science geek award at his leavers thing (don't thing they used the word geek though).

[boxtops]

Crumbs, I don't envy his teachers - I got in a carriage full of 6-year-olds on the train the other day, they had been to the seaside rockpooling, they were all soooo excited - one helper per 6 pupils seemed to be the only way to herd them!

[sherrardk]

His class is really small - only 20 of them (the class sizes fluctuate loads - some are bursting at the seams) and parents can go too (cheap way of staffing the day).

[Buenchico]

In the 3rd year juniors (which is now called Year 5) we were asked to discuss among ourselves whether we'd rather go to Norwich or to London for the class's day out. Nearly everyone wanted to go to London, and I could see that most of the planned activities there sounded far more interesting than what we'd be doing in Norwich. However I still wanted to go to Norwich because one of the activities was a tour of the Anglia TV studios (which sounded absolutely wonderful to me).

I spent ages working on my friends (and even my enemies) to persuade them that the Anglia TV tour clearly outweighed all of the London attractions put together. I was successful and the vote was overwhelmingly in favour of Norwich.

A few weeks later we were told that the school had been able to confirm all of the planned activities in Norwich (such as visiting the Castle Museum) with the exception of the Anglia TV tour, which had had to be cancelled. I was close to tears, and persona non grata with the rest of the class for the remainder of the term ;(

[annie0000]

so will that be your son away to High School after the summer then and this is their final trip? My son the same age has another year at primary yet.

[sherrardk]

Hi Annie - boy #1 is of to (what I call) secondary school in September but, on paper, it is a very good school and only small (about 500 students) so it should be ok. It is also in the countryside so opportunities for bunking off will be limited (as an ex-teacher he knows that I am wise to all the tricks). #2 is going into Year 3 and #3 is going into Year 1. Dreading September 2012 when thing 1 and thing 2 go to school and I will be on my own.

[annie0000]

wow - that'll be something, an empty house!!! My two are going into Primary 7 and primary 6 when they go back from holidays. Secondary/High School next year for No 1 son. Don't know which school yet a) because we haven't decided which to apply to and b) because we wont know where he gets in until next April!! It's all a bit stressful already. Hope your young man enjoys his trip - I am sure he will be delighted when he sees where they are going.