How many school trips per year?

[Falconhoof1]

As the school year comes to an end I've just realised how little in the way of trips there have been for my DS. They used to have way more with the previous headteacher but since she retired there have been very few for all classes. I think they have been on 1 proper outing all year and there in another coming up in June. I'm just curious really- how many school trips do your DC get in a year?

[Trb17]

Normally one proper school outing in Years R to 5 for us. Now Y6 has had 4 night residential at start of the year - then will prob have day out somewhere now SATs are done.

[BikeRunSki]

YR-Y3 one outing per year
Y4,5 one outing plus one residential per year
Whole school - panto trip every Christmas
(It's a First School, not Primary and we stop at Y5).

[Falconhoof1]

Oh ok-previous head must have just been super keen on outings! Thanks

[user1955]

It is entirely up to the teachers and school. On average we do one per year per year group. It has to be curriculum linked - e.g. trip to a castle during the term when the topic is castles. If other opportunities arise and the teacher wants to organise a trip they need to put in a request to the SLT as it has cost implications.

In the current financial crisis it is worth bearing in mind trips cost the school. Despite an annual contribution from the PTA to each year group to reduce price to parents (which doesn't even cover the cost of one coach) and voluntary contributions any shortfall has to be covered by the school.

Other issues are tensions around parent volunteers to reach required ratios and tighter regulations around organising trips.

I have heard of some local teachers who are so fed up with the regulations, risk (including the litigation culture) and frequent parental complaints about small issues that they feel it really isn't worth the stress.

[DarkFloodRises]

Usually one trip each term

[PurpleTraitor]

7-8 except in nursery when they have 3-4.

Y5 have been on one this week which was I think the sixth this year, they have another on Monday and they have residential coming up.

Most go out of school once or twice a week for outside providers as well, but I don't count that as a trip.

Most actual trips are free and entirely unremarkable tbh. All within school hours and often back for lunch so no need for even a pack up.

[WelliesAndPyjamas]

1 whole school trip in the summer term
1 class trip related to topic (usually every year but not always)
1 short residential for the year 6 children

Transport cost is a big issue for a small primary in our area. Visiting experiences/events (e.g. reptiles, emergency services, world war 2, etc) sometimes come to the school instead and it works out simpler/cheaper/less stresssful for staff 😄 and just as much fun educational.

[WelliesAndPyjamas]

Forgot - whole school panto at Christmas too!

[spanieleyes]

The problem is,most schools make a loss on school trips. They are only allowed to charge parents their share of the actual costs and can't "make allowances" for those that can't or won't pay. So each trip costs the school money. With cuts to school budgets, funds simply aren't available any more to subsidise trips.

[colonelgoldfish]

My current school is 1 trip per year. Sometimes a few low cost outings/events thrown in.

Trips can be very expensive and if the school is in an area where parents are unable to/unlikely to want to contribute towards the costs of the trips then it has to be limited.

[isittheholidaysyet]

1 main (fun) trip. Big museum etc. For each class.

Occasional small trip related to subject studied eg victorian school room. But not necessarily each year.

Reception go to see father Christmas .

Year 6, 3 day residential

An outdoor pursuits residential (3 day) open to year 4, 5, 6.

They do a lot of free walking trips, visiting the library or church, etc. And choir trips for performances.

[noramum]

Junior school here:

all school trip to Panto

Y5 3 night residential (September when they start the year)
Y6 4 night residential (June, as a good bye trip)

This year DD (Y5) had her residential and 2 school trips, they just announced trip no. 3 for end of June. These all all-day trips either with coach or train into London. Prices are resonable, most under 10 quid.

I think in the previous years we had 2 trips per year.

Y6 gets a fun trip in the last week of school in July, this year they go to Kidzania. This is fully paid by the school as a gift.

In addition there are trips for sports clubs to regional competitions, choir and orchestra travel but that's locally,

[anon1987]

My dds school does 1 a year and 4 night residential in yr 5.

I remember when I was in primary school we used to have 3-4 a year. Budget cuts have changed that I expect it's up to the school to decide where to spend the money.

[Witchend]

I thought 1 trip a year is normal. However our school has people in a lot-theatres, science demos etc. They cost around£2 each so much cheaper.

[EweAreHere]

I wonder if it's to do with the massive budget cuts the schools have faced, with more cuts to come.

School trips cost money, and the 'voluntary' contributions aren't always made. it's miserable to have to ask parents to contribute, but without the contributions, the trips cost too much for schools to put on. If parents haven't been willingly supporting the trips financially, I can imagine schools just cutting the number of trips right back.

[WelliesAndPyjamas]

I think other factors also come in to it, ewearehere, such as insurance and transport costs. Our school hasn't lost money following the changes to school funding and has historically done 1 whole school trip, 1 whole school panto, and 1 class trip per year. I expect that will stay the same. Parental financial situations haven't majorly changed (i.e. everyone is still just getting by if they are lucky!) and there hasn't been any significant drop in voluntary contributions to trips. I imagine, like you mentioned, that if contributions drop, the trips might be changed to cheaper/free destinations to help bring the cost down overall.

[PurpleAlerts]

The last two primary schools I worked in had termly trips for years 1-6KS2 ( so three a year) and also special themed days ( e.g. Greeks/Romans) Reception had one trip in the summer term. Year 6 had a residential trip after SATS and those that didn't go had a week of day trips.

[EveryoneTalkAboutPopMusic]

DD, Y5, has been on 2 this year. Next year she'll have a 3 day residential but not sure about additional trips.

[sonlypuppyfat]

At DDs old primary I used to pay a pound every week into the school trip fund, there used to be a trip every term, loads of great trips the headmaster was fab . She really misses it now she's at secondary

[FrayedHem]

Since a new Head started in October, my Yr5 child has been on 2 trips, 1 to London, 1 to a more local place. My Yr6 child also went on the London trip and had another smaller trip to a production at a local school. They've also had a few organised things in school - 2 pantomime/theatre type things. The Yr6's go on a week residential (though mine isn't going). They also had the option of going on a trip to Wembley but neither wanted to go as it was some kind of singing and dancing thing.

Prior to this, it used to be a trip to local working farm less than 5 miles away in Yr3 and that was it, apart from the Yr6 residential. In fact DS2 didn't get to go on the farm trip as the school ran out of time, so they just got given a goody bag instead(!)

The new head is very much for them getting out and having different experiences to boost morale and their creative writing. My only gripe has been the lack of notice - they will tell the children in advance but the letters take a lot longer to come home. One of them meant parents had to provide transport which was fair enough, but they only gave 4 days notice including the weekend and were shocked this was problematic for some.

[CatsInKilts]

Usually one trip each year.

They sometimes go out in the local area, but those are usually free as there are no transport costs.

The exception is Yr 6. They get an extra trip to celebrate the end of SATs, which the school pays for. They also have a residential trip (paid for by parents).

[GetTheGoodLookingGuy]

Y1 TA here. So far this year we've had:

2x trips to local sciency place within walking distance - only out of school for a couple of hours total each time, inc walking distance.

A walk around the local area for RE.

Trip to local library for storytime - only gone for 50 minutes total.

Whole day out of school at the theatre where we did the Y1 production. Rehersal in morning, performance in afternoon. Walked there, any children not collected after the performance from the theatre were taken back to school in the minibus.

Big whole day trip to the zoo - 1h coach ride each way. We're in a low-income area, but all but 3 families paid the full £15 cost.

Off the top of my head, we still have 3 trips left - 2 walking distance, probably half-days, and the 3rd which will need a coach, maybe 20 mins drive away, also probably only a half day.

So I make that 9, not including anything we don't send letters home for - so end of term services at a church 25mins walk away, going to the Juniors for a cinema experience, going to the church right next door for RE (at least once a 1/2 term), and going to the "secret garden" between the Infants and the Juniors.

So that seems a lot compared to previous posters...

[Hulababy]

We try to do one form of external enrichment each half term - either one in school with someone coming from outside (agency, volunteer, a theatre group, etc) or one outside of school. Sometimes they manage both.

However we also try to keep costs down. I think we ensure we ask for no more than £30 a year, maybe a couple of pounds either side. This obviously does limit what we can offer and where we go, though we do try to use funds to help pay towards some of these - for example we do an enterprise week when each class starts with £5 and comes up with an idea to make/do and earn money during the week. This can often help towards at least one visit out.

[DebbieFiderer]

Generally 1 per term, but sometimes one of those is actually in school - so an outside company run a workshop related to the topic and parents are asked to pay for it, which sounds bad but is cheaper than a trip as no transport costs and the kids get a lot out of it. The school are trying very hard to give advance notice of trips at the start of the year along with approx costs to help families plan, and most trips cost under £10-£15.

[2014newme]

3
One per term