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Original poster

Schoo trip first come first served

157 replies

Meetingonthehill · 26/05/2023 21:45

AIBU to think school could and should have managed this better?

Son is Year 9.

Today school informed the children that there is an enrichment trip to a theme park. The letter would be sent to parents at 3.30pm and the payment portal opened at the same time. Kids advised it was first come first served.

This particular enrichment activity was open to Year 9 (this is their only offering for this year group) and also open to Year 8 (who have the choice of two theme parks).

(Year 9 have had no enrichment trips prior to this - Covid meant the Year 7 residential wasn’t offered and nothing was offered last year when they were in Year 8.)

My son tried to call me at 3.20 as he came out of school but I was at work (no phones allowed). I did finish work at 3.55 so called him back when he told me about the letter and trip.

I logged on to the portal straight away but all the places had gone.

AIBU to think that if offering something on a first for first served basis they should give people a bit more notice than 10 minutes? (The time between when the kids can use their phone after school and the time the portal opened.)

Surely only the parents who don’t work/have desk based jobs can realistically book something with that tight a turn around?

Not to mention those who may just be able to afford it but might need a little bit of time to balance the books to make sure.

Of course, it’s half term next week so nothing can be done and probably won’t be.

I realise they are lucky to have staff that can put on trips but it seems really unfair to split this opportunity across two year groups and not give everyone a fair chance at taking them up on the offer (especially as they haven’t had any other trips before). I realise they may not have the staff to cover everyone going. But why not make the booking process fairer?

OP posts:
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FarmGirl78 · 28/05/2023 11:57

LividHouse · 26/05/2023 22:00

I mean, that’s basically what happened in the OP? Demand outstripped supply.

And you’ll still have someone’s mum phoning up to say Jimmy was off school on sign up day so it wasn’t fair that he couldn’t go on the list.

Show quote history

There's why most schools have "sign up week" or month even. And it gets sent out by text message or email.

Lottery style after a week's email deadline would mean everyone got fair opportunity to be in with a chance. The way this school did it didn't give everyone fair opportunity. There's a different between not everyone being able to go, and not everyone being given opportunity to go.

Willyoujustbequiet · 28/05/2023 11:32

Totally ridiculous of the school.

Some SEN kids wouldn't also necessarily appreciate the urgency either so hardly inclusive.

Changechangechanging · 28/05/2023 11:27

The portal shouldn't be opened until 7pm, for example

there is no good time to do that. Plenty of people work shifts and are in work at 7pm - factory workers, doctors and other health professionals, care workers, supermarket workers, people working in call centres, emergency services etc etc etc. The only fair way is lottery but the extra work for schools is problematic.

Freeballing · 28/05/2023 11:10

I think it's crazy. I'm not in the UK but my children go on multiple trips a year and unless they are for a specific thing like the computer club or music class every child in the class goes. Dd is going to a theme park next week, she went paint balling a few weeks ago, was away for an over night to an adventure centre type place a while back and they are all heavily encouraged to go to everything with the school covering the cost for the few children that might not be able to afford it. They would be upset if it was even a lucky dip nevermind a first serve basis where some kids don't stand a chance because their parents work.

JobChangeSoonPlease · 28/05/2023 11:07

I had a similar thing happen to my DD. Put her on the waitlist and the week before travel a space came up. It's the best you can do now, although in this situation a ballot would be fairer.

AmazonAmazine · 28/05/2023 10:58

With similar years ago I used to have a window to sign up, say 2 days, then if oversubscribed I’d lucky dip names.

GladysHeeler · 28/05/2023 10:55

bladebladebla1 · 27/05/2023 21:09

Wow things have changed since I was at school. We could all go to everything if we wanted to

And go to the dentist for check ups and go to the bank and save a house deposit in our twenties and go to university without it costing £40,000.

Budgiegirlbob · 28/05/2023 08:59

IhearyouClemFandango · 27/05/2023 19:10

We download the names into a spreadsheet, then upload into a random generator. Literally a few clicks of a mouse and a bit of savvy depending on your software.

But given that genuine first come first serve is so unfair to so many families, even if you had to do it manually I would argue that it still should be done.

Show quote history

I don’t disagree that a lottery may be fairer, or at least more notice and a different starting time would be good.

All I’m saying is that it does create more work, and depending on the software used, it might be quite a lot more work. So I can understand why sometimes the school does it the way it’s been done here. It’s how I do it, as a cub leader, due to software/time constraints.

And as I said earlier, no matter what you do, it will be wrong for someone!

someoneisalwaysintheloo · 28/05/2023 03:24

How is a theme park an enrichment trip?

They should have given earlier notice and opened the registration at 7pm or so fora more fair chance.

JMSA · 28/05/2023 02:49

Gosh, that is really shit. YANBU.

Crystalclear13 · 28/05/2023 02:44

Completely unfair process they should definitely consider at least a 24 hour period before deciding

turtool · 28/05/2023 02:32

It's not fair. Not every parent has a deposit available to secure a place within hours. Most parents have to discuss with each other, and agree on finances. And doesn't give any child, without a way to be first come first served, a chance at all

bibbidibobbidiboop · 28/05/2023 00:21

LividHouse · 26/05/2023 21:54

You CANNOT understand the levels of stress and hours of work that go into planning even the smallest of trips nowadays.

And you CANNOT make it fair for everyone, because by definition giving you a place would mean denying someone else a place.

I ran a trip two years ago where an arsey email from a parent about something similar, when I was genuinely on my arse with logistics and paperwork and competing demands sent me over the edge and I haven’t run the trip this year because I just can’t face this sort of stuff.

You really, truly can’t please everybody and they will have had a list of reasons as long as your arm about why it had to happen this way.

The portal shouldn't be opened until 7pm, for example. Working parents stand no chance in this instance.

lilsupersparks · 27/05/2023 22:12

Our school sends out a letter some times ahead of the trip with a ´closing date’ then if there is more demand than places they pull names out of a hat. Then you have another deadline by which to pay. Unpaid places go to people on the waiting list. This was also gives you time to cool off if your kid doesn’t want to go on the trip or the dates don’t work or something.

The way you school does this does seem rather unfair.

bladebladebla1 · 27/05/2023 21:09

Wow things have changed since I was at school. We could all go to everything if we wanted to

Bunnycat101 · 27/05/2023 20:23

It surely wouldn’t be they difficult to give a week’s notice, ask for interest to be declared by x point and then do a ballot with a waiting list. Fastest finger first stuff really annoys me .

Callyem · 27/05/2023 20:14

Going by the title I was all set to say you were being unreasonable but having read your post, no you are not. If a trip is offered first come first served (which is reasonable), there should absolutely be a fairer time frame to give every parent the opportunity to mobilise. Apart from working parents being adversely affected, those on low income who can't scramble instant money would also be affected.

Napmum · 27/05/2023 20:11

They definitely should have given more notice than this. Son's school normally give us a day or 2 notice, before the booking portal opens at 6pm (I assume they set that time as most parents will be home from work then.

XelaM · 27/05/2023 19:17

AbreathofFrenchair · 27/05/2023 18:21

Ski trip was 10 days in America, 6 skiing, then 4 sightseeing (Manahattan)

Geography trip is to Iceland.

All accomodation, food and flights included.

Surprisingly all places go on these trips and neither of my children go and aren't any worse off for it.

Parents can afford it.

50 children out of the year went skiing

20 are going to Iceland

Show quote history

Wow I have honestly never heard if school trips being that expensive. My daughter is going to New York for a week for just under £1500 (also all travel/accommodation/food/sights included) and she has been on ski trips at 5* resorts for around £1600 - granted it was in the Alps. But it seems your school has some ultra wealthy families.

IhearyouClemFandango · 27/05/2023 19:10

budgiegirl · 27/05/2023 16:56

It is super easy to run a lottery system, probably 5 mins max to run it

Except it isn't, it's actually quite a bit more time consuming to run. The software that we use sends out emails, asks parents to sign up, and once the places are full, it runs a waiting list. This is all done automatically.

If we did a lottery system, then this would have to be done manually, would involve making lists, selecting names the old fashioned way (quite literally out of a hat!) sending out many more emails, and would be much more time consuming. I appreciate that this may depend on the systems used, but for my scout group, this is how it would be. And I'm only talking about a cub pack of 30, it would be much more time consuming for a school year group.

We download the names into a spreadsheet, then upload into a random generator. Literally a few clicks of a mouse and a bit of savvy depending on your software.

But given that genuine first come first serve is so unfair to so many families, even if you had to do it manually I would argue that it still should be done.

AbreathofFrenchair · 27/05/2023 18:35

towriteyoumustlive · 27/05/2023 16:33

I disagree with this.

How on earth is it the fairest way?!?!

What about parents who work? Parents who don't have instant access to a phone/computer? Parents who cannot pay immediately?

Firstly, any school trip that takes place during school hours in the UK CANNOT ask for payment - they can only request a voluntary donation. The school then has (limited) funds to subsidise pupils from very low income families who cannot afford school trips*.

The ONLY fair way to do it is to give people a time period (say 48 hours) to ask for a place, then if there are more demands than spaces, a fair ballot needs to take place.

  • If too many parents refuse to pay the voluntary donation but want their child to go on the school trip, the trip has to be cancelled.
Show quote history

Schools cannot charge for education outside of school hours or during school hours, however they can charge for extras which include transport, accomodation and food if they organise education trips.

It clearly states this in the document "charging for school activities"

This is what it clearly states you are paying for in all letters regarding the trip.

They can do smaller local trips and ask for voluntary payments and these trips can also be cancelled if they dont meet the required cost e.g. the transport and entry payment etc.

Schools have hardship funds but certainly won't have to cover multiple coaches and hundreds of children to fly off round the world.

And first come first served is fair. Our first come first serve trips have gone live at 3pm and close at 7pm or when they become full. They oversubscribe to then make a waiting list because children may also drop out.

Sadly, life isnt fair and not everyone will get to do everything all of the time. It would probably more unfair to open up a trip for everyone and the ones who camt afford it even after some help from the hardship fund, are the only ones that don't get to go.

aSofaNearYou · 27/05/2023 18:27

YANBU. They shouldn't have split it across two years - if Year 8 can't go on a trip they can go when they're in Year 9.

And yes, if they were going to do it this way, it should have been with more notice.

DiscoBeat · 27/05/2023 18:23

I honestly think that if they can't make it available to everyone within reason then they shouldn't offer it all.
I agree with this! All or none. Or two/three trips if necessary so everyone can go. I'm lucky that I can log on any time but we had a similar situation and I quickly phoned his friend's mum and the place had already gone!

AbreathofFrenchair · 27/05/2023 18:21

XelaM · 27/05/2023 16:53

What are those prices?!? 😱 My kid has been in private schools since reception and I've never seen school trip prices like the ones you mention. Ski trips, New York trip, trip to the Algarve etc. are all around the £1500 mark. Your school is nuts.

Show quote history

Ski trip was 10 days in America, 6 skiing, then 4 sightseeing (Manahattan)

Geography trip is to Iceland.

All accomodation, food and flights included.

Surprisingly all places go on these trips and neither of my children go and aren't any worse off for it.

Parents can afford it.

50 children out of the year went skiing

20 are going to Iceland

JulieHoney · 27/05/2023 17:08

I'm with @budgiegirl , it's a nightmare trying to organise trips through lotteries.