Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Kids excluded from free trip

235 replies

AbiGabi · 05/03/2026 16:16

Some of the kids at my dc’s school were selected to be allowed to go on an outward bound/activity trip where they had a great time staying in huts, having campfires, petting animals and doing some exciting and amusing team activities and sport.

The activity was free, and it wasn’t advertised to all parents in the year - only those who had been picked.

I only found out about it when I saw the school newsletter saying what a truly fabulous time the kids had had, and about 3 pages of photos showing them all havi nt fun. The school newsletter then banged on about how amazing it was that the school was to be able to provide this trip totally free to the kids who went, because the outward bound centre provided facilities for free so the school only had to pay for food and the coach to transport all the kids. Coaches are NOT cheap!

last month the school came begging for contributions to buy classroom equipment and I gave the school £50 not realising they were spaffing money on trips my dc wasn’t invited to!

Aibu to feel this is sharp practice by the school and unfair?

OP posts:
Dandydairy · 05/03/2026 16:27

It will probably be pupil premium paying for the food/transport. Your kids probably benefit from that indirectly as it’s rarely spent on the kids it’s intended for.

Hankunamatata · 05/03/2026 16:25

Primary or secondary?
Age of the kids?

TheMorgenmuffel · 05/03/2026 16:25

There will be a reason those children were chosen and you may not be entitled to know what that reason is because it is private financial or medical information.

Lmnop22 · 05/03/2026 16:22

Of course you’re being unreasonable. There will be
lots of times the school will decide to use their funds for a purpose that won’t benefit your child - like other year groups’ classrooms/trips/equipment or a sport field your child doesn’t use or whatever.

Thats not a good reason to get annoyed you donated £50 (which you could clearly afford) to a school which is, if anything like most schools, chronically underfunded, doing its best and providing a free education to your child!

Dreamerinme · 05/03/2026 16:21

You can ask the school what the criteria was for selecting pupils for the trip? My friend’s DD(11) has SEN and an EHCP and she is often chosen to do activities/trips along with other SEN/disadvantaged pupils etc, so maybe it is something similar at your DC’s school.

Shmee1988 · 05/03/2026 16:21

I understand youre annoyed that your dc has not been included. However, I would imagine that if you asked the school, you may find the kids selected to go are the ones who may not have these opportunities outside of school. Possibly those families with a lower income etc. Have you asked about how the kids were selected?

TeenToTwenties · 05/03/2026 16:20

Possibly PP kids who might otherwise not get similar opportunities? And transported funded from PP?

Octavia64 · 05/03/2026 16:19

Sometimes these trips are for children who are young carers or children who access pupil premium.

there can be extra funding that schools have to apply for that is often for specific groups of children.

night this be the case?

Beamur · 05/03/2026 16:19

I would ask how the children who attended were selected. It's possibly through specific funding but I think it's not unreasonable to ask given they have made it clear that not everyone went.

tripleginandtonic · 05/03/2026 16:18

Yes

Swipe left for the next trending thread