Kids excluded from free trip

Absolutely! It’s usually for those pupils who are from low income homes/ experience hardship who would never have this opportunity. I’d say don’t make a fuss, if you insist make sure you’re discreet and don’t embarrass vulnerable people.

The school should be transparent but maybe unless they're asked they won't divulge information. Id want to know the criteria and I dont think its inappropriate that you ask.

You are failing to consider how children behave.
Children can be very unkind and being seen as poor will 100% result in some bullying.

I really wouldn’t expect the newsletter to say ‘And look at all the poor children from poor families who needed a handout to go on a camping trip’.

But financial need could still be a key factor.

I don't often post but I had to reply to this thread as it absolutely shocked me.

I'm a teacher . In a local authority school.

There are so many different reasons your child will not have been taken and the others have . They could be SEND, PP, young carers, in care, victims of trauma or abuse.
Schools have no money .
This may have been funded from any source such as the pta , private donation, pp money, cla money.
The fact your miffed your kids didn't go is bonkers. I can honestly assure that those children taken will have been chosen for a specific reason , and if you complain about it you will be THAT entitled parent.
Be happy a group of children got an experience they probably will never get again.
This stuff, parents moaning about why their child hasn't been selected for xyz, is what grates on teachers because we can't always tell you everything about everyone .

Just mind your own business this doesn't effect you. Don't ruin things for others

Do they do school trips for the other pupils as well? In that case its quite fair.
I remember when my son was about 13, in high school and the kids who had the worst behaviour in class were treated to a day out at a theme park, while the ones who had behaved themselves and not disrupted classes watched with their noses pressed up to the window.
Parents did complain but werent listened to.
Ask for your 50 quid to refunded OP

I'd probably be annoyed about this if I didn't agree with the selection criteria and I wouldn't make any more donations to the school and I'd tell them why! If it was something like 100% attendance awards as I don't agree with those due to them disadvantaging disabled children etc.

If it was something like SEN or whatever I wouldn't be bothered.

Op you sound way too angry over this, don’t be that parent, whatever your issues are about how you grew up money wise, your child doesn’t need to worry that his mum is raising hell in school over donating money that went somewhere else- they’ll be raising it as a reason why they’re watching money in the future

Why don’t you believe it was the reason stated in the newsletter?
If your child had been picked for the trip would you be so concerned about the criteria or the children left behind?

Not a complete idiot, but you came to Mumsnet rather than talking to the school about whether the funding used for that trip was ringfenced budget. You are coming across as not only unreasonable but a bit of an entitled prick.

Why would children from disadvantaged backgrounds have to have that information plastered all over the school magazine?

"Look, we took the poor people or the SEND people out on a trip" accompanied with photos for every one in the school knows who the kids in poverty or with additional needs are...

Yeah, not ok.

I don’t but it’s not for me to judge- If the people involved would rather not let others know then that’s their choice and the school/ parents have to respect it. Clearly there is a massive stigma to being on benefits generally- look at the daily fail for that.

Plus there will be loads of people who then take an unhealthy interest in the family finances of those involved- like “oh they are supposedly pupil premium but I saw her with a new phone, at the pub, they went on holiday last year etc”, when they don’t know the details.

It's not but like you said in one of your previous posts.

You were made fun of because you were poor

Maybe they want to spare the kids from any bullying

Lots of school funding come with very strict stipulations and guidelines that they may only be used on specific children. This could be for pupil premium or free school meal children, SEND children, children who are young carers, children with recent bereavement or certain mobility issues, gifted and talented children etc.

In our science department for example, we get occasionally get small amounts of funding or bursaries from companies like Airbus or Rolls Royce or Leonardo who contact us and say they can fund a small trip for our “top ten science performers in the year” to visit them or something along those lines.

Parents only think money is being lavished on children in a competing way when it’s on trips. They don’t see that every day almost all children through their school life may get funding to do things or for provision at certain times when others don’t. Every time a PE teacher coaches or takes kids to a sports fixture that’s money spent on some kids and not others. Any time a kid is part of the school production and school funds are used for rehearsals, costumes, hiring venues, drama teacher time, that’s money spent on some kids but not others. Every time an anxious, nervous or SEND child has extra provision, extra support, extra pastoral care, staff being taken away from their normal working duties to coax or soothe or calm them down, that’s money spent on them and not other kids. Parents have got to stop seeing “trips” as the only way school money is spent on their kids.

@AbiGabi No, I don't but my mother did and because of that I did not have Free School Meals because she thought that I might be bullied or I would be made to eat separately... that did not happen in either school but I knew how much she struggled to balance budgets at home. I also forgot to tell her about a school trip that I knew we could not afford and spent the day in school in the library and the art room and she never knew.

I am now the Chair of an inner city school where we sit at around 50% for FSM in a three form entry primary school, we are also the borough with the highest poverty rate in London. For our Pupil Premium recipients, we spend every bit of the budget we can on them, to ensure that they receive enriched cultural capital, whether that be trips for which we pay because we can see that we can close the gap and the difference that it makes.

I am sorry that you children did not go on the trip, by all means ask what the criteria was for the trip, the school should tell you in the spirit of transparency.

Agree its either pupil premium for disadvantaged or military children......they also can be claimed for by the school. When ny dds were at school in Portsmouth where it was common practise for this to happen, it was always labelled under HMS Adventures so parents knew it was specifically for military kids.

These budgets are ring fenced.
They literally cannot use them in any way outside of the intended use.

I don't think being poor is shameful.

However, the poorest in the class aren't always the PP pupils. A lot of those seem to manage ok, some don't. I queried a child last week who is the shabbiest child in the class and was told no, not PP, Dad works!

Do you mind me asking what the process was like for registering your child as a young carer please? My daughter is one but isn’t registered as one. I’m just wondering if it’s worth it! I don’t like the sound of social services getting involved….

I think its wrong the reason was kept a secret. If it was for disadvantaged children or some other valid reason I would have no objection.

No, you can’t ask, that’s not the point here.

I’d imagine there was a certain criteria for the trip, which could have been anything that you don’t know about. Examples include - Sen children, children who are lacking confidence, children who are young carers, disadvantaged children, children who get pupil premium and so on. In my area there’s quite a few children from military families (we are not!), they get taken out on trips and stuff which I think is lovely, I believe that military children get extra funding through pool premium. Whole range of things that it could be. YABU.