Kids excluded from free trip

Don't the arguments about publicity apply equally to telling everyone about it afterwards? Like many of you, my first thought was that it's some specific pot of funding or similar- young carers, pupil premium, that type of thing. So anyone who is wondering may now be speculating about the kids on the photos.

The governors will have been involved in this- most likely by reviewing the PPM strategy, the school budget and also monitoring things like PPM, SEND and behaviour.

The school are hardly being secretive- they publicised it in the newsletter! They didn’t publicise the criteria but that’s likely to be entirely appropriate with a good basis in safeguarding, data protection and confidentiality. Why should the OP need to know that Ben in yr 6 is pupil premium and Sophie in year 2 is a looked after child?

Sadly you will need to get used to this post Covid every school trip was really over subscribed so it was literally a lottery as to who got to go on the popular trips. .

I very strongly suspect that these kids were picked for specific reasons. Likely to be SEND, pupil premium, child in need etc or other barriers to education. The centre probably has criteria itself about who it will offer free places to.

The school probably didn’t publicise this because the kids themselves have a right to privacy and it would have been completely inappropriate to identify them clearly as part of the above groups.

I think you might benefit from using your imagination a bit TBH.

I am not a teacher but I also cannot stand parents who nit pick and criticise every last thing that the school does, making the teachers’ lives miserable, but leave their kids there. If you’re determined to think the worst of the school just remove your kids and send them somewhere else FFS.

Your child wasn't excluded they simply didn't meet the criteria for this trip. The fact you think it's complaint worthy shows how privileged you and your child are.

Presumably it wasnt Manus and Georgie from motherland types enjoying a cheeky break before amanda takes them skiing in verbier... its kids who might otherwise never get a holiday....

I couldnt get excited about this personally

I would absolutely ask the school to be more transparent about this and involve the governors.

Pupil premium or “disadvantaged” kids whatever, totally irrelevant. The problem is the secrecy about it beforehand then rubbing people’s noses in it.

Im 28, when I was in primary school I went on many trips with gifted and talented lol. Overnight trips sometimes too. I don't think that's a thing anymore is it?

It may be that the centre has received funding to offer places to a specific demographic.

It's likely to be pupil premium funded so for children who are disadvantaged and may not have access to a holiday or activities. You are perfectly within your rights to ask for the selection criteria.

You could look up the school’s Pupil Premium strategy report on its website. It may state that an identified challenge for the school’s PP cohort is lack of access to life experiences and that part of the PP grant is to be spent on additional trips for those children.

This is common practice in schools and there are a million possible reasons why; Pupil Premium children, SEN, financially disadvantaged, children in care. You sound like a petulant child @AbiGabi and the money you gave has no bearing on a trip for a specific group of children.
For all you know, these particular children could have very limited opportunities so YABVU to begrudge them that. It’s a good time to teach your child that not everyone gets to take part in everything all the time.

find out how it was funded and what was the criteria before bitching about it.

you might be justified but I bet there are good reasons and a restricted funding
behind it

I think you’re being unreasonable to jump to conclusions and it is perfectly acceptable to ask the school if you are interested as to why some children were chosen and some were not.

It is most likely for the reasons other posters have mentioned.

Presumably a reward trip or similar? Or Pupil premium, holiday activity etc.

It's very likely it's for kids who didn't have the financial means to go on the standard trips. I work in a school and tbh when I see the mad expensive ski trips and trips abroad so many of our schools go on now, it pains me to think there are prob a lot of kids who just cant afford those experiences. Can't be easy if you are that kid probably making up a lie as to why you can't go.

I don’t think you're being unreasonable at all, I’d be cheesed off as well especially if I’d given a donation to their begging bowl.
No very ‘inclusive’ of the school and then to announce it and post photos for all to see is just rubbing everyone else’s noses in it.
They’d have been better off minimising this event and saying nothing.

Why? Have you read the thread??

Would you also complain if someone get to go to a sports event?
Or some get to go to a STEM thing?
What about children who get extra maths and English support?
Or children who are quietly kitted out for free from the second hand uniform store?

It will definitely be specific funding for specific children - disadvantaged, SEND etc

Id be annoyed too. Complain tomthe governors amd local authority.

True, but making it obvious that some kids have gone on a cool trip and others haven't is always going to generate questions.

I would assume that those children were selected as ones who would most benefit from the trip and that they were most likely to be disadvantaged in some way. It is disappointing if your child isn't chosen for something but when it's a thing like this, there will be an underlying reason for it that you're not aware of. If it's financial for example, I would be pleased that they had been able to provide a lovely trip for children who might not have been away on a trip/excursion/holiday before.

My child went on some school trips that other kids didn't. If the other kids want to go on the trips, they can have my kid's disability and welcome.

It would have been better practice for the school to be transparent about how the trip was funded and the reason some children were chosen over others, although perhaps they were trying to protect privacy. So you're within your rights to ask.

You're unreasonable to link it to having paid £50 to the school or complain about photos in the newsletter for something that sounds like a positive experience.

The school may not tell you as by doing so it will identify info about those children which is none of your business

YABU. There will be a reason those children were picked and possibly special funding that the school had to apply for.