Paying for school trips

[Workinghardeveryday]

I was under the impression that no child could be excluded from a school trip even if it wasn’t paid for?

We got a letter on their first day of high school advising there is a school trip for RE in less than two weeks time.

I rang to give consent, to be told I had to log onto Parent Pay, make my payment of £30 each child and give my consent there.

I explained I don’t use Parent Pay and would give my consent over the phone or via email.

I was advised this is not possible the deputy head rang me, she advised she wouldn’t want my children to be excluded from the trip (twins so £60!!) unless I pay.

I've been a teacher for 20 years and organised countless trips. Residentials, theatres, education centres, the local park. So many places. They are incredibly worthwhile for the children but oh my goodness are they stressful and exhausting. I continue to organise them for the children but the comments about paying for myself are hugely insulting. I give hours of my life for free to organise and run them. Last year for example, I bought toothbrushes for children who didn't have them, snacks for every day. I borrowed my own children's waterproof coats and sun hats, and spent hours working with parents and children who were nervous about coming.

Comparing a residential with a birthday party is also laughable.

This 👏🏻 👏🏻

Teachers throughout the country go above and beyond what they're paid for-to suggest we pay for the pleasure of a residential trip is crazy.

I totally agree with this
If everyone had your attitude OP and didn't budget properly to have money put aside for eventualities then so many people would loose out.

I just don't understand your mentality and as for asking if teachers "go free" it's not a trip for them it's part of their work!!!! Ffs 🤦🏻‍♀️

Solution to me is easy. Take them yourself when you do have the money. See if you can do it for less than 30 per head!! You did say the issue was a timing one…

also, maybe they didn’t have the time to give you notice - schools have just started up and if they’ve moved to y7 how much info can they convey at one time?

but to be clear, if you can’t pay the kids don’t go!! Schools should not have to cough up

Jesus! In the time that you've been in this thread @Workinghardeveryday you could have set yourself up on Parent Pay 🤦‍♀️ It isn't any more difficult than using Mumsnet 🤷‍♀️

Are you actually serious??? Do you honestly think it's 'fun' taking 200 Year 7s (or any year group) on a coach ANYWHERE??? It's a bloody nightmare!!! And the actual organisation of it takes hours of time OUTSIDE of working time! The risk assessment alone usually requires a site visit, which would be done in the teachers own time at the weekend...usually with her poor unwilling family trailing behind, at her own expense!

I teach Year 2, and trips with little ones are super stressful as they are so unpredictable, safeguarding is paramount, you need eyes in the back of your head...constantly alert the whole time and the responsibility that you feel for those children is SO high that you CANNOT relax for even half a second the entire trip. There's no fun at all for staff..it's very stressful. Obviously we want the children to love it!! But for us, it's no walk in the park...and for me, if I could, I'd never do another! They are now getting way too expensive I agree 🤷‍♀️

You've NO idea how hard we work...NONE!!

@Workinghardeveryday

I don't think you realise how trips and residentials work. Here, I'll set it out simply for you so that you can understand:

1: pupils get charged x amount

2: teachers places are FREE

3: pupils are NOT subsidising teachers places...because...

4: teachers are NOT charged...because their places are FREE.

There you go. Cleared up your confusion 👍

I know this AS A FACT because I organise these trips as a TEACHER!

When I worked Mon-Wed if my DC had a school trip on a Th or Fr I would go as a parent helper and would be responsible for 10 x year 6 children. You had to have eyes in the back of your head! I’d pay for my child but they never expected helpers to pay as these trips were hard enough to get sufficient adults to be able to run them in the first place. OP, have you ever helped on one of these visits because if you have you’d realise how much effort goes into them and the teacher is hardly benefiting from ‘free’ travel.. I hope you can find a way for your children to get on the trip.

No I don’t pay for trips. However I do pay for glue, scissors, paint, art materials, topic books, paper and baking materials so my class can experience a full curriculum. Pardon me if I won’t pay my bus fares.

Just to be absolutely clear so there can be no confusion:

I have never once said teachers should pay to go on a trip

I absolutely do appreciate everything teachers are doing over and beyond for my kids and already stated that numerous times

My point after another poster rightly asked the question was parents shouldn’t pay travel costs for teachers on an educational trip when they are struggling to pay the costs of their own children to attend

There was no pulling down of teachers in anyway.

Also, could anyone please explain why my children cannot attend this trip when it states in the link I cannot be charged for this?!!!

It's not a compulsory trip, it's to enhance what has been taught in RE. If all parents said I'm not paying trips wouldn't run apart from essential ones like geography field trips. There is no budget anywhere in schools to subsidise trips.

Paying for teachers and staff to attend a trip is part of the cost. Children need to be supervised. Most places offer free places for staff so the cost is simply insurance and travel expenses.

The school pays the staff's usual wages and the rest of the time is given free by staff and volunteers.

Schools are very aware of not asking too much of parents (the majority of us are parents too) and often get the PTA to subsidise and work with parents who struggle to pay.

I think the short notice aspect of this trip is due to it being close to the start of term.

You need to actually read the link you posted if you’re going to try and use it to prove you’re right. It clearly says that transport can be charged for.

Your problem now is the school saying one thing and meaning another. It sounds like the trip is technically an optional extra, so that they don’t have to take children whose parents don’t pay, but they would still really like all children to go.

No, you are wrong, maybe you should read the link correctly before posting….

it clearly states they can’t charge for RE. Also if you care to scroll down it states they can’t charge for educational travel costs.

They aren't charging for RE. They're charging for a school trip to enhance their learning.

Its quite usually at secondary that only those who pay go (so only a few do the ski trip) but most do the smaller excursions.

If you can't pay, don't.
Schools do not have the money to pay for school trips. They just don't. If you want trips to go ahead, and many parents do expect them to, then you have to accept that there is a cost.

Also, could anyone please explain why my children cannot attend this trip when it states in the link I cannot be charged for this?!!!

I doubt you are being charged. You are asked for a contribution. 27 years a secondary teacher and the word contribution was only ever used.

^Out of curiosity, do teachers have to pay towards the transport as they are obviously using it too? Or do they get paid to go while children of families who can't afford it miss out?*

This is a joke yeah? Because teachers just love doing trips and supervising kids.They don’t HAVE to do them, they do them because the kids enjoy them. And you expect them to pay for themselves FFS?

Why do they bother, with parents like you?

it clearly states they can’t charge for RE. Also if you care to scroll down it states they can’t charge for educational travel costs.

But thats why I said you need to make the school clarify whether is essential to your children’s education or not.

Someone on the phone told you your dc couldn’t go unless they pay, and it’s not clear from your OP what the deputy head said, which is why you need to clarify which type of trip it is before insisting that the school should pay.

OP if the school can't charge for educational trips, transport etc then the simple consequence of that is that no such trips will ever run. There is no other money to pay for them. Is that what you would prefer to happen?

*@Workinghardeveryday
*
it clearly states they can’t charge for RE. Also if you care to scroll down it states they can’t charge for educational travel costs.

The charge is for the transport-you've already agreed that you didn't realise coaches were so expensive.

The document you're quoting (misunderstanding) says the school can charge for transport other than transport required to take the child to school or other premises provided by the LA/Gov body for the pupils education. So they can charge because the church is not owned by the school or Governing body-it doesn't say they can't charge because it's for their education, it's all one piece or information not two.

If your children really want to go on this trip OP can you talk to the school and ask if you can pay in installments or perhaps you could drive your children to the venue and back and contribute what you can instead. It seems unfair for kids to miss out if there parents cannot afford the cost but its equally unfair for teachers and venue staff to not be paid.

WOW. This is possibly the most entitles post I've ever read on MN. OP really hanging on to the fact she thinks she doesn't need to pay for the trip. Get a grip OP.

For reference, the cost of the bus for the residential I'm planned for next summer is double the cost of last year. It's shocking.