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Original poster

£1800 for a school trip

468 replies

Patchw0rk · 25/05/2023 14:55

Is it just me, or what are the school thinking?!

DC desperately wants to go of course- all their friends are, of course 🙄and we could possibly afford it with a lot of hard work (on my part, overtime!) but we could take the whole family away for that.

DC is 13 so old enough to understand about money really but so wants to go. It's a week skiing in Canada. I want them to have brilliant life experiences but it's just so much money.

I just think school have lost the plot. Could they really not have come up with something more reasonable for a y9 trip?

OP posts:
tinkerbellvspredator · 29/05/2023 11:31

It's not just about whether you can afford for the whole family to go skiing, but whether you want / are able to. DH and I couldn't think of anything worse than going skiing for a holiday (hate heights, hate speed, hate cold, bad knee). We're also never planning on a family holiday to Canada. So DS gets to go to Canada, learn to ski, have an experience that he will not otherwise have. Only 50 kids from a very large school can go, and it's in the holidays, so not something everyone can go to even if they want to (had to have a lottery to allocate places). I do agree that the schools should ensure there are cheaper trips available also.

Flowersun6 · 29/05/2023 11:35

Do you speak with the other parents at the school? I think it's really disgusting of a state school to even offer this type of trip.

I always holiday with DS I certainly won't be paying £1800 for a school trip plus all the extras.... I've got this all to come!

Flowersun6 · 29/05/2023 11:38

SacreBleugh · 28/05/2023 19:28

I thinks it's total bollocks OP. There's no need. My son recently went skiing in Bulgaria- which is still too expensive for a lot of kids at his state school- but is more affordable. Kids don't need to go to Canada to get the experience.

Absolutely this!!

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Flowersun6 · 29/05/2023 11:50

MissTrip82 · 27/05/2023 03:35

I don’t understand the people calling it an amazing opportunity?

School trips should have some educational element and there’s not much point going overseas and not engaging with the culture at all. A week in a ski resort is neither educational nor cultural. What opportunity is it providing?

Agree with this too.

Icantfindmykeys · 29/05/2023 11:58

Yep our state school did the same. You could pay over 2 years which helped. The skiing is incredible and safety, tuition etc is superb. At the same time my eldest DS went to Austria with his school for £980 which seemed a relative bargain!
Sounds like we live in similar areas … still the trips were oversubscribed!!!

Sugarfree23 · 29/05/2023 12:22

Flowersun6 · 29/05/2023 11:50

Agree with this too.

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It's sport with tuition attached to it.

SheldontheWonderSchlong · 29/05/2023 12:27

SleazyLizzard · 25/05/2023 16:53

TBH I think all school trips should be banned unless all children can access them.

camping trips in the school grounds, visits from theatre groups in the school hall, visits to local museums are all doable for minimal cost. And are all enriching experiences.

This. Either everyone gets the opportunity to go or no one does.

SeaCloud1988 · 29/05/2023 12:29

I agree it is a lot of money.

I am a school teacher and I’ve just launched a trip for my current y7 and y8 for in nearly 2 years to New York.

It is £1600 for 3 nights and 5 days which yes is a lot. However that includes all their food, flights, excursions, hoodies, visas, transfers etc and so they need nothing but spending money with them.

It is on the basis over the next academic year they will run a number of fundraising events and ‘mini businesses’ that will offset against the total price. Parents are given 18 months to pay in installments

Absolutely agree it’s a lot but it also gives opportunities for those who families couldn’t afford to go themselves as it would mean paying for the whole family.

Sugarfree23 · 29/05/2023 12:45

@SeaCloud1988 thank-you for giving kids the opportunity.
I was one of those kids whose family couldn't afford overseas holidays but they paid for my sibling to go to France with school and me to ski. Both our first trips abroad were school trips.

Yes it's fine in principle to say all school trips should be affordable but the very nature of society is some kids will have opportunities to travel with family and others won't.

I will ask one question, will councils fund trips for kids who are in care?

Platypuslover · 29/05/2023 13:35

Bet it’s an academy they pull this kind of stuff a lot to rip off parents a lot of t he Kunst will be going into their own pockets as they get kick backs from everything and every person that books etc. from uniform to food served.

Platypuslover · 29/05/2023 13:36

It sure what happens there money not Kunst not talking about art.

EarthlyNightshade · 29/05/2023 13:48

Platypuslover · 29/05/2023 13:35

Bet it’s an academy they pull this kind of stuff a lot to rip off parents a lot of t he Kunst will be going into their own pockets as they get kick backs from everything and every person that books etc. from uniform to food served.

You should report this kind of thing if you know about it.
Schools are allowed to do this.

SeaCloud1988 · 29/05/2023 15:29

This isn’t true. The costs involved are immense. It’s not just the cost of the trip as such, it’s the cover, insurance etc which doesn’t come cheap at all

Weedoormatnomore · 29/05/2023 17:15

My DD is being charged the same just to go to Italy she looked up the accommodation and reviews and went no way she is desperate to go on school trip but wants a place where food is not described as inedible !

Ohgollymolly · 29/05/2023 17:21

So everyone should miss out?! That’s ridiculous!

My mum was a single mum, and things were really tight. I was well aware we didn’t have as much money as other kids in my class at primary school. By secondary she had a better job and things were easier. This time my school was in a very low income area so we did absolutely nothing. No day trips or residentials. It was miserable!

Other people should not have to suffer because of your own circumstances. It’s ridiculous to expect that.

ZIEVAR · 29/05/2023 17:23

Yes you should suggest that idea. As well as other trips within Britain. Surely schools could collaberate with other schools in different areas of the country. They could have camp beds in the gym hall. Aviemore for to ski in the winter. Cornwall/Devon for summer water sports etc. I can't understand why parent don't raise a noise about the ridiculous trips.

MySoCalledWife · 29/05/2023 17:34

I think it is tone deaf and ridiculous and I would just explain to my kids that it was too expensive

There are so many amazing trips s as don't experiences to be done within the U.K. and Europe

The kids whose parents could easily afford this don't "miss out", if the school did not offer these trips, as those kids would just go to Canada, LA, Disney, Switzerland etc with their parents anyway

IncreasinglyGrumpy · 29/05/2023 17:42

What is with these schools ? That's an obscene amount for a school trip

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 29/05/2023 19:59

MySoCalledWife · 29/05/2023 17:34

I think it is tone deaf and ridiculous and I would just explain to my kids that it was too expensive

There are so many amazing trips s as don't experiences to be done within the U.K. and Europe

The kids whose parents could easily afford this don't "miss out", if the school did not offer these trips, as those kids would just go to Canada, LA, Disney, Switzerland etc with their parents anyway

Not all parents have the health/ ability to travel so the children might not get the opportunity to travel with their family. Also they may be able to afford for the child to go on the trip but not to take the whole family somewhere.

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 29/05/2023 20:01

SheldontheWonderSchlong · 29/05/2023 12:27

This. Either everyone gets the opportunity to go or no one does.

Show quote history

But even if it only cost £10 some children wouldn’t be able to go so then no one could go anywhere

AmyandPhilipfan · 29/05/2023 20:02

There's a school near me that offers Disney in Year 7 as part of a reward scheme - but you do still have to pay for it. Many of those families are not ones who could afford to take the whole family there so yes, the kids would miss out if the school didn't offer that trip.

SheldontheWonderSchlong · 29/05/2023 20:10

@LiquoriceAllsorts2
It's much easier to fundraise £10 than it is £1800!

SheldontheWonderSchlong · 29/05/2023 20:25

Ohgollymolly · 29/05/2023 17:21

So everyone should miss out?! That’s ridiculous!

My mum was a single mum, and things were really tight. I was well aware we didn’t have as much money as other kids in my class at primary school. By secondary she had a better job and things were easier. This time my school was in a very low income area so we did absolutely nothing. No day trips or residentials. It was miserable!

Other people should not have to suffer because of your own circumstances. It’s ridiculous to expect that.

How are people 'suffering' by not going on a school trip if the school don't put it on?!
However, children certainly do suffer by seeing their well-off classmates (who let's face it are usually the ones who have holidays anyway) go off on school trips that they have absolutely no chance of being able to afford to go on.

And I really dislike some of the language used on this thread about parents 'going without' and 'making sacrifices' so that their child can go on these ridiculously expensive trips. There's the implication that if you don't do that, then you just don't care enough about your child having 'experiences'. Many families will not be able to afford these trips regardless of how much they sacrifice but would desperately love for their children to participate.
State school should not be highlighting the gap between the have and have-nots. And the kids who come from families that can't afford these trips don't need life lessons about how society isn't equal - they already know as they're living it every day!

sewerrat · 29/05/2023 20:32

how is it not fair. no one forcing you to do it

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 29/05/2023 20:35

SheldontheWonderSchlong · 29/05/2023 20:25

How are people 'suffering' by not going on a school trip if the school don't put it on?!
However, children certainly do suffer by seeing their well-off classmates (who let's face it are usually the ones who have holidays anyway) go off on school trips that they have absolutely no chance of being able to afford to go on.

And I really dislike some of the language used on this thread about parents 'going without' and 'making sacrifices' so that their child can go on these ridiculously expensive trips. There's the implication that if you don't do that, then you just don't care enough about your child having 'experiences'. Many families will not be able to afford these trips regardless of how much they sacrifice but would desperately love for their children to participate.
State school should not be highlighting the gap between the have and have-nots. And the kids who come from families that can't afford these trips don't need life lessons about how society isn't equal - they already know as they're living it every day!

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So only people at private school are allowed school trips? That’s hardly going to decrease the differences between state and private.