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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think school is bang out of order?

70 replies

nickschick · 12/07/2010 07:22

short version
(i dont generally do short )

Ds2 has m.e
school trip today to Alton Towers.
Ds cannot go,the rides upset his balance and make him extremely ill-he'd love to go but his worst fear is being 'ill' in front of his friends,(when he becomes ill he gets v pale collapses gets terrific headache has immense pain and no muscle control)

So hes not going.

nor are several kids

so today getting him up for school I say what jeans you wearing? knowing all the kids on fb have been discussing what their wearing.

No we have to wear uniform cos we are not on the trip he replies.

So unless we pay a massive amount for the trip and some kids arent going cos they cant afford it they wear uniform.

I think its wrong wrong wrong.

OP posts:
Butterbur · 12/07/2010 11:09

What KarmaBelieva said.

I got fed up of shelling out large sums of money for non-educational trips I didn't want DCs to go on.

And there should certainly be no residential trips at primary school. all of mine spent a week in France in Y6, visiting chocolate shops etc. Did they speak any French? Of course not.

The kids whose parents can afford it will be taken on trips anyway, and those who can't afford private trips also can't afford school ones.

imahappycamper · 12/07/2010 11:19

My DS has missed several trips and he always went to school in uniform. It didn't occur to me to do anything else. He isn't with his form so wearing mufti at school would make him the odd one out.

Lougle · 12/07/2010 11:19

"1.46 A charge must not be made for a school trip14:
a) that is during school hours; or
b) is outside school hours but it is being undertaken as part of the National Curriculum, or as
part of a syllabus for a prescribed public examination." Schools Admission code 2009

The children should not be excluded from going because the trip is in school hours. The school is in breach of the Schools Admission Code clause 1.46.

imahappycamper · 12/07/2010 11:24

Ah, but they are allowed to ask for a "voluntary contribution" which amounts to the same thing. Most parents cough up.

Lougle · 12/07/2010 11:28

"1.45 Parents may also be concerned about the cost of school trips and other extracurricular
activities, fearing that their child may not be able to participate and this may discourage them
from applying for a place at the school. Accordingly, schools should not describe school trips
without making it clear that help is available for those unable to afford the cost. They should
make it clear that any contribution to school funds and voluntary contributions to trips are not
mandatory, and that the expectation is that low income families will contribute a small
amount, or nothing. Parents should also be assured that they will not be asked to explain why
they prefer not to contribute and that not contributing will in no way disadvantage their child"

islandofsodor · 12/07/2010 11:31

YABU.

When I was at school my year went on an Alton Towers trip, I didn't go for whatever reason and attended school in uniform as usual.

I wasn't scarred for life, in fact I quite enjoyed the day.

Lougle · 12/07/2010 11:31

Thats why, Starbuck999 & Rosieeo. Because the Schools Admission Code specifically prohibits the compulsory charge, and makes it clear that schools should make it clear that no child is excluded on cost grounds.

Original poster
nickschick · 12/07/2010 11:35

No life isnt fair but if it cant be fairer when your a child in school then life really is shitty isnt it.

My gripe wasnt with the cost of the trip naturally its evolved to that, but to be fair I dont think these school trips are very good anyway.

OP posts:
ILovePlayingDarts · 12/07/2010 11:36

I firmly agree with karmabeliever - all school trips should be affordable and related to the curriculum. A short notice trip like this one, which is a "treat" and also expensive, is not on. And as a Governor, I would certainly make my views known.

Having said that, my dcs school is very reasonable. My dd is going on a residential trip in September, and we've known about this for nearly a year and had time to make the payments. It was also carefully arranged and costed.

Original poster
nickschick · 12/07/2010 11:45

I remember when i was at school,for trips we had lots of notice and school did a savings scheme so you could pay a bit a week.

OP posts:
OrmRenewed · 12/07/2010 11:47

Sounds like a crap trip to me. Hugely expensive and not in the slightest educational.

But I wouldn't be furious about the uniform. He'd stand out more in his own clothes amongst all the other classes - and itsn't that the problem for most kids?

Original poster
nickschick · 12/07/2010 11:53

But Orm I want school to be in the 'real world' and let the kids wear their own clothes and have fun wether they are too ill for alton towers or too skint.

A fun day should be for all.

Ds did just text me apparently theyve been doing 'maths' all morning ....hes not bothered hes glad to be in school with people than being poorly at home but I suspect some of the other children will be feeling hard done to.

OP posts:
Original poster
nickschick · 12/07/2010 11:53

And its chucking it down so the poor kids at alton towers will be drenched.

OP posts:
OrmRenewed · 12/07/2010 11:55

Poor lad Can you take him for a treat of his own tonight?

Original poster
nickschick · 12/07/2010 12:09

He had his trip money for a new henleys t shirt and jacket hes not hard done to really........but i think i may treat him to a sausage roll and a fruit shoot mcdonalds .

OP posts:
LittleSilver · 12/07/2010 12:21

Why would you assume he didn't have to wear uniform?

YABU.

But FWIW, I don't think AT a very suitable school trip.

Original poster
nickschick · 12/07/2010 16:16

Because all the kids were on facebook discussing what to wear I didnt link the fact that own clothes=money for the alton towers trip.

I think that as school hold days where the children can wear their own clothes for a £3-4 donation then surely for the children not going to Alton Towers a similar thing would be allowed so that the disabled/poor/ or those that didnt want to go to had a reasonably fun day too.

Had I realised my ds would be in school doing maths all morning and IT this afternoon I do actually think Id have been tempted to keep him off school.

What harm would it have done to give these kids a fun day too?.

OP posts:
Maisiethemorningsidecat · 12/07/2010 19:52

They probably didn't have enought teachers to give the ones staying in school a fun day. FWIW I wish that schools would stop all trips that weren't limited to one day, and directly related to the curriculum, but I accept that's never going to happen . I know that when DS's school went to AT last month, there was a huge teacher presence accompanying the bus convey so I would imagine that most of the available teachers were there.

Original poster
nickschick · 12/07/2010 22:24

Yeah I think your right maisie.

Least its over now.

OP posts:
huddspur · 13/07/2010 01:04

YABU its unfortunate that your son couldn't go but realistically the school couldn't run a seperate trip just for the people unable to go to Alton Towers.
Also if he's in school then he should be in uniform and should be doing work.

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