To think that £350 is an excessive amount to pay for yr6 school trip ?

[Lousylo66]

Ds1 is in yr 6. Going through his school bag I have just found details of their school trip at the end of summer term next year. Apparently they will stay in a chateau in northern France for 3 nights. Sounds great, lots of activities, visits etc but just don' t think we can afford it. They are asking for a deposit by 11 October and then
5 x £60 monthly payments after that, but then you have to factor in spending money and everything else so it's probably considerably more expensive. I do know that several kids didn't go on it last year and felt thoroughly left out before and after the event - seemingly lots of class time devoted to it in preparation. Nothing else is laid on for the unfortunate ones who can't go, just same old school routine.
Ok ,maybe it's our fault that we sent our kids to a school in a nice affluent area but what's wrong with a good old PGL holiday where they can try activities they've never done before. Just wondered if anyone had any advice, am in two minds to take kids out of school camping on the days the trips in progress. Sorry for the rant.

[WorrySighWorrySigh]

YANBU - £350 is an excessive amount for a school trip in year 6.

It isnt a question of whether it is the correct amount for the type of trip it is whether it is appropriate for a state school to offer such a trip at all.

IMO it isnt

If it is an educational trip then it should be within the budget of every family so cost no more than a few pounds. If it isnt educational then it should not be offered by the school.

I really dont get this thing for big trips from school. Schools should not be acting as a travel agent or offering trips which arent available to all. It isnt the only chance that students will get to go to these places. They arent Brigadoon. These places will still be available when students grow up and can take them selves.

[poshfrock]

Our Y6 trip is a week in Whitby and the cost is £200, so £350 would seem expensive to me.

We are having a week's family holiday in France at Easter for 5 people for £350 (accommodation and travel - food is extra).

[SirChenjin]

Unfortunately, I think that some schools take full advantage of their pupil demographic. For example, DS1 and DD went to different primary schools, but neighbouring catchments - DS went to a very small primary in a very affluent area, DD a larger primary serving a more diverse population. They both had ski lessons - DD had hers in P6, DS had 2 lots, one in P6 and one in P7. They both went to the same residential centre, but DS went at the most expensive time of the year, DD went at a cheaper time.

I think schools need to realise that not all families have the kind of money that they ask for, and that there are plenty of cheaper alternatives that mean pupils have a great time away from their desks.

[saulaboutme]

Dds PGL trip was £220 2 years ago. they did it in march to reduce the cost.
Although there was help for the families who couldn't afford it so that's sad the school has no concession for this.
Yanbu.

[TigOldBitties]

I think that some schools take full advantage of their pupil demographic

Exactly that.

DSs went to a certain primary school that would not even dream of asking for that much money.

DDs school who are very aware that they have a certain demographic, won't stop asking for money and think nothing of £350.

[reup]

I thought ours was expensive at £270 for 5 days! I suppose France adds to the cost a lot though ours is pgl too. My nephew worked at that ones in France in Hus gap year. Staff beds were full of bed bugs. I think they all took full advantages of the bar as recompense.

[thebighouse]

Having the same problem here. Like others, our family summer holiday last year cost £350. This is really stressing me out. I work full time but I'm a single parent and don't have this sort of money. I don't know what to do!

[WhereDoAllTheCalculatorsGo]

My DS's trips have always been around the £100 per night mark. Year 6 was 5 nights in Brittany. German Christmas markets in year 10 was about £400 for 4 nights. He didn't want to go skiing in America last year (fortunately), that was well over £1000 for the week.

[SirChenjin]

I'm curious - how did a visit to the German Christmas markets relate to the curriculum?

[viewwitharoom]

In my experience schools will try to keep costs as low as possible but there is the danger that if you cut corners price wise then what other corners will be cut-pupil supervision or quality of equipment? There are a small number of companies like PGL who are specialists and will assist with the astronomical paperwork required like risk assessment etc. This is why schools like to use them.
My sons school is organising a week long residential not that far away which is coming in at around £350. Its a lot of money and we only have til March to pay it as they are away in April. At a recent meeting the parents agreed to look at fund raising events to reduce the costs to families. Is that a possibility at your school?

[SirChenjin]

View - don't know if you saw my earlier post, but I don't think all schools try and keep costs as low as possible, sadly

[viewwitharoom]

German Christmas would fit the bill both culturally and linguistically, and I would doubt they would just be at the markets. They would surely do other visits too? (Speaks as a Mod Langs Teacher)

[WhereDoAllTheCalculatorsGo]

German GCSE

[WhereDoAllTheCalculatorsGo]

They went to the Lindt chocolate museum in Colonge as well. Being markets it cost me a lot of spending money on top.

[WorrySighWorrySigh]

I really dont think that state schools should be offering these types of trips at all. IMO it is wrong to force parents to spend what for many will be quite a lot of money on a trip under the guise of it being educational. This sort of guilting puts a lot of pressure on parents. It may not be a question of not being able to afford it but of not wanting to have to scrimp on other things (eg a family holiday) to pay for one person to go on a trip.

Also many pupils or students are not happy or comfortable with the idea of going on a residential trip and having to share a room with others whom they really dont know. There may be a lot of perfectly good reasons for this which arent just a case of pushing people out of their comfort zones.

[viewwitharoom]

Ask for the breakdown of costings if you are unhappy. I will say that I have a problem with organising trips these days as the costs are so high. Most of our week long trips abroad are coming in at £700 a time. I think that is too much to ask families to stump up and question their value for money. As a result I don't organise these at the moment. (Regretfully)

[WhereDoAllTheCalculatorsGo]

I agree, Worry.

[forehead]

My dniece is in year 7. Her school are going skiing in Canada next Easter
for 8 days at the cost of £1750. A whole family can go on holiday for that amount of money.
Whatever happened to going skiing in Italy or France?.

[SirChenjin]

And there was no cheaper way of exposing them to Germany, culturally or linguistically?

Worry - I completely agree. I think that many of the trips stretch the 'educational' truth somewhat. My DS went to Rome and the Amalfi coast earlier this year with the RMPS unit. They went to the Vatican City, granted, but none of the kids or the parents were under any illusion that it was a religious trip or that it linked to the curriculum to any great extent - it was purely for fun. He was allowed one foreign trip at High School, and that was it, but the vast majority of the pupils who attended were from affluent families who do the rounds of the foreign trips - they certainly aren't attended by the pupils who are on FSM.

[QueenStromba]

Who has the sort of money to spend £2k on a holiday for their kid? It's not like a skiing holiday is particularly educational either.

[SirChenjin]

You would be surprised Queen - there are a (small) number of kids at my DCs comp who lurch from one foreign school trip to another. Surprisingly enough, they don't seem any more educationally advanced than the kids who don't

[Ragwort]

You have to decide if you feel it is good value - at my DS's school a trip was recently cancelled due to extremely low take up. We looked at the details and felt it was just not good value for what it offered (tbh we could have 'afforded' it - but didn't want to spend that sort of money on something that didn't appear to be entirely worthwhile). However we are prepared to pay for a much more expensive trip, because we feel it offers good value and a really different experience.

[GangstersLoveToDance]

I don't think that children in Primary School should be offered trips abroad. A few days away within the UK will more than suffice at that age, with a much lower cost and obviously higher chance that everyone will be able to go.

At secondary school, I don't see any problem with more expensive trips abroad. There are generally so many children in each year group that there's no risk of any non-attendees feeling 'left out'.

I don't believe that trips should be completely limited or cut though - from a purely selfish point of view, I don't want my own children to miss out on experiences just because not everyone can afford it. No, it's not 'fair' to children who can't afford to go - but what in life is?

[Ragwort]

Alternatively join the Scouts/Guides - I am a Leader & we recently took children away for five days for £45. And had money left over which went back into general funds.

[ParkerTheThief]

The thing is, often you get what you pay for.
I recently went to look at two possible options for my year 6 residential trip.
They both offered similar outdoor experiences on paper. Place A was £100 more than place B

When I visited I immediately knew I would not be happy taking pupils to place b, security was poor and the accommodation wasn't of a very good standard. Everytwhing was run down and slightky grubby around the edges. When I was shown round the activity centre I saw a couple of things that I didn't feel comfortable with in terms of health and safety.

By contrast at place A I felt that staff ratios and attitude were fabulous and health and safety/accommodation was of a higher standard.