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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be suspicious about school trip costs?

112 replies

SmiteYouWithThunderbolts · 03/12/2013 11:01

Recently I (and a few other parents) have noticed the cost of school trips reaching ludicrous levels - far more than the entrance prices for the places they're going to and the coach fees. For example, this week ds2 brought home a letter about a trip to a local museum which costs about £3 per child. The letter asks for a £10 "voluntary contribution" from each parent and says, as always, that the trip will not go ahead without a payment from each child.

The last few trips have been similarly priced and we just cannot see how the difference between the entrance fee and what we're asked to pay is entirely taken up by the coach. From the brief research we've done into coach prices, they're nowhere near that expensive, so where is the rest of the money going? AFAIK, schools are not allowed to profit from school trips, but does this apply to academies too?

Please tell me if IABU and it's actually perfectly justifiable to ask for £10 from parents for a destination that would cost a third of that to go ourselves?

If the price is unreasonable, what could we actually do about this?

For context and to avoid drip feeding, there are other issues around the school and money, such as making extortionate PE kit compulsory at a cost of £32 per child (and only available through the school) and charging £1 for non-uniform days 3-4 times a term.

OP posts:
hedwig2001 · 03/12/2013 14:06

On the subject of embroidered PE kit, it stops those who have forgotten their PE kit, from stealing someone elses.

Rpeg · 03/12/2013 14:08

And would help stop all whiny posts on here by parents who think it's the schools job to replace/spend hours looking for the PE kit their little angel couldn't be bothered to look after properly.

littleducks · 03/12/2013 14:11

talkinpeace 300 per year group? at primary level? I'm shocked by that, surely it would be ten classes, I have only heard of secondaries with that many. We also have a trip to the British Museum, but it is one of the totally free ones as resources are free online, they visit the galleries which are free entry not any paid exhibitions, transport via tube is free and they take packed lunches. It does show how much things can vary.

Talkinpeace · 03/12/2013 14:14

no, secondary
although there are schools with over 150 at primary now

hartsrules · 03/12/2013 14:42

I organize school trips and would re-iterate all the comments about coach costs. Insurance is not expensive, it would only add pence onto a day trip (per child). Cover however is expensive and can add considerably to an otherwise fairly cheap trip. We are not allowed to profit and round up to the nearest 50pence in working out costs- I always hate it when you end up with a figure like £10, it looks like you've just made it up!

IneedAwittierNickname · 03/12/2013 15:02

Ds1 is going to the British museum next week, and the British library. They're having a talk on something (can't remember what)
They are going by coach, from Berkshire.
It's £15 per child.

(im going as a parent helper, and don't have to pay so a bargain imo as I couldn't get the 2of us to London that cheaply)

ILiveInAPineappleCoveredInSnow · 03/12/2013 15:17

I took 35 kids from suffolk to London, entry fee was less than £5 each, but due to coach and insurance, it cost £22 per child!

ShriekingGnawer · 03/12/2013 15:21

They are not going by coach though.

Rpeg · 03/12/2013 15:23

So I repeat, what exactly do you think they're doing with the money you're assuming is not actually needed for trip costs?

ShriekingGnawer · 03/12/2013 15:30

Just to clarify, I am assuming they are spending it on workshops etc as i spent years working in primary schools and know that trip costs are worked out by the very complicated method of adding up how much it costs and then dividing it by the number of children going... And then tapping the PTA when you realise most of the parents will not be able to afford it. The PE kit hing is madness though.

MillyMollyMama · 03/12/2013 15:35

The Governors should be aware of costs for school trips so ask a Parent Governor if they have looked at costs. The Head should provide a breakdown of costs.

I think it is a huge shame that parents, increasingly, do not value trips. No wonder independent school children get further and further ahead when state school pupils do not get the chance to go because other pupils parents get the trips cancelled.

OP. I think you are unreasonable to complain about a PE kit costing £32. This is perfectly OK in my book. At least all the children will look like they belong to the school and not some random gaggle.

piratecat · 03/12/2013 15:37

they are going on the school buses not coach.

ShriekingGnawer · 03/12/2013 15:39

MillyMollyMama are you being sarcastic? I genuinely can't tell. Random gaggle? Really?

ShriekingGnawer · 03/12/2013 15:42

And this is a primary school so I am not sure who will see this 'random gaggle'. Other than the rest of the random gaggle. The point being that if the OP were not being asked for lunatic amounts of money for PE kit, the trip cost wouldn't matter so much.

Bloody poor people, stopping everyone else have fun.

Talkinpeace · 03/12/2013 15:44

MillyMollyMama
No wonder independent school children get further and further ahead when state school pupils do not get the chance to go because other pupils parents get the trips cancelled
HA HA HA
DCs state school does FAR more trips that my fee paying school ever did
and DH knows that fee paying schools are businesses who cut costs as much as possible and always hire cheap people to come to schools even over good.

ShoeWhore · 03/12/2013 16:25

Could it be feasible that the school is covering the costs of running the minibus by apportioning some of that cost to individual trips? There are petrol and running costs after all - the school minibus is not "free"

Fleta · 03/12/2013 16:48

talkinpeace - bit of a sweeping generalisation. SOME private schools may choose cheap people over good. Certainly NOT all.

OP I think £10 for a school trip sounds pretty reasonable to be honest but if you think its disproportionate then speak to the bursar at the school and ask for a break down

Weegiemum · 03/12/2013 16:55

My ds is having swimming lessons just now. The 22 in his P7 class gon a minibus. We aren't asked for transport costs (and children in Glasgow get in free to pools).

They've walked to 2 local museums.

The only thing I'm Shock about is the £200 for 5-day 4-night residential this year. But I suspect it's the insurance.

littleducks · 03/12/2013 17:05

Funnily enough KS2 at dd's school walk to nearby private school and have swimming lessons in the pool there at no cost to parents.

hartsrules · 03/12/2013 17:27

ShoeWhore, yes I would certainly expect them to a add a proportion of the fixed costs with the minibus, plus the petrol of course. And as I said above, if cover is involved this is expensive and will bump up the trip price.

valiumredhead · 03/12/2013 18:08

Wee-that's a really good deal especially for a residential trip ime having paid 140 for a 2 nighter recently!

YouStayClassySanDiego · 03/12/2013 18:13

We were charged £7 per child for a year 9 trip to Brum for a Skills and Options show.

Entrance into show was free so assuming the majority of the entire Yr9 turned out that was a lot of money sent in for the cost of 3 coaches and fuel .

elliepac · 03/12/2013 18:32

To add to the many comments of teachers... I run trips quite frequently. On thursday we are taking 52 students to the Royal Armouries in Leeds. Entrance to museum free, cost of trip, £12. The reason for this are workshops in the morning, photocopying of work booklets and other admin (not cheap) and the vast majority is travel costs which have gone up hugely over the last few years. We make no money at all from the trips and we do not subsidise pupils at all.

The simple fact is that enough people do not pay we cannot go as we do not have the budget to subsidise the trips at all.

trinity0097 · 03/12/2013 18:34

When I work in a state school, (3 and a bit years ago), we would have to cost it to take into account the regular non payers.

So for example if we had a visitor coming into school which cost £600, to do something with 300 kids, we would cost on basis of 100 not paying, so divide the £600 by 200, so £3 each not £2. If the school fund ended up in profit because more did pay then we would offset against other trips or visitors.

RooRooTaToot · 03/12/2013 18:37

I agree that the cost sounds reasonable. That price would include:

  • entry (possibly extra for workshop/tour)
  • petrol for minibus
  • possibly a nominal 'hire' charge for the minibus to go towards tax and insurance
  • insurance for the trip
  • resources (such as worksheets / activity packs)
  • teacher / helper entrance fee
  • charges for cover teachers if needed (at my school, if a class needs a cover teacher as the regular one is on a trip, then the trip needs to cover the cost of a supply teacher: £100 per day)
  • photocopying letters etc.

All requires a massive amount of work. I organise several trips a year. Even the 'simple' ones, which are free, in school hours and require no permission slips involve masses of paperwork and organisation.

Like others have said, where do you think any 'extra' money is going?