To be miffed over school trips?

[Dollslikeyouandme]

Ds started school last year, they didn't have a school trip at all in reception. Fair enough I thought.

Last year when he was in reception, the year one class went on a trip related to the topic they were doing.

This year, the now reception class have been on a rather nice trip already. First term.

This year, ds now in year one, did the same first term topic as the previous year one, but no trip.

Ds thinks he must have missed the trips when he was ill (he definitely hasn't).

Could there be a reason for this? It can't be down to cost as the year one trip would have cost nothing.

It could be dependant upon the teacher for the class.

I work with several who refuse point blank to do school trips. So if you get them you're stuffed.

However you have two more terms this year; is your school calender online? Could be something penciled in but letters not sent home yet.

Ask the school.

It's the same reception teacher and the same year one.

It's possible that there'll be something later next year, but the topic which the previous class went on a trip for has finished now.

They don't necessarily always do the same trips. I'm on the third child through primary, and only one year (year 4) was the trip the same for two of them.

The reception trip may be because parents complained there wasn't a trip, or it may be that something came up that made a perfect trip for them.

Sometimes you will look at another year, and think that trip looks better (dd1 and dd2 were green with envy at one of ds' trips) but it evens out in the end, and what sounds like a brilliant trip may have been a disaster (remembers the one that 2 children ended up (separately) at A&E with minor injuries, half the coaches failed to turn up to take them back, and it poured with rain all day in an outside venue. the previous year had had the time of their lives!)

Unions actually advise teachers not to do school trips because of the consequences that can ensue as a result of things that they don't have much control over.

And if you look at some of the outrageous MN threads criticising schools whatever they do regarding trips (I couldn't be bothered to provide my child with a drink for the trip, can I mount a legal action?), that might help explain why some are unwilling...

You have to pay for the trips, could you not just go the same place yourselves?

I guess so dewe, the year one trip would have just been local and free related to the topic, so that surprised me. I can see that may have been the case for the reception trip.

Didn't want to ask as I might be just being petty and daft.

Sorry, just saw the trip didn't cost anything, can you not do the trip yourself with your son?

Surprised he was even aware what trips the other years were doing, mine don't have a clue!

We can absolutely go ourselves, and do.

It's not that it's just children like the school trip don't they? It's not quite as exciting.

I think they mention trips in assembly so that's how he'll have known. Plus we saw all the reception class getting off the coach!

Just looking on the school website it does actually mention that they'll be doing the year one local trip during the Autumn term.

Sounds like you don't know what trips are planned for the rest of the year so it seems premature to be miffed. Just ask the teacher what trips are planned for the rest of the year as ds mentioned that it had been talked about in assembly . Also do volunteer to go on the trip as a helper, it is an eye opener.

Sometimes, when I've had my own class, I haven't organised a trip - instead we've had someone come in for a visit.
When I taught y1 a few years ago for example, instead of going out to the National Coal Mining Museum (another class further up school were visiting there so we weren't able to go) as part of our topic on light and dark, we had a visitor from the NCM who brought coal, lamps, dark boxes and a whole load of other artefacts and activities for the children to look at/explore/enjoy. Perhaps that's what's happened in this case?

And our local trip consisted of a short walk around the local area as part of our geography work. We didn't send specific letters out for this as all parents gave permission for these types of excursions at the start of the school year.

Maybe they rotate it round ey/ks1 so that families aren't paying for more than one trip per term. They may only get one trip during infants

Love it, finally a thread complaining about a lack of a trip.
I know a lot of schools that have dropped to one a year now, soon to be none. Too much bother and kerfuffle. Easier to log on instead.

As others have said, there could have been many reasons why the trip wasn't run last year, or maybe something else was done in place of it.

I must admit that I am in the opposite camp here. My main problem for years now has been the sheer number of trips offered and the cost of them. It isn't that I don't want my children to go on trips and they frequently do go on one each year, but sometimes they can over-stretch the family finances a bit if you aren't careful

I recently had to say a firm "no" to a skiing trip which was going to cost £930.

My ds school do a trip or activity each term relating to that particular topic. In the years they have been there ....

Space = National space centre
Transport = rides on buses and train
Science = Thinktank
Animals = farm
Africa = Whipsonade Zoo
Water = Tubing

plus loads of others including residential in yr 4 and 6