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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that this is too much money for a school trip

276 replies

aquariel · 01/10/2014 20:31

Hi all,

Eldest son (13yrs) brough a letter home from school for a trip they are planning to Iceland in October 2015. Cost of trip is £790 and will take place during October half term.

I run a very tight budget (currently clearing off all credit cards etc aiming to be debt free by 2018 - just in time to help him with fees for university no doubt!) and while we could stretch to it if pushed this seems like an obscene amount for one child (although I guess at his age he's probably charged as an adult on international travel). School has said they'd like a £50 non-refundable deposit to secure a place to be paid immediately (I couldn't pay till payday anyway - mid month for us) so probably wouldn't be able to commit to the trip.

I really don't want to disappoint my son as he rarely asks for much and he seems really excited about the (possibility of) this trip. We have in the past paid up for trips to London and Belgium for him so I'm not worried about him missing out on that side of "the experience" (although I appreciate Iceland is a totally different kettle of fish) but the most either of those trips cost me was £350 including his spending money.

So .. what do others think? Reasonable price or unreasonable?

OP posts:
Laquitar · 04/10/2014 14:09

I dont think it is fair to say that parents have notice and therefore they could have saved the money otherwise they are bad parents.
If you dont have a spare 1K you wont have a spare 100 pounds pcm to save for ten months either. Notice doesnt make any difference if you dont have 100 per month after paying housing cost, bills, food etc there is no some kind of magic.

As for the experience of visiting China or some far away place personally im not very keen on organised group trips and i think that you could get more 'experience' if you go as a 20 yr independent traveller rather than at 15.

And arf @ the idea that if you are a good parent then you should have visited all the art galleries in the uk and the rest of Europe therefore your child must go to New York.

givemushypeasachance · 04/10/2014 14:50

Secondary school in the late 90s/early 00s here - comprehensive. We had one expensive trip which was a ski trip in Year 10, I didn't even bother asking my parents as I knew they wouldn't have been able to afford it. I didn't even ask to do the more expensive PE options offered from Year 10 onwards like horse riding, and stuck to the free options like table tennis. I can seen why for those who can afford it such trips can offer enriching experiences, but I do think it's important to balance it out with cheaper trips that all or most people can participate in.

When I did A Level Geography at college there was a trip to the Gambia arranged, which again I didn't bother asking about. Not even sure what the educational angle on it was supposed to be. Didn't seem to affect the grade I got! The coursework we did was based around villages in North Devon so we only had to get on a mini bus and drive half an hour away, bargainous...

Delphiniumsblue · 04/10/2014 16:41

I suggest windchime that you read my post of 16:10 on Thursday if you think that teachers are getting a free trip!!
I have just had my shopping packed by a boy going to Iceland next July- they were raising money for it.

Celticlass2 · 05/10/2014 10:24

Spoke to a friend yesterday. Her DD ( year 10) is going to Iceland next March as part of a Geography trip. The cost is £820 for six nights.
FWIW, I think there should be more lower cost trips available in schools generally, which open up access to children who are not able to go on expensive foreign ones.

Trollsworth · 05/10/2014 10:29

One of the school trips at ds1 s school are £1200

But some are £80 for two nights camping in walesby.

Guess which one he's doing!!?

Delphiniumsblue · 05/10/2014 10:45

If you are having a baby now you can at least be aware that they are going to be offered expensive trips- and start saving. It depends what you want e.g. If I had a baby tomorrow they don't need a Christmas present, they don't understand so I could put the money aside. I do object to making do with cheap second hand when little and then told I can't have my choice when they are older!

Celticlass2 · 05/10/2014 12:41

Trolls a few years ago, when my DD was in year 6 in primary, there was a residential trip for two night that cost £80.
There were still some children who couldn't afford it!
i think this goes to the heart of the problem.
Do you never offer any trips at all, because some children will never be able to afford the cost.

TarkaTheOtter · 05/10/2014 15:19

No you offer cheaper trips and fundraise to subsidise the pupils that can't afford them.

Delphiniumsblue · 05/10/2014 15:29

A variety of trips- otherwise expensive one are just the prerogative of private schools- like much else.
My children had a variety. They couldn't go on some.

GnomeDePlume · 05/10/2014 18:32

When did this idea of a residential trip in year 6 come in? I think that there is an awful lot of cod psychology used to justify this trip which seems to have become almost compulsory. Some children enjoy it but I am sure that plenty dont or have pretty much 'meh' feelings about it.

IMO the 'experience' trips which for me would include the Iceland trip described by OP, the school ski trip etc are straying away from what school should be about. Too much school time and effort goes into these trips when they should be sticking to their core purpose.

Trollsworth · 05/10/2014 18:34

Gnome, I did a year five residential in 1989 ..... And it had been going for YEARS before then.

bruffin · 05/10/2014 18:35

I did a year 6 trip in 1973

GnomeDePlume · 05/10/2014 18:37

Must have skipped both mine & DH's necks of the woods then (and we come from two different areas of the country)

BOFster · 05/10/2014 18:40

We went to Butlins in Barry Island in 1983. Happy days!

GnomeDePlume · 05/10/2014 18:45

I'm not saying that nobody did them in the past (before all of the people who went on a trip at the age of 10/11 pile in). Just that they seem to have become almost compulsory and imbued with an undeserved amount of importance.

Merguez · 05/10/2014 18:46

The price is reasonable for the trip.

Just say no if you can't afford it. Or consider asking your ds to pay half if he really wants to go - he should be able to earn £380 in a year or save it up fro pocket money, presents etc.

MissDuke · 05/10/2014 18:50

My daughter's class are going to Holland next year, I doubt she will be going as she has special needs and the school aren't great at managing her needs on a day to day basis never mind 24 hours a day for a week in a different country! However I still think the trip should be offered, just because it is not suited to our needs doesn't mean it shouldn't happen. Same goes for cost.

My son will most likely go when he is that age and I will be glad of the opportunity as we could afford the cost for one/two, but not for us all to go together. It is good they have the opportunity.

PiperIsOrange · 05/10/2014 18:58

I think that in a public school should have the same opportunity.

I don't think it's fair on the children whose parents can't afford it.

I have already started saving for these trips, as I was that child who parents couldn't afford it and I felt very left out that all my friends went and I was left behind on my own.

PiperIsOrange · 05/10/2014 18:58

I think that in a public school should have the same opportunity.

I don't think it's fair on the children whose parents can't afford it.

I have already started saving for these trips, as I was that child who parents couldn't afford it and I felt very left out that all my friends went and I was left behind on my own.

GnomeDePlume · 05/10/2014 19:02

But MissDuke, why does it matter that he goes while he is still at school? The Netherlands will still be there when he is an adult and can pay for himself. Having lived there for 5 years I am racking my brains to think of anything that he could do on a school trip that he couldnt do as an adult.

Delphiniumsblue · 05/10/2014 19:02

The yr 6 residential is a great experience, I would hate to see it disappear.

GnomeDePlume · 05/10/2014 19:22

But what is so great about it Delphiniumsblue? All three of my DCs were distinctly 'meh' about their experience.

Delphiniumsblue · 05/10/2014 19:32

I can't think of any who were 'meh' about it- perhaps your school didn't run good ones. Mine got to go to a working farm in the New Forest. DS who was worried about it had a huge boost to his self confidence.
You would think all this was new! I am over 60 yrs and we went on trips- some expensive and some not. I can't see why they should suddenly stop.

GnomeDePlume · 05/10/2014 19:59

No, it didnt run good trips but still felt obliged to offerpush them as the experience was supposed to be great.

Delphiniumsblue · 05/10/2014 21:10

I wouldn't pay out unless it actually was going to be great- there are not any that I regret. We wouldn't have afforded to have gone to Iceland as a family, so it was lovely for one to have the opportunity.