To think school trips have become so expensive

[Reignbunker]

I would call my family comfortable working class, we have 3 kids, 2, 11 year old boys and 1 14 year old girl.

As they've grown older, school trips have just gotten fancier. Perhaps it's because they attended a small rural primary school but the most expensive trips then were about £300 per child for the whole year, this includes, a week away and days out throughout the year.

When DD started Secondary, they had a yearly trip abroad during Easter between £500-750, DD has gone twice as the other two years we simply couldn't afford it.

This year we have 3 children attending secondary & DH and I decided last year that we'd let all three go abroad and have a week off at home as our holiday for the year.

After quite a difficult year, we've managed to save up £2460 for their trip. This may not seem like a lot but it was bloody hard work, saving so much.

We received the letter about this years trip abroad for Easter and it's a week of skiing in Quebec, Canada for £1300 per child!

That amounts to £3900 all together, which is £1440 more than we can currently afford.

It was quite a shock & a disappointment but theirs no way we can afford it, we've decided to save up some more and spend the money on a holiday abroad during the summer instead.

I'm really disappointed & surprised, this is a regular comprehensive secondary, I doubt most of the kids will be able to go, the two times DD went only 20-30 kids out of her entire year went, but perhaps I'm just letting my feelings cloud my judgement.

Have you contacted the school? They might come up with a plan of paying the rest at a later date ?

I agree with though , so expensive

That's a ridiculous amount to be asked for for a school trip. I think we're quite well off but we wouldn't be able to afford that (we have 3 kids too). Why can't they go somewhere closer to home?

Yes, I know what you mean. We are on a low income but have saved up as DS (11) is in year 7 and has a 4 day trip to France this June (£375) and ski trip to USA next February. (£1650). DS (8) has no residential trips this year but has a couple in the next two years, however they are nearer and cheaper. Realising when he will be in secondary need to do it all over again. It is a lot.

This is a local state school,

Yanbu. I never went on a residential trip at secondary school but I remember the ones at primary school were to Butlins and the Isle of Wight and never cost more than £150.

No kid needs a £1300 skiing trip and it's fine to argue it's optional to go but there's still massive pressure.

I think they have always been outrageously expensive. The trips on offer are so much cheaper for you to organize to do as a family. A whole family can go for the same price as one child.

This has been the case for at least 40yrs IME.

With three children at once, would be tempted to take a family holiday there instead, might be cheaper. in fact thought this myself after the ski trip but was after had agreed to it. Could have gone the family to the alps for a week for the same price!

I was so taken aback, it is optional but as a pp said their is lots of pressure, I just don't see why they can't go closer to home when more then half the kids can't go

Are you complaining at the price because now you can't afford to send your eldest on her third abroad school trip??

when i was at secondary school in the 70s there were trips like that completely out of my family price range. nothing has changed.

I think it's great that schools provide skiing trips, etc, but I'm not sure going to Quebec is necessary, when there are so many ski resorts much closer. Having said that, £1300 for such a trip sounds reasonable. My DCs school have a similarly priced ski trip in Europe.

My DC have never gone on a school ski trip. Mostly becuase I can't afford it (we are not a low income family). There was no pressure to go, and none of my DCs friends went (as far as I know). But I'm glad the availability is there for kids whose parents can.

DS went on a water-sports trip to France last summer (again, no pressure to go- trip was for several year groups, and only about 4 of his friends went) He had a fabulous time. We could afford for him to go, but couldn't have afforded for the whole family. It was the first time he's been abroad, and I'm really grateful the school offered the trip.

These trips aren't compulsory.

The most expensive trip offered to my DC was the £4000 World Challenge (DC are expected to raise the money themselves by selling jam/washing cars ) which, when I looked into it didn't believe it offered value for money.

No NapQueen I couldn't send my eldest on 2 previous occasions, I'm disappointed this time because the price has suddenly jumped from £500-700 to £1300

DD
Year 7 - Christmas = 350 - she did attend
Year 7 - Easter = 300 - she did attend
Year 8 - Easter = 700 - she didn't attend
Year 9 - Easter = 750 - She didn't attend
Year 10 - Easter = 1300 - She won't be attending

Trips are always costly but you don't have to send them. My sons 2 night residential in primary (first year his old enough for residential) is just under £150 plus various day trips and people coming into school ranging from £5-£30 it's always been the same my brother did a secondary trip to NY it was around £1,400 for the week the same school also did ski trips.

Mine have never gone in any trips other than to the cheap UK ones. They lived! I feel really sorry for you saving all that money though.

Have you contacted the school to discuss the types of trips they are offering?

Ok so she's had two trips. So this would be her third.

It's her brothers turns now. I'd send the boys.

Freddorika, it's alright, we'll use the money so we can go away in the summer, the trip isn't the end of the world, just some minor disappointment, that will soon be forgotten.

Worth checking with school. Ours say they never leave a child behind because of money. They fund raise, parents say what they can afford (they do ask for income/expenses) and school top up what they can. Then they spread the payments for the rest. If any child doesn't go with, it's for a different reason.

Send the boys. She's had two trips already

Parker231, I'd feel a bit silly contacting the school, just because we couldn't afford it. I do think it worth contacting them to maybe think of a residential trip alongside the one abroad perhaps.

NapQueen, the two trips DD went on aren't remotely similar to this Quebec trip. We're not sending the boys, we're all going to go away in the summer instead and perhaps when they're older, they'll have an opportunity to go.

I didn't realise schools trips like this were commonplace, but I am very glad that the schools do offer these trips.

I think it is worth pointing out to the school that you feel the trips are very expensive. If others give the same feedback they may try to offer something less expensive next year. For this year I would discuss it with the children and steer them towards a family holiday. I've just yesterday booked a family holiday for 5 (10 days in Italy) for just over 2k.

Are there none shorter/cheaper later in the year? Seems odd to have this issue less than 2 months away. Our trips are booked well over 6 months in advance.

Save the money for ski trip next year & send all 3 then?

Or send your 2 boys as your DD has been on 2 trips already?

Skiing just is really expensive. I'd love to go again, but realistically school secondary trips will be the best chance my kids have of going, as we can't afford a whole family ski trip.

I'm a teacher. We don't expect them to come on every trip! But yes, this ski trip is expensive.

These trips are usually a set number of places and the price is calculated on the deal struck per the numbers. They don't expect any more than 20 or 30 from a year group to go. I've never known a school to take an entire year group, or expect all 150-180 to have the financial ability to attend an overseas trip.