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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

No spaces left on school trip !

92 replies

fridaynight · 05/05/2017 12:09

Since starting school DS has always known that in year 4 he will go on a residential trip, DS1 and DS2 went and DS3 has been looking forward to this rite of passage.
So the school advertised the trip and then parents had to log on to pay deposit. Sunday night a reminder came out that Monday was the last day to sign up for a trip thats running next March 2018 When I logged on I couldn't find the trip, contacted the school who said ' you couldn't find it because the trip is full !' He can go on the waiting list.
I was shocked as at no point has there been any mention of a limited number of spaces. I just don't have the heart to tell him he's not on the trip, just feels so unfair. DS 2 and 3 would take this in their stride and I know stuff happens and kids have to live with it but DS3 is only young, just turned 8 ...he's super keen on school and is a sweetie, he feels things strongly and is very emotional. The school is enormous , there are 8 others on the waiting list, I know one of the other Mums and we are trying to think of a way forward. Any ideas on how to move forward with this one or AIBU ?

OP posts:

RhiWrites · 05/05/2017 13:22

Melj, I think Cotswold read the OP just as I did.

OP said: "Sunday night a reminder came out that Monday was the last day to sign up for a trip thats running next March"

So she did leave it to the last minute. It's bad luck but the delay did play a part in this.

OP I think the only way for you to play this now is to team up with the parents of the 8 on the wait list to figure out how everyone can go. Don't make it be just about your child.

Quadrangle · 05/05/2017 13:26

Normal for a secondary trip where not everyone tends to want to go, but not on a primary trip. I'd use the opportunity to take a family term time holiday or staycation

CotswoldStrife · 05/05/2017 13:27

melj maybe it's a large primary school issue, but not signing up until the very last day is not recommended! For school clubs and things, people dash in the following morning with the form!

It could be that the school have had a bigger takeup than usual - I do think it would be worth speaking to them to see if this has happened in previous years and it would have been fairer to let parents know in advance if numbers were limited.

confuugled1 · 05/05/2017 13:30

Maybe talk to the head then put in a formal complaint to the governors that the school organised a trip that didn't have enough spaces for everybody to go on and also didn't tell people that it had limited spaces, leading to several very disappointed children.

If they can't find a space big enough to take everyone then they need to say that in advance or find somewhere that can accommodate everyone.

At ds's junior school they do trips each year. Not everybody goes every year, but this year in ds's year, 120 went, 50 didn't and more could have gone if they'd wanted. So there are places around that can cope with the big numbers!

hope the waiting list moves and/or your dc gets to go.

Is it close enough that you could drop him off each day? Not ideal but would be something...

And if they don't manage to sort something out, then be very very interested in what those left behind get to do, well in advance, so that they can't pretend they don't have time to organise stuff... at least in ds's school there are plenty so they do have a week doing special stuff, I really feel for those that get left behind and stuck into a class in the year above or below, adds insult to injury!

WankingMonkey · 05/05/2017 13:32

I think this is quite bad tbh. A lot of parents will not have had the deposit money to just pay at short notice...unless you mean the trip was announced and you waited 2 months to register interest?

Chattymummyhere · 05/05/2017 13:32

Our school only do 40 places for the whole year of 60 but it says that in the email. I know my sons yr 3 trip they could only take 40 as the place doesn't have space for anymore. I certainly even if it didn't say spaces where limited wouldn't be leaving it till the last minute to confirm my child wanted a place though.

When our school do parent lunches or any activity I always book it as soon as the email comes though to make sure.

ohdeaeyme · 05/05/2017 13:47

i went to a big primary school (5 classes a year) and they got round it by taking half one week and the other half the next to ensure everyone could go.

Fruitcocktail6 · 05/05/2017 13:49

I wouldn't tell him. It's a whole year away and he's on the waiting list. In that time children will leave or parents will take them off the trip. No use upsetting him now

AnathemaPulsifer · 05/05/2017 13:50

I hadn't realised it was so far in advance! Surely then there is no excuse for not increasing capacity?!

melj1213 · 05/05/2017 13:52

RhiWrites and Cotswolds my point was that there was no prior communication that there were limited places and the OP was registering/paying deposit before the deadline ... you shouldn't be penalised for only paying one day before the deadline rather than a week or a month or whenever.

What's the point of a deadline if you can arbitrarily decide that you will only accept people who applied 3 or 4 days before hand?

This trip isn't next week so it's not like they left themselves with a supershort turnaround between the deadline and the trip.

Witchend · 05/05/2017 13:56

It's possible the venue has brought numbers down or something. All very well to then say the school should pull out, but it might well mean that they get in nowhere as places are often filled over a year in advance for places that do residentials.

One local school arrived a couple of years back to find that the venue had reduced numbers without telling them. About 10-15 children ended up sleeping on blankets on the floor because there weren't beds.

SecretNetter · 05/05/2017 13:58

At primary age I think it's awful to run such a trip with limited spaces. IME the vast majority of dc go on school trips in primary, standard or residential and they should only be planned if they're able to take all the dc that want to go.

Hillarious · 05/05/2017 14:01

If the venue has brought numbers down, it's the responsibility of the school to find an alternative venue. PGL managed to accommodate a three class intake okay for our Year 6s. The school might just have to compromise on the time of year. It sounds like this is the only opportunity for the OP's DC to do a residential.

Hoppinggreen · 05/05/2017 14:04

That's awful.
My dc Primary school has a 3 class entry so is a big school, they do a Residential in years 4 and 6 which is open to everyone who wants to go.
Limiting the numbers like that is ridiculous and I don't see why it wouid be necessary

Holidayaddict · 05/05/2017 14:07

**i went to a big primary school (5 classes a year) and they got round it by taking half one week and the other half the next to ensure everyone could go.

Our school does this so there is a place for anyone who wants to go. I agree it's poor for a primary school to have a trip that not everyone can go on and, if this was the case, they should've made it clear. Otherwise, how was OP to know that by signing up last minute but still within the deadline she'd be jeopardising her child's place?

OP, definitely have a word with the school and see what they have to say. Could it be that they didn't expect such a high take up going by past years so neglected to say numbers were limited and it backfired? If so, it's their cock up and they need to come up with a solution. If they can't YWNBU to take him out for a term time holiday!

RedSkyAtNight · 05/05/2017 14:10

DD's school has 2 residentials - 1 in Year 4 and 1 in Year 6.
The school never books enough spaces for all the DC in the year group to go, because past experience tells them that generally only about x% of the year will wish to go.

I'm suspecting this is the same as in OP's case and her DC is in an unusually keen year!

Floggingmolly · 05/05/2017 14:13

I don't get the you waited until the last minute, and now they're full - what did you expect? argument at all. If op had booked two weeks ago, presumably someone else would be in her position now?
The school are behaving disgracefully in booking a residential that don't have enough spaces to accomodate the whole year.
I honestly can't believe they did that, I've never heard of it before?

Widehorizen · 05/05/2017 14:16

Does it really need to be spelled out that places are limited? I would have thought it common sense to realise this, or if in doubt to question it.

Never make assumptions - its rule #1 in life.

Widehorizen · 05/05/2017 14:19

If op had booked two weeks ago, presumably someone else would be in her position now?

This is the way life works though - Within a system where resources are limited, people who are quicker/smarter/more on the ball do better out of life than those who are not.

MissEliza · 05/05/2017 14:19

That's awful. These trips are really important for group bonding and encouraging self confidence and independence. Why on earth would they limit spaces?

Floggingmolly · 05/05/2017 14:20

None of the primary schools I know limit the spaces on a whole year residential trip.
I'm assuming if it's Year 4 it's one of those PGL type educational trips; not an overseas jolly that the secondary kids go on, which are entirely different?

isupposeitsverynice · 05/05/2017 14:21

Because some schools have a hundred kids to a year and that's just not practical? Because the cost of the trips runs to hundreds of pounds and the schools know that a good proportion of low income families just won't be able to afford them? Because the accommodations that are available can't accommodate that many kids? There's so many very obvious reasons why places would be limited. It should still be made very clear, but I don't think limiting places is inherently unreasonable at all

Dancergirl · 05/05/2017 14:28

It's a big primary with three classes per year

Ours is also 3 classes per year and residentials are available to the whole year group. I've never heard of them having limited numbers. Very poor show by the school. Available for all or not at all.

OhGodWhatTheHellNow · 05/05/2017 14:32

Why the assumption that 'resources are limited'? Parents could be paying the full cost for their dc to go on the trip, so it should have been arranged to have enough spaces for everybody, especially as it is planned so far ahead. They have had plenty of time to find a large enough venue, and work out their chaperone ratios.
This is a decision made by the school which leaves out a proportion of students from a potentially educational trip based on arbitrary criteria and should not be acceptable.
The school need to explain themselves.

MissEliza · 05/05/2017 14:33

I can't believe some of the mean spirited schools I read about on MN. I'm not just a parent, I've spent my whole working life in education. I'd be really upset if I found kids left out from a trip. I can't imagine working in a school that had such little regard for a child's feelings.

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