To ask for a refund for a school trip?

[libertyboy]

I have paid £130 for a two night school trip for my year 5 son.
He's had some problems with behaviour this year and last week was excluded for a day as he got angry with a teacher and kicked a chair. They said he couldn't go on the trip either which started today. I also said he couldn't go as the behaviour is at home too. It's been a week since the exclusion and nothing has been mentioned about a refund by me or the school as we have obviously been concentrating on tackling the problems he is having.
Do I ask about it? What's the etiquette?

age 11, year 5

Norma so if the trio was for 50 students. And 40 pulled out and wanted a refund. .. theb the trip can still go ahead as normal right? This is your logic?

If someone who had a paod place no long went.. and wanted a refund wit hour someone taking their place then where rm does their portion of the payment for coach come from? The school pay up out of a magic porridge pot? Nope.

Thays why op may still be charged or a replacement found. So in a way youre right as other parents won't be asked to step up to pay as one of these happens. But if op did get refunded or no replacement then for the trip to go ahead the other parents would have to be asked to pay more.

dont make it about my experience, which seems to count for nothing here.

it is about the op and her ds.

op just ask. otherwise it is an incredible waste of money.

floggingmolly lots of professionals do not diagnose. It takes years to get to that stage.
Should the school just ignore all SEN until they have diagnoses on paper?!
Go and take your ignorance somewhere else.

The worst they can say is "No" if you ask. Just ask.
I had something similar & didn't get money back, but that was the setup for my trip. Yours might be funded differently & at least a part refund could be possible. Just ask.

Schools aren't bottomless pits of money,
And neither are parents

Norma I've had both experiences - usually it's a fixed price but I've also had letters where they've said the price will vary from £x to £y depending on how many people attend.

I think if the school were aware of his behavioural difficulties they should try to find a way to refund the money. As others have said, maybe someone else wanted to go but couldn't so now they can and then you can get the money back.

Ifyougodowntotheeoods Read the OP again, properly.

TestTubeTeen thank you for your advice. I now realise he is Y5 not 5 years old. Can you read my name again, properly and spell it correctly please?

He hasn't been diagnosed with anything as he has only been seen by one doctor for 45 mins as a first step. Doctor suggested counselling and further assessment, still waiting for that, seems to be a long process.
In the meantime we're trying different strategies at home and I think the school should play a crucial part in helping him along- he spends most of his week there after all. They have a special needs coordinator, family liaisons officer, a school councillor etc. Why would they have those people if they're not there to help with problems out side of learning?
Saying that I understand the decision for him not to go on the trip, his behaviour is his behaviour despite the reasons for it and I'm far from making excuses for him in this case as I know how bad it can get and that's not fair for others to experience.
My post was about whether you can get a refund as anyone would take one if it was on offer!
They have known about his problems for a long time but was offered the trip just like anyone else. His form tutor wanted him to go as he thought it would be good for him. He has good weeks and bad weeks so it can be confusing, you think he's making progress then you're back to square one.
I'll ask about it and obviously accept their decision. In future I'll ask a lot more question before committing to expensive trips and hopefully by the next one he'll have turned a corner!

Based on your updates, I think the school should have been trying to harder to work with your child and deal with his behaviour issues. Especially since there may be underlying SN issues that they're looking into.The trip shouldn't have just been pulled for low level, disruptive behaviour under the circucmstances, esp if his form tutor thought it would be good for him.

Sending him home if he couldn't behave while he was there would have been more sensible ... they took your money, they should have given it a shot with a firm plan for how to manage him.

I stand by my previous advice. They should have tried harder. And, yes, I work in a primary school and we work very, very hard to include, not exclude. Especially for children who clearly have other issues going on in their lives that are contributing factors to their behaviour.

I feel for you but I doubt you will get a refund.
Whenever DS's school run an expensive trip they send out a letter saying that the deposit is non refundable and if the pupil is excluded from the trip through poor behaviour then costs won't be refunded.
However, they make that clear ans also say that exclusion from a trip is a last resort, won't come as a suprise as they will have warned the child, and you, that the place is in danger of being lost and given the child a chance to change their behaviour.