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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

End of term reward but only if you can afford it...

169 replies

Afterthenight · 19/07/2017 18:18

Possible unreasonable here and open to admit it.

Dds school are going to a theme park on Friday as an end of term trip. The trip was £50 plus food/spends and then as they were back late we would of needed to get a taxi part back due to no buses into the village at that time. We just couldn't afford it.

Near us there are a tree top wires, zip line place, roller skating/ice skating/bowling/cinema/escape rooms and all kinds of lovely places that the kids would have enjoyed for a fraction of the price.

Those kids who can't afford are in normal lessons all day on Friday with the 'naughty' and children who aren't allowed to go.

Aibu to think they could book somewhere cheaper which meant all children who earned a reward could go.

We were told about the trip two weeks ago.

OP posts:
Supersoaryflappypigeon · 19/07/2017 18:20

That's not enough notice to expect people to come up with that amount of money. Yanbu, though I don't expect they will hold regular lessons on Friday either. Probably watch films or something.

PinotAndPlaydough · 19/07/2017 18:22

If it was the last day of term I would be phoning in saying g my child is ill.
I think the school is disgraceful for allowing children to be excluded from a trip because parents can't afford it especially one that was organised at such short notice.

Seriously take your daughter out for the day and do something special to start the summer holidays.

Charming1234 · 19/07/2017 18:23

Err what?! Keep your child off on friday and do something fun with them. Otherwise they'll start to think "sod being good all year if i end up on the last day of term with the naughty kids, i might as well be naughty too!" Stupid school.

Sirzy · 19/07/2017 18:23

When I was at high school they had a day with a variety of different trips some cheap and local (but still fun things like the zip wire) so more along the theme park side of things. Anyone not on the trip it was fun activities in school (I chose that most years!)

Worked well as it meant there was something for everyone.

Heratnumber7 · 19/07/2017 18:23

I really don't get why schools have to go so far away on mist school trips. The travel cost (coach, or as they get older, sometimes plane) is the biggest part of the cost.

DDs school ran an art trip to a gallery in New York. Like we don't have perfectly fantastic art galleries in this country.

MyCalmX · 19/07/2017 18:24

My dc would absolutely not be going in and when I phoned the school I'd be telling them why.

That is, seriously, fucking outrageous Angry

halcyondays · 19/07/2017 18:24

£50 is far too much for a school day trip.

Original poster
Afterthenight · 19/07/2017 18:25

They've been told they will be doing normal lessons.

I believe school have known about the trip some time but parents were not told.

OP posts:
GinnyWreckin · 19/07/2017 18:26

I agree, if you can to keep your child off on Friday.

Or, have a word with the teacher or head teacher. There might be a fund for children whos parents aren't able to pick money from the trees.

CottonSock · 19/07/2017 18:26

Outrageous
They should have a cheap alternative, but in any case the cost would drive me fuming mad to school office

RumbleMcSkirmish · 19/07/2017 18:27

You definitely aren't being unreasonable. I hate it when this sort of thing happens. Growing up my dad didn't have much money and we scraped by, I was always excluded from things because we couldn't afford it, the school never had any free trips or anything like that. Even course work trips needed to be paid for, which again, we couldn't pay for.

StormFrontage · 19/07/2017 18:27

I remember my son's school running a variety of optional trips varying from £20 all in (bring packed lunch) to completely free.

Staff gave up a lot of time to do the kind of local stuff you're suggesting, OP. Bless them.

GinaFordCortina · 19/07/2017 18:28

Mine would stay home. That's a really shitty way to separate the children so they can't say goodby to their friends and teachers on the last day.

YoureAllABunchOfBastards · 19/07/2017 18:29

That's why we stopped the big trips we used to do: in the past we were able to get sponsorship so the maximum cost was £10 plus any spends you gave your child (packed lunch provided for FSM kids). Now it's impossible to subsidise and the cost would be too great. It's a shame but we can't justify it

Tilapia · 19/07/2017 18:30

YANBU. School trips shouldn't be that expensive unless they take place in the holidays.

Callamia · 19/07/2017 18:31

Is there any contingency fund for families who can't afford this? It might be worth talking to the teacher - but I agree, it shows a real lack of consideration and understanding of who their students are.

RainyDayBear · 19/07/2017 18:32

Unless they are providing an alternative for the good children who aren't going, I'd keep her off, and I'm a teacher! I once worked in a school when there were no extra activities for the good kids one year (and made them come in school uniform too), and I was bloody fuming - I ended up stealing some of my students from the hall where they were working with the naughty kids and giving them litttle jobs to do and a bag of sweets to have while they did it!!

I think it's much fairer when there is a selection of activities including free ones like film / crafts / sports in school.

GlitterGlue · 19/07/2017 18:39

It's too little notice given the cost.

QuackDuckQuack · 19/07/2017 18:41

Might the school have a fund to pay for school trips if parents can't? Some schools do or have PTA funding for it.

Aeroflotgirl · 19/07/2017 18:42

That is so expensive, and some will not be able to afford it, once you factor in spends, and taxi, its about £70, which is a lot for one day and one child. Call in sick, and have a nice day out as a treat. Really what sort of message are they giving. I would seriously write a complaint to the HT or head of Governors.

Original poster
Afterthenight · 19/07/2017 18:42

Rainyday yes ours have to come in in uniform while the others arrive in non uniform too.

OP posts:
LindyHemming · 19/07/2017 18:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Spikeyball · 19/07/2017 18:43

I think there will be a lot of 'ill' children on Friday.

Notgotajarofglue · 19/07/2017 18:46

Mine would have a terrible case of the shits that day

bigmac4me · 19/07/2017 18:47

Wait till your children come home with letters about school trips skiing in Switzerland or tours of Rome or Barcelona or Iceland. They can be not much change from £1000. And yes an ordinary state school not a posh private one.