Paying for school trips

[unexpectedtwist]

When DC's school runs a school trip it's always trip costs £xx per child but donations are voluntary.

I always pay the full amount and assumed that the 'donation' part was to make it so that pupil premium families and others less money could still go on the trip.

Found out today that nearly half of parents don't pay and that most of those are the well off ones!

Yes I know I don't know everyone's circumstances and some that don't pay will have money issues but when the subject came up in the playground today the ones says they never pay are the ones who I know are well off - good jobs, flash cars, big houses etc and they were boasting about it.

AIBU that people should pay for their kid's trips if they have the money!?

What?!?

I have to scrimp and save to pay for trips for my DDs so they don't miss out - I remember one occasion when DD1 was in Reception and I couldn't afford £14 for a trip, so I went into the office and asked if I could pay £7 then and the other £7 a couple of weeks later, I am SO shocked that some people who can afford to pay don't!

CFs, the lot of them!

We are one of the families who struggle to pay for some trips, but we find the money every time.

I wouldn’t want my child to miss out because a trip had been cancelled due to non paying parents.

I haven’t heard anyone bragging about not paying though.

This has just reminded me that I haven’t paid for my sons class trip. It’s not expensive (under £10) but I genuinely have no money for it. At the end of my overdraft etc.
Guess I’ll call the school tomorrow and explain he can’t go due to my lack of funds. That’ll be a fun conversation 😞

I have to say (as a pta chair) this is one of the things that really pisses me off.

I work my arse off to raise money for school (which has a wierd split of about 45% poorest in area 10% middle and 45% better off) so that the kids in the poorer demographic can have their trips subsidised and then find out that the better off families (who also give least to fundraising) take the piss. I love spending my evenings planning events and filling in grant applications for little Billy to get his free trip when little Jonny's mum is skipping meals to pay. As long as Billy's dad gets his new fucking land rover.

I'm particularly cross about this as my DD is going on a trip this week and I know several of the parents who haven't paid can afford to yet a family I know really struggle have asked school for more time to pay. As a pta we are putting nearly £200 towards the trip, which is costing £15 per child. 13 families out of 60 haven't paid and I know at least 7 of them can definitely afford to. It absolutely infuriates me.

Ellen, ask if there is a PTA or school fund for it. I promise your family are the ones who are supposed to use the fund.

I’m sorry about your financial situation but have you not read the thread ellen? Several people have explained that schools are not allowed to exclude children from trips because parents can’t afford to pay. Schools know this.

Primary school? I’ve run plenty of secondary school trips in my time and no-one has ever been allowed NOT to pay. Sometimes the school has a policy of paying 50% if the child is Pupil Premium (at school’s discretion, Pupil Premium includes military or Ever6 whereby the child may have had free school meals once upon a time but the family is now financially better off so the discount isn’t always given)

I’ve read the thread and I’ve looked at the letter again- it mentions nothing about it being optional to pay.
I hate being in the financial position I’m in, I’m disabled and struggling. My kids have food, clean clothes etc... just I have no money.
I even asked the teacher if my sons pupil premium would cover it and she said no and I explained my finances are really tight and she shrugged.

I’ll call in the morning. Thank you

Thank you for your kind words glenand tea as above, I did express that I am struggling. She shrugged. Maybe she expects me to pull the money from someplace I don’t know. But I’ll call in the morning thank you

ellendegeneres

The teachers aren't involved innpupolnpremium or school funding or PTA money etc, you need to ask the boss (AKA the secretary)

Thanks greentulips I will do that tomorrow.

Move to Scotland. We don't have any of this "voluntary contribution" stuff. School trips aren't considered an essential part of the curriculum so if you don;t pay, you don't go.

It's the same here, the trips are optional and if you don't pay you don't go. The PTA does fund raise to lower the cost of the trips for everyone and parents volunteer to keep costs down. If the event takes place during the school day alternative activities are available.