To think that £18 pp for a Year 11 trip to a factory in walking distance is ridiculous?

[colditz]

WHAT EXACTLY ARE THEY SPENDING THE MONEY ON?

It's a trip to a factory a mile from the school, in school hours, all the students are over 15. What could possibly be costing £18 per student?

Are they going by taxi and then to Nando's afterwards?

nope. They're having lunch in the Factory canteen, which I KNOW is heavily subsidised

They don't need a taxi, or a bus, they've all got legs and the factory is actually in the centre of town so anyone who doesn't want to walk can catch the bus.

The taxi would only cost £1.20 each with 4 in each taxi anyway!

Have you asked the school about costs?
Are they walking or has a coach been arranged? I wouldn’t particularly want to walk 30 students a mile in pouring rain/snow etc!
Don’t forget that the trip income may need to provide supply cover for the staff accompanying the students ...

But they're 15 or older. It's not like they need to be taken there in a walking bus formation, holding hands in pairs, wearing high vis vests with staff leading and bringing up the rear. Won't they just meet at the factory gate instead of going to school?

You would hope that all 15 YOs (relevant disabilities excepted of course) would be able to go to the town centre without adult supervision.

But they're 15 or older. It's not like they need to be taken there in a walking bus formation, holding hands in pairs, wearing high vis vests with staff leading and bringing up the rear. Won't they just meet at the factory gate instead of going to school?

You would hope that all 15 YOs (relevant disabilities excepted of course) would be able to go to the town centre without adult supervision.

But they're 15 or older. It's not like they need to be taken there in a walking bus formation, holding hands in pairs, wearing high vis vests with staff leading and bringing up the rear. Won't they just meet at the factory gate instead of going to school?

You would hope that all 15 YOs (relevant disabilities excepted of course) would be able to go to the town centre without adult supervision.

they probably need insurance to take them to somewhere like a factory that will have certain risks attached to it plus lunch plus depending on the factory etc they may have to pay the factory for a information session or something similar.

they probably need insurance to take them to somewhere like a factory that will have certain risks attached to it plus lunch plus depending on the factory etc they may have to pay the factory for a information session or something similar.

But they're 15 or older. It's not like they need to be taken there in a walking bus formation, holding hands in pairs, wearing high vis vests with staff leading and bringing up the rear. Won't they just meet at the factory gate instead of going to school?

You would hope that all 15 YOs (relevant disabilities excepted of course) would be able to go to the town centre without adult supervision.

Barbara, you make a valid (and well hammered home) point

Yes, I expect them to meet up at 9am at the factory gates.

I don't understand how on Earth it costs £18 a head to take a bunch of 15 year old Physics students to a factory. There are more dangerous things in the labs in a secondary school than there are in that factory.

Is the factory charging for the tour?

Schools don’t profiteer on trips so there must be a reason. Ask them if it isn’t apparent.

Departments are often charged for the supply out of their own budgets now... except they barely have much budget, so it is possible it is to cover the costs of supply.

I offer tours for our Production site (factory). It's part of careers events for schools. There is no extra insurance required, just a risk assessment. Some schools need transport, most walk. If we offered food, we would pay for it. We don't charge.

£18 is excessive.

What BrieAndChilli says - it'll probably mostly be insurance.

I think you should ask the school why it is costing so much. Even if lunch cost £5, surely insurance-if the school has to have this for the trip- wouldn't be £13 a head! It seems excessive.

Are they having to provide cover teachers for the classes back at school?

That’s a lot of money. My ds is in year 10 and last week went on a school trip to see the gunther von hagens exhibition in London by coach (about 90 mins away) and it only cost £22. We did have to provide lunch though.

When I run a school trip the pupils are charged for the cost of a cover teacher (or 2, depending on how many teachers are going). It’s £200 per day for 1 cover teacher and must be built into the cost of the trip.
It makes many trips prohibitively expensive.

I bet they’re putting a coach on. We’ve had really expensive trips like this to free places well within walking distance that the school have inexplicably booked a coach for. One of them was a venue they had walked past on a school trip the previous year so they were definitely capable of walking it!

Sounds crazy. £18
Is a lot

How can we know, why not ask the school?

If by insurance posters mean the school's insurance they should have an annual policy so one trip won't cost extra and the factory won't be getting one off insurance for a visit

Ask the school

You could get a weeks insurance to go skiing for 18 quid, so it definitely can’t be that (and if it was I wouldn’t want my child going).

Ask the school

They're having lunch in the Factory canteen, which I KNOW is heavily subsidised

I'm sur it is heavily subsidised for employees. That doesn't necessarily mean visitors get the subsidised prices. But, as others have said, if you want to know exactly where the money is going you need to ask the school.

Seems a right rip off.
But then I find the cost of most primary trips very questionable!!