Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to object to £50 school trip

285 replies

puffyisgood · 13/01/2019 16:20

Outer London state primary [lots of affluent parents but also plenty who aren't], yr 3 kids. Matinee of a [fairly popular, fairly new, child friendly] West End muscal. The trip costs parents £50 per child. The school coffers may even be topping up these contributions a little bit [e.g. to pay for transport & for helpers]. As I understand it the tickets were block booked in advance [of the trip being announced] for the entire class. As with all these things parents can announce that they're not paying, but with prebought tickets the money will have to come from somewhere. All the kids want to go of course. As it happens we can afford it easily enough but I know that plenty of other families can't.

I'm mulling over a stern letter to the head. Reasonable or not?

OP posts:
Shoxfordian · 13/01/2019 16:25

What's the issue if you can afford it?

DitheringBlidiot · 13/01/2019 16:27

You’ll get lots of people explaining what the £50 will cover in intricate detail and telling you what a shame it would be for your child not to go on this educational visit, but £50 is a lot of money! And I’m not sure why they block booked without gauging interest first.

In this instance I don’t think ywbu to send a letter.

MeredithGrey1 · 13/01/2019 16:28

When you say a “stern letter” what do you mean? A stern letter insisting your child goes?

Ringdonna · 13/01/2019 16:29

Surely most people can afford £50?

Ellisandra · 13/01/2019 16:30

That’s a huge amount of money! And not even that cheap for a musical if you’re not after the better seats - though I appreciate some may be going on transport costs.

I could afford it, but I wouldn’t be impressed. How much notice to pay it?

Ellisandra · 13/01/2019 16:30

@Ringdonna

the real world is this way

ZigZagZebras · 13/01/2019 16:30

If they've block booked then it sounds like they're asking for contributions and will understand if parents can't contribute.

MeredithGrey1 · 13/01/2019 16:31

Oops completely misread your last bit, ignore me!

be47 · 13/01/2019 16:31

A school block booking isn't like a regular person block booking. If I wanted 50 tickets, I'd have to pay for them all now. School bookings will have a deposit and then be allowed to change the numbers and only pay for the seats used. Presumably, the school would have to do this first so they can guarantee enough seats and that the seats are together so that the supervision ratios can be met. So regardless of whether the price is reasonable, I wouldn't worry too much about the booking system!

mummmy2017 · 13/01/2019 16:32

£50 might feed a family for a month.
I feel sorry for families who go without to send a child...

BaconPringles · 13/01/2019 16:32

Surely most people can afford £50?

Aye, did you type that on your diamond iPhone?

mysteryfairy · 13/01/2019 16:32

Is the letter to object that you’ve been put into the position of having to pay am amount you can easily afford to pay? Or are you intending to advocate on behalf of others who might struggle?

Chloemol · 13/01/2019 16:32

Ring Donna. You are joking aren’t you? £50 is a lot for some, sometimes the choice between paying a bill or not. Obviously you have load of dosh floating around. Done don’t and kids cannot go on these trips

BookMeOnTheSudExpress · 13/01/2019 16:32

It's a lot of money. It's also what theatre tickets cost in the West End once you factor in everything else.

anniehm · 13/01/2019 16:33

We paid less than that from the midlands to the west end last year, either they booked good tickets or budgeting for lots of kids to go free

rosydreams · 13/01/2019 16:33

I am lucky both my man and i are working now but if we wernt then that would be our food budget for 2 weeks.

Unfortunately the costs add up travel,tickets and probably insurance .They have to make sure its properly supervised to it costs more now than when we were kids because safety is better but it comes with a price

Fullofthought · 13/01/2019 16:33

My DD is going on a school trip and for one night and a day's worth of activities it's costing me around £80. I'm struggling to pay for it but am, and will make sure she goes on this trip.

SleepingStandingUp · 13/01/2019 16:34

Well I guess there's a moral stance in not letting your child go because others can't afford it but I'm not sure you'll achieve much.

Is it made clear to parents that if thry can't afford it the school may be able to help?

RosemarysBush · 13/01/2019 16:34

Ringdonna 😂

Orlande · 13/01/2019 16:34

£50 is utterly ridiculous! That's going to be at least half a weekly shopping budget for many families.

I'm annoyed enough at a £15 trip for one of my children.

Fullofthought · 13/01/2019 16:34

Forgot to add I'm a single mum working part time, so that £80 could feed us for nearly a month!

Soconfusedbylife · 13/01/2019 16:34

Goodness that’s a lot of money. We’re both in decent paid jobs and are lucky enough to afford trips easily (usually) but the month after Christmas, when I also have 2 children’s birthday parties (£600 for both), activities to pay up for for the next term etc I would really struggle with a £50 school trip. It’s far too much! £20 max is what we usually pay.

Obsidian77 · 13/01/2019 16:35

surely most people can afford £50 Nope. Most people I know would really struggle to afford that. Especially at this time of the year when everyone's broke. And DC2's class has 3 sets of twins.
If you can afford it easily then good for you Confused

planespotting · 13/01/2019 16:35

@Ringdonna newsflash: no

Aeroflotgirl · 13/01/2019 16:35

Surely most people can afford £50

Right Ringdonna, in a world where a lot of people are relying on foodbanks, kids are going to school hungry, and parent's don't know where the next meal is coming from, or if they will have electricity to cook dinner with, right. Get in the real world will you!