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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:
reluctantbrit · 13/01/2019 16:53

I can afford it but I wouldn’t be happy about it. It is hugely expensive, DD’s dance school often books tickets if pupils are in West End shows and we pay that for the ticket plus coach and it is voluntarily, we go maybe once a year if it is a piece DD hasn’t seen. Also, when DD’s Secondary offered a trip before Christmas to all children involved in extra curriculum musical classes. All is voluntarily and maybe 20 % of the children went.

But a school trip for Y3? Why not going to a local theatre show? I think it is good if schools do try and offer this as not a lot of families can afford tickets for 3-5 people. But it doesn’t have to be West End.

For the PP who suggested Kids Week - that’s bang in the middle of Summer holiday.

SpongeBobJudgeyPants · 13/01/2019 16:54

Ringdonna. In the Real World, where people live in semi-detached houses and flats, and terraced houses, and go to the pub on a Saturday night...

Steamedbadger · 13/01/2019 16:54

What about asking the school about the rationale for the trip, how school will deal with people who can't or don't want to pay etc? Do you have a PTA that you can use as a forum for this type of discussion? I would get more information before going to the stern letter.

brizzledrizzle · 13/01/2019 16:54

Should schools only offer trips that everybody can afford? Serious question - is it right to deprive some of the opportunity because others can't afford it?

My DCs school offer trips abroad ranging from around £300 to around £1000. Should they stop doing that because they are unaffordable for some children? Obviously numbers are limited so not everybody can go anyway.

tinytreefrog · 13/01/2019 16:54

@Ringdonna
Hmm not sure what planet you live on? For some people it would be vertually impossible to stump up that amount of cash! It puts a lot of pressure on low income families.

Though maybe the trip is so much to allow for those children who's families can't afford it to still go?

FEF1102 · 13/01/2019 16:55

This will become the norm from April when the massive budget cuts will impact on all school coffers....there will be no coffers there to pay for those who can't afford or subsidise things like transport. We currently subsidise to make trips affordable. A trip to the zoo costs £15 instead of £35. My summer trip will probably cost about £35/£40 this year because we will not have any reserve to fall back on. In my school, parents are mainly from low income backgrounds so its likely there will be no more trips at all because they can't afford to pay that.

cojmum · 13/01/2019 16:55

I think that is quite a lot. We are in the Midlands and our primary in a deprived area went to The Lion King at the Lyceum and it cost £30.

They offered parents cut price tickets to go with their child and have a group of children.

AJPTaylor · 13/01/2019 16:57

Fifty quid is madness.

Pinkyyy · 13/01/2019 16:57

Surely most people can afford £50?

That has got to win some sort of prize for stupidest comment ever.

waywardfruit · 13/01/2019 16:57

I agree, £50 is a lot for a school theatre trip. As you say, many will be able to afford that (but might not want to), but some would find that much a real struggle. Bad planning and not very well thought out by the school - I'd maybe write to the governors and explain your views. See what they say.

Frazzled2207 · 13/01/2019 16:58

Whereas £50 wouldn't be unreasonable for a weekend away with activities etc I think for an afternoon out it's a lot.
It's the kind of thing I wouldn't expect school to arrange but would hope to be able to arrange to go with my kids at some point.

MitziK · 13/01/2019 16:58

The fifty quid probably includes an amount to allow for the children whose parents can't afford the cost.

The discounted ticket system is great - but you have to commit to buying them straight away (no deposits) to get the reduced prices and if it isn't paid early, the tickets get cancelled.

If it's the musical I suspect it is, fifty quid a ticket is an amazing deal, as the actual ones are nearer three times that amount if you don't want to stand outside the box office in the rain until just before curtain.

Bunnybigears · 13/01/2019 17:00

Ringdonna wow!

IHaveBrilloHair · 13/01/2019 17:01

That's a lot of money.
There's been times in my life when that was twice the food budget for the week.
I'd write that stern letter OP.

Lokisglowstickofdestiny · 13/01/2019 17:01

Surely most people can afford £50?

Is Marie-Antoinette on the thread?

NutElla5x · 13/01/2019 17:03

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

PinkGin24 · 13/01/2019 17:05

We could afford £50, but I wouldn't pay £50. As far as I am concerned there are a hell of alot better things I could spend £50 on... I would also rather go as a family to the theatre than pay £50 forthem to go with the school.

sleeparamadrama · 13/01/2019 17:05

YANBU op

I think people are missing the point. The fact you can afford it is neither here nor there. It’s a lot of money to spend on a school day out.

SleepingStandingUp · 13/01/2019 17:07

Should schools only offer trips that everybody can afford? Serious question - is it right to deprive some of the opportunity because others can't afford it?
I think it should be mindful of the general range of economies, yes, unless your aim is to instill the hierarchy of affluence. It will be so clear to the kids that the rich kids get a fancy trip to Madagascar and the poor kids get Bognor in November. Surely you aim for something most kids can afford, and aim to supplement those who can't.

Not a huge fan of the trips for only a few kids either. Our school did this at 16 for Dublin and even then it felt unfair on anyone who's parents had to think or plan longer for the deposit. Why not book trips a whole class can go on?

SleepingStandingUp · 13/01/2019 17:09

Iwould also rather go as a family to the theatre than pay £50 forthem to go with the school the flip of the affordable thing is though is that some families in the middle might scrape £50 together saying we'll match half with your birthday money for example and do this for three children over several years but could never scrape together £300 for them all to go at oncr

goldengummybear · 13/01/2019 17:10

I'm in Buckinghamshire and school trips to the theatre are less than £25 not £50! Kids travel free on London public transport so £50 sounds shockingly pricey to me.

bridgetreilly · 13/01/2019 17:12

Should schools only offer trips that everybody can afford? Serious question - is it right to deprive some of the opportunity because others can't afford it?

If some families can afford it, they are most welcome to take their children on those kinds of trips themselves. I think school trips should be (a) clearly educational and (b) affordable so that everyone can go, even if that means some places are subsidised.

Lollyice · 13/01/2019 17:13

Wow, I thought dd's trip, y2 was expensive at £12 to go to a museum, due the same day as ds's £9.00 snack money (that he doesn't eat) . There's no way I could send my DD on a £50.00 trip.

TheBigBangRocks · 13/01/2019 17:16

It's an optional trip, take it or leave it. I'd be happy to send my child if they wanted to go as theatre can be an amazing experience for them.

If a parent doesn't want their child to go or doesn't want to pay them they just say no on the permission letter. Very simple.

StrongTea · 13/01/2019 17:20

It’s a long time since I had kids at school thankfully but think this is wrong, far too expensive for too many families, lots of pressure on families who may have debts and really why should anyone have to say whether or not they can afford it. Nobody else’s business at all.