School trips

[eyore123]

DD has come back from school with letter about a school trip next year skiing - it's £1k for a week. This is a normal state school with children from mixed social backgrounds.

We are lucky that although we don't have money lying around, we could afford to send her. But she's only in year 7 and doesn't get pocket money or anything so can't save or get a job.

I said if she puts her birthday and Xmas money towards it instead of presents from us and relatives that would be about £200 for birthday and £200 for Xmas that would help as she will also want some spending money too. In reality I am sure I would still buy some birthday / Xmas presents like clothes etc
DH thinks that's too harsh?

I'm also annoyed as I wanted to go in a ski holiday next year for the first time and dh says it's too expensive as we have 3 dc, and they are finally old enough to try skiing.

Save your 1k and in that week take the whole family skiing instead. Take cheaper options such as the ski train or perhaps borovets or indeed drive to Scotland

Save the 1k and all go as a family?

Don't send her in yr 7. Especially if she's not done it before. It will be a very tiny handful that go on the ski trip so she won't feel like she's missing out.

My DC school only runs the ski trip for years 9-13. It is a state school but has a fair proportion of above average income parents I would guess. We do ski, and could afford it but I've told DC that we will pay for them to go once. They can choose which year but I would encourage them to only go if they have at least 1 friend going. If they want to go a second time they can get a job and pay for it themselves.

I don't understand why you would expect her to pay?

I wouldn’t make my child pay for their school trip using their birthday money.

Why would you make her pay?

Take the family instead, my youngest is just 9m but I can't wait until she's 4 and we can all go skiing, I've started saving already, it's so expensive.

I think it's mean to expect her to pay for it herself. Either you can afford it and she goes or you can't and she doesn't. I can imagine there will be a fair few kids who don't go on this trip due to the cost.

Say no then. Its not compulsory. They'll be more opportunities for residentials at high school and she doesnt have to go on every one. I said mine can pick 1 trip each for the time they're at high school.

I think it's fair to ask her to contribute, if she really wants to go then she'll be willing to sacrifice her own money. Are any of her friends going? Friendships can be a bit fluid in year 7.

I personally would save the money and put it towards a family trip. we ski and although we can afford it, I could not additionally afford a trip of £1k for one child.

She isn’t paying for all it but making a contribution. DS is going next year in Y8 and he is contributing by doing chores around the house and by putting some cash in or at least providing his own spending money. We’ve said he needs to ‘contribute’ a third. I think it’s a useful lesson that some things are expensive and need to be worked for. We may cut back on birthday and Christmas presents but not to the same extent as you and wouldn’t expect family to do this.

Don't send her if it means you sacrificing a family holiday and her sacrificing her birthday and Christmas presents. Definitely not in y7 anyway. DS's school run a ski trip every year costing about the same. It's open to y7-11 and there are between 30 and 45 places available to a school of around 1000 pupils so those that go are the tiny minority.

The school where I work runs ski trips. I do have reservations about the fact that some parents may feel pressured to afford it but can't.

However, there are only 20 or 30 places on the trip, for a school with ~2000 students. I don't think that the students who don't go feel like they are missing out, because the vast, vast majority of students aren't going. It is different to primary school trips where the whole year group goes, or even other trips abroad (eg French exchange) where >50% of a group goes.

The trip is likely to be repeated every year, or every couple of years. Surely you aren't planning to pay for her to go every year?

A ski trip is totally unnecessary imo. Kids can learn all about self sufficiency etc on a coach trip to France. We could afford this but I wouldnt send DS, schools should offer educational value and not be fancy get aways that most kids cant afford.

I most certainly wouldn't expect her to pay for it herself, other than spending money.

I agree with pp, save your money and go on a family holiday.

I made my dd pay half towards a school trip/holiday. She really wanted to go but I couldn't quite afford it (especially since I has already paid for her to go on a similar trip) so we agreed she would pay half. And she was happy with it.

Lots of schools do the ski trip one, and 1k sounds about the right price. But only about 20 or so kids take it up each year, so just a very small number. It's up to you

Lots of people don't go on the school trips. I would save your money and go on the family trip when you can afford it

Make sure that she will enjoy skiing if she hasn't been before. Go to a snow done, have a couple lessons before you invest. I went in school ski trip, some kids hated the skiing!

I wanted to go on school trips that my mum couldn’t afford on her own. I said I would put all birthday and Christmas money towards it. I did this for 3 school trips. I didn’t have a problem with it at all and I really appreciated the holidays and felt proud I’d contributed

My daughters school also doing the ski but she asked if she could go and get the form I told her no! She is also in year 7. My oldest went last year when she was in year 9 and it was quite expensive after paying all the money instalment and then buying the clothes and stuff to take was expensive and never again.

DS in yr6 went skiing earlier this year with (state) school, c80 children from his year went (choice of skiing abroad or UK walking trip in the summer which the other 100 children are doing), trip cost c£900.

It was a big expense which we budgeted for several years in advance. He got skiing kit for birthday and Christmas presents. Nearly £1000 was clearly not cheap, but significantly cheaper than paying thousands for the whole family to go in the school holidays which would have been his only other opportunity to go, and is something we could never afford.

Ds understands how lucky he was to have this opportunity and had a great time, I hope your DD has a fantastic trip.

I wouldn't pay that for my dc in year 7 even though we could afford it. It's a lot of money and I would rather dc saw that we were 'saving up' for it with a promise to go on a school trip like this from year 9 onwards when I think they would enjoy it more. However I do think that asking for a contribution from birthday/ Xmas money is a good idea either way.

I'd also be tempted to save the 1k and put it towards a family trip. AT that price I would imagine lots of kids won't be going so it won't be like she's singled out. It's a shame they can't do a more accessible outward bound type trip.

Ive been on a school trip ski trip as a teacher. Ours is about £800. They get full kit hire, a ski instructor and all meals/evening activities included. It is very expensive, I know. However, it is one of those trips where I do think it is value for money. However, skiing as a family would be amazing too.

I think it’s too expensive trip for year 7. Check school’s website, they probably have a lot of trips and repeat them every year. Also you might be interested in some exciting (and expensive!) trips connected to GCSEs and choose to start saving for them.

Both my DC have been in ski trips costing about the same, one went in Y10 & one when they were in Y12, It was an amazing experience for them both, we don't ski as a family (it would cost too much for all of us) so I was happy they both had the opportunity that we couldn't otherwise give to them.

I would say the money is worth it, but perhaps Y7 is a little young?