to not pay for school trips?

[CokeAndCrispsAndDip]

My children's dad is in the RAF, we are divorced, but this allows my dc's school to claim Service Pupil Premium. This is £300 per year, per child up to year 11.

As I understand it this money is to be spent specifically on the children that are eligible and not lumped in with other funding. There is zero evidence of this money being spent on service children, last school year they had a military kids group that had half an hour once a week to have fun time at school. This hasn't happened this school year.

So, to my AIBU, am I being unreasonable to stop paying for trips (which amount to no more than £100 per child per school year) and let the school cover it with the SSP?

The school will decide annually how they are going to spend the money and there will be details available if you ask them. They don't usually decide at specific child level.

Have a look on the school website, they will have published details of how the money is allocated.

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/579866/20161221-DCYP_SPP_booklet_final_V3.pdf

Don't know if this link into Best Practice is helpful, this SSP is a new thing since our connection with MOD.

I would speak to the Head directly if you can.Ask what the money is spent on and get it in writing if possible.I think if you can afford the trips with your Dads help ,(which isnt so different to many other people TBH) Then you would probably be expected to pay.Many parents struggle to find the cash but manage it somehow. £100.00 per child per year is under £10.00 p/m! hardly excessive.Otherwise your children may be left out of the trips altogether, or there are less trips offered .If you had to take each child out on their own factoring in Petrol costs, admission etc the cost would be quite a bit more!