To think primary schools shouldn't run residential trips?

[orangejuiced]

I dont see what purpose they serve. From reading threads on here, they dont seem popular with teachers (having to look after kids 24 hours a day, no extra pay), they are very expensive to parents (in hundreds of pounds) and potentially children feel left out or excluded if they aren't comfortable to go or parents cant afford it.

An a level geography course maybe requires a field trip, but primary children dont need to do expensive outdoor pursuits as part of their curriculum. I never went on one until age 13 and I'm perfectly independent as an adult . Aibu, am I missing something?

The PGL trips are a good example. Big amount of money for a week that most people will not be able to afford, esp in deprived areas.
I’m struggling to see the point if those. If you want to send your child to a PGL trip, then do it during the school holidays. Plenty of time to organise that during the summer hols.
But that's not what a school residential trio should be.

£600 per person is about what we spend for our two weeks hols as a family...

Y3 is too young but I think a week or less in y6 is nice. They don't have to be to super expensive locations, just somewhere in the UK. I'd also be happy to pay a little more to help students who couldn't otherwise afford it.

I used to work at an outdoor activity centre, children really blossom with confidence whilst there and learn resilience and to work as a team. Often teachers would say they have seen a different side to child XYZ who perhaps struggled with school because of their behaviour or academic skills but shone at encouraging their friends and developing their leadership skills.

As a parent its important to encourage children to experience different things, my DD loved her year 4 residential and wished there were more to go on. We live in a very deprived area, we were given almost a years notice of the predicted costs and then 6 months to pay in instalments so parents could financially prepare and the school use the funds raised at the Christmas fare to help pay for it. The staff seem to enjoy it and the children who stayed behind worked on a project and had a day trip instead.

I think the Yr6 residential is a fantastic way of helping them become more independent and prepare for secondary but at £450 it will be prohibitively expensive for some people and the PTA fund won't cover everyone. I also can't believe our school couldn't find somewhere that doesn't require a 7 hour coach trip!

School trips are ace. Got to do a few as a parent helper our school did a combined y5/6 trip one year city visit one year outward bound stuff. Always amazed me how many kids never been away from their families.

My two did sleepovers and brownies and guides.

I think it’s so important to develop some independence away from the family home at that age be it scouts, guides or school.

Don’t also see the issue with y3. Beavers can camp happily from 6.

Parents are usually the issue.

Mine where also lucky to do all the high school trips including skiing which they’d never get to do as a family.

And now my eldest is off to teach for a year in Africa. All from the love of travel and trips partly from those primary ones.

DD had a one night away in Y4, a weekend in Y5, then in Y6 they were away from Mon to Fri at an activity centre on the Isle of Mann. She absolutely loved the Y6 trip and still remembers it fondly in her 20s.
I recall they had a number of Dads who volunteered to go and help for that trip, which seemed to add to the fun as they got crazy competitive about "their" team winning which the kids found hilarious.

yabu

it's a great experience for kids, especially those from poorer backgrounds.
our school has a fund for those who need financial help.

Looking back year 4 is too young to go on a trip. She came back sunburnt and dirty from 1 shower in 3 days, when they were outside getting muddy all the time. Her hair was like a fuzz ball from lack of brushing.

^^ it's supposed to be like that! (minus the sunburn, I agree teachers need to be more aware) sounds like she had a great time.

The school I work in, and my kids school both run 4 night trips for year 6 and both go to similar places a similar distance away for just over £400, so I thought it was normal, until I heard about another school that goes somewhere a bit more local but still very similar and only costs £150, and that's before any pupil premium subsidies etc. The take up is 75% in my son's school and 40% in mine. Parents struggle and kick their heels to pay the instalments and they still have to buy all the extras like "old" clothes, three pairs of trainers and suitcases. I can understand why schools do it, but I'm sure there are better/cheaper ways of doing this.

My eldest's scout group does 6 nights for £160, similar activities plus big ticket day trips. Obviously a lot different as scout places are not for profit and its under canvas. So there are other options out there that aren't ridiculously overpriced.

My year 5 ds has just come back from one. Yes it was £300 for 5 days but we had 7 months to pay for it, they are also a mixed class of year 5/6, he also came back tanned, covered in mosquito bites and had lost his voice, but he loved it. He was incredibly apprehensive about going as he suffers from ptsd and separation anxiety, but both myself, my family and his teachers worked with him to prepare him for this trip as we all knew how beneficial it would be for him.

My daughter attended a UK residential in years 4 & 6 and a Spanish residential in year 5. She loved it and looks back at them fondly. Came back a bit of a mess each time but who cares? In secondary she has been to France and USA so far.

Our primary school is very small (under 40 kids - rural Australia) does a whole school 3day/2night camp every year. attendance is expected (but exceptions are made obvs). It's great, kids love it and is a major yearly highlight for my kids. We employ a specialist company to sort the location & accommodation (different every year - river, beach, city etc), different theme (last years was based on indigenous teaching - local elder teaching bush tucker skills, fire cooking etc. The year before was marine biology themed), food is catered and activities galore.
Our school works hard to keep costs down - so school directs funding to it (rural disadvantage funds I think - we are only 90 km outside of a capital city?..) P&F fundraising funds the transport costs each year so camp only costs $80 per child
I was so nervous/terrified to send my first born in reception off on camp but not only survived but thrived! My kids have a solid supportive school family and camp plays a huge role in that development.
We are very fortunate our teachers are willing (its is an exhausting 3 days) and generally more than required parent volunteers.
I love them, my kids love them and I wish every child were fortunate enough to experience them!

Honestly? There was nothing that a residential trip taught my dcs that they hadn’t learn before.
BUT they’ve had an ‘unusual’ childhood in that they’ve been independent very young and had done many of the activities proposed already.

Not unusual - many families do this.

I do get that, for SOME children, it is a very good thing. It gives them the opportunity to get out of the town here they live.

You sound a right snob.

This is one readon why Guiding & Scouting are so great! Raunbiwz , Beavers can do 1 night away, then they grow in independence & memories as they get older.

I took my Brownies to London. First time on a train for some, never mind the Tube! So many posters on here don't realise just how few opportunities some families get.

And please don't forget to say Thank You! Most schools do not give teachers any time off for residential time given & they don't get any extra pay for being on duty 100%.

Rainbows!!!

We take our y6 away for 2 nights and the children really enjoyed it.
I did get annoyed by a parent who later complained that her child hadn't showered for the 3 days... they had an end suite shower and were strongly recommended to. But I think out of 60 kids I saw one with wet hair the entire time we were there..

I enjoyed taking them but we do sometimes struggle for staff to supervise as it's a big ask for teachers who may have their own young family or elderly parents to look after.

Both my ds's have loved them. Ours weren't very expensive. Loads of kids on ds2's recent one didn't go. I was surprised.
I don't really understand OP's objection.

I worked for phl waaaay back and have to say the school trips and holiday trips are quite different. They’re set up differently with different relationships with the staff. The school weeks will be cheaper as the staff provide pastoral care and ratios.
I met kids that summer on the schools programme (May and June) who had never seen sheep poo or been in woods that weren’t dodgy city park woods with needles & condoms.
I also met kids who had never been expected to put their own shoes on or manage their own possessions.
The experience was so valuable at both ends of the spectrum.

The trips are VERY popular with teachers too! Whilst there are some teachers who wouldn't be seen dead on a residential, there is always a list of staff who would love to go-KS1 staff are usually very jealous as it tends to be the yr 6/male staff who get first dibs! The trips are hard work and exhausting but great fun!

I think any trip that a child has to miss because it's unaffordable OR any trip a child has to attend when they really don't want to is wrong (I opted out of PGL although sure I would have had fun).

My in-laws are ex primary teachers and whenever they meet ex-students there will be some joyful 'I remember our trip to...' story from the student. For many kids these are long-lasting memories of things they will not do again.

My DP has been on local camping trips with school - not terribly costly and near enough should any child/parent have issues - but fewer staff are willing to take on the responsibility which I think makes the more expensive all-inclusive residentials more appealing to schools.

I'm on the fence for several reasons...the children do seem to enjoy them, but yes, they are incredibly expensive.

It's really, really hard work for teachers...I'm exhausted by the end of it. Not only physically (we get very little sleep as there is always someone, usually more than one, awake and needing support), but it's emotionally draining too as the weight of responsibility on a residential with 60+ children is massive!!

My last one was 3 nights (4 full days of activities) with 67 children (Year 3/4 so quite young). We got back to school at 8pm on Thursday, the kids were picked up and went home, we (staff) had to then unload all of our equipment and put it away, complete a pile of admin before locking up the school and travelling home (I live an hour away). I got home at 11pm, completely shattered...and had to be in school by 7am the next day.

So yeah...it's great for the children...but it's a huge undertaking on the part of teachers. We don't get any extra pay or even time off in lieu for this. It cost me £180 in kennel/cattery fees for my dog and cat...I couldn't claim that back either. Not a holiday for me...and I'm not given a choice 🤷‍♀️

Really family I am a snob for saying that said school trip has been an opportunity for one of my dc’s friend to go to a nearby town because he NEVER goes out from the town he lives in??
Do you think I’m inventing that case or what?

It might come as surprise to you but many people cannot afford holidays at all. They won’t go on a weekend trip to the seaside/London/whatever. They will never have that opportunity. I know a school where they have a residential trip in Y6 where they go to London. Nearly none of the children in that class have ever been there. It might actually well their only opportunity to go to London ever (going by the parents who have never had that opportunity either). They have never really been out of their town. And yes the children absolutely LOVE it and it is an amazing thing for them to do (and they manage to do for much much less than £600 too).
It’s not being snobby, it’s stating a fact. The fact that many people in this country live under the level of poverty. Some struggle to buy food everyday. So going out even in nearby town is somehow at the bottom of the list:(

At DS's old primary, where most of the kids were on free school meals, the school fundraised separately for the Y6 residential trip, and automatically subsidised it for every child that wanted to go. This was great, because it meant that no parent had to go cap in hand begging for a discount. A trip which would have cost about £400 was £75 to the parents.

And for many of the kids that went, it was their first experience of any sort of holiday like this, and the first experience they had of staying away from their parents. They had an absolute ball, spent the week muddy, came back filthy and exhausted and joyful. It was so good for all of them.

And agree with ComeAndDance - for some of DS's classmates, this was their first experience of going somewhere outside of London for a holiday.

there is always a list of staff who would love to go-KS1 staff are usually very jealous as it tends to be the yr 6/male staff who get first dibs

Presumably it's the year 6s that are going, so the staff that have worked with them all year go, and in most primary schools there are not many male staff and they like to have a least one male on the trip who takes the room near to the boys bedrooms.

YABU.
The y5 trip was fantastic for DD2. She was really nervous beforehand, but going with children and teachers she knew really well helped her a lot, and we saw a real change in her confidence afterwards.
It then also set her up to be ready to go abroad with secondary school.

Our school goes at off peak times to get the cheapest prices and bends over backwards to ensure that money isn't a stopper from any child going.