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?

I used to work in a residential centre for kids. I actually think 7-8 year olds get the most out of residential trips.

My DC love these things and benefit massively from them. It’s worth the struggle to pay for them. Same with brownies trips. YABU

Our school go on residential in year 5 and they look forward to it through most of year 4. In my daughter's 7 years at the school I've only known of one child that didn't want to stay but that was his choice, not a financial one. The children that are eligible to free school meals get a donation towards the costs from the extra funding that brings into the school

Wish I could edit post ... My daughter DID (not leave like I'd somehow typed) Kingswood Colomendy two days after her 7th birthday and it was two nights residential. Because shes the world's worst eater she came back exhausted dehydrated and her lips were awful. She'd also been ill her last night and morning again I think dehydration but she had amazing time and would definitely go again next year. It was £70.

YABU. I still have very fond memories of our trip to the IOW, in the 1970’s, it was exciting being away from my parents.

My kids school does them in year 4,5 & 6. My daughter went every year and the school funded year 5 & 6 because I was out of work and couldn’t, my son is year 5 he hasn’t gone to any and won’t go in year 6 because he doesn’t like staying away so long however he loves staying behind at school because they arrange fun things for them to do during the day, this year they did different educational days and on the final day did a massive party on the field with various foods and games :-) I have 5 children and couldn’t afford a holiday any time soon so I personally think it’s great they have the option with their school to go away :-)

My school does it’s first residential in year 2. My children are both August so they was both 6 which I think is definitely too young. When my oldest was year 2 I didn’t let her go because I thought she was too young but when my boy was year 2 I let him go for social reasons but I was not happy about it. I wish they didn’t offer it and put us in that situation.loads of the kids were crying when leaving. The next one is year 5 and I felt completely different about them leaving. Daughter is going on hers next week and Iv said it’s the last.she has gone every year for the past 4 years and they are becoming more and more expensive for the same experience.

My DCs primary does the following:

1. Year 2 - 1 night sleepover in the school.
2. Year 4 - 2 night residential at a local environmental centre
3. Year 6 - 4 night residential at PGL type centre.

It is very gradual and gentle and prepares the children well for the overnight trips (often abroad) that seem to come in Y7. They seem to have a whale of a time and visibly grow in confidence.

The residential trips my kids have been on are too places we couldn’t take them to, so YABU.

In our school it is the first time many of the children have ever spent the night away from home.
That in itself is worth it.

As a member of staff who went on many residential trips, I can honestly say that it was the favourite part of my job. I saw kids who found the classroom environment difficult, flourish. I treasure those memories, and I hope they do too.

P5 residential trip, two days, 70 quid. Hardly breaks most banks and we were given the whole year to pay for it. There was a hardship fund for anyone who couldn’t pay.

DD just came back from hers. She had an absolute blast, they all did. There were great team building exercises and she spent loads of time with some kids she didn’t really know too well and is now friends with a couple she had some problems with.

She has always been a bit anxious at being away from us and we really wondered how she would do. She became “mum” to her friends who missed home and they really enjoyed sharing secrets and having a big sleepover. She never even missed us a little bit. It was a huge step for her.

You could ask if any school trip has value. But if you don’t think trips are worth it, opt out. There were six or seven kids who chose not to go. It wasn’t a big deal.

My 10 year old DD has just been to Kingswood for 3 days and absolutely loved it. I remember being her age and went away for the full week . I absolutely loved it and still have great memories of that time .

Ours love their trips and being independent with their friends it is a fantastic experience for them. Ours do them from year 4.

I get what you are saying OP. I think a cowle of nights in yr 6 is ok and achievable for most kids and families. One year my youngest was in yr 4 and they suddenly decided to do 4 nights away. She was far more clingy than my eldest and instantly said no. I encouraged her to go but she had a couple of tearful nights where the teacher phoned me. I don't really see that it benefitted her that young. By yr 6 she loved it. My first was one night camping in primary school grounds. Parents came to a camp fire sing song and BBQ so it was only the overnight in yr 4. Much more manageable.

By age 13 at secondary school I did PGL for a week and absolutely loved it! 1984 Boreatton Park, Shropshire shout out!!

I loved the trips and just went on some due to the price. Would happily let mine when they are older do the same. It made school more appealing and meant I could spend more time with all my class mates.

Also agree that year 3 is too young and there’s no point having one every year

Our grandson, 7, is off for a couple or three nights away with the Beavers, he's so excited, did it last year too. I sometimes think that a child who feels worried about going away is being influenced by clingy parents who can't begin to let their child out of their clutches.

DD did then from Yr3

She didn’t want to do the Yr6 one, so she did a few bits in school, then they gave her the Thursday/Friday off so we went away.

Smashing

I don't think I've moaned (on MN) about DC's residential trip. Even though I've more grounds than most (DS had to come home after 2 hrs into one trip).

The trips have mostly worked for us. Last child has 6 wks b4 leaving primary. Counting down the days!

As a teacher one trip I recall was some city children up to the Dales. One las lost his £5 spends on day 1 and I said I would lend him the money, fully expecting not to see it again!
Back in school he held back at the end of our first lesson, gave me a £5 note, told me his mother was making him do all sorts of jobs to save it up, and he very surruptitiously pulled a box of chocolates from his bag, She says thanks and sent you these, but don't tell anyone Miss!
As a teacher you often saw a totally different side of the children and I still recall sitting in a tent, in a field in Germany, rain pouring, 3 am, trying to be the UN peace keeping force to arguing 10 year old girls! Next morning I was shattered, they were all best of friends and very wide awake.

They never had them when I was at primary school, they never had them in in the 80s.
I remember PGL trips at high school in the 90s but I never went on one. They just never appealed to me as a kid as it was always the more outgoing kids that liked them and went on them.
YANBU,OP!
It may be the only holiday some kids get but it is a lot of expense at too young an age. Day trips is enough at those ages.
The skills learnt can surely be learnt at a few years older, I don't agree with kids being expected to know so much at young ages,more than my generation did.

Disagree that year 3 is too young. It might be for some kids, but in general they visibly grow from the independence of being away from family. I have also worked on residentials with severely disabled kids and some would do things for themselves that they would confess that they told their parents they couldn't do.

Vivianne They certainly had them in the 80s at some schools, and in the 50's My mum who went to a state school in the 50s went on a week long residential at 7 years old.

At the start of the 80’s was teacher strikes and clubs and extras were stopped

So yes she’s right