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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think primary schools shouldn't run residential trips?

223 replies

orangejuiced · 30/05/2019 02:16

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 Grin. Aibu, am I missing something?

OP posts:
LisaD76 · 01/06/2019 20:37

Wow.... everyone’s trips seem to be so cheap .... last year my dd’s trip was about £200 (year5) this year it is about £480 for four nights at Pgl. I am told seniors go skiing in aspen in year 7 or 8 which is a couple of thousand

YouBumder · 01/06/2019 20:37

They never had them when I was at primary school, they never had them in in the 80s.

They did at my school. Either in p6 or p7 usually. I went to York for mine. That would have been in 1984.

PerspicaciaTick · 01/06/2019 20:38

I didn't go to a private school myself.
Nor did I. Still had a school residential trip at my very ordinary state primary in 1981.

YouBumder · 01/06/2019 20:39

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

Yes our school used to go away in s1 but my year didn’t get to go because of the strikes. I went to France in s4 though which must have been 1988.

MyDcAreMarvel · 01/06/2019 20:42

My dc primary school starts residential from year two. The children love them and it’s great for confidence. Every child can’t miss out because some are unable to attend.

MyDcAreMarvel · 01/06/2019 20:43

Year two trip is £70 for two nights.

Dandelion1993 · 01/06/2019 20:47

They're excellent opportunities for a number of reasons:

Allows students to try new things.

Helps stimulate their imagination and meant health.

Can be a great way to help clingy children thrive away from parents.

freshstartnewme · 01/06/2019 20:50

They never had them when I was at primary school, they never had them in in the 80s

The first part of this sentence is true. Perhaps in the second part 'they' refers to your school, but it certainly isn't true of all schools

coconuttelegraph · 01/06/2019 20:53

They never had them when I was at primary school, they never had them in in the 80s

That's bonkers, of course there were residentials in the 1980s, are you saying that every school in the country stopped them for a decade?

Emmapeeler · 01/06/2019 20:56

My primary school did residentials in the 80s - year 5 and 6 went every year to Fairthorne manor in Hampshire, Monday to Friday.

elQuintoConyo · 01/06/2019 20:57

My 7.5yo went on his first residential a couple of weeks ago, for his classmate it was his 5th time. Very very few children age 3 go on the c last trip, but it's open to them, too. Up to age 12.
They went about an hour and a half away at the base of some mountains, had an auberg-type place to themselves (they take just one school at a time).
They did 'jungle trek' high up in the trees, helped cook dinner one night, played at being Romans, visited a farm.
He had a flipping whale of a time and wants to go again next year. They run a three-night trip every year for around €145. Not every child goes, not every child wants to, some of his friends go alternate years.and

When they get to secondary it gets reeeeaaaaallly pricey! He might go on one trip his entire secondary years!

BumandChips · 01/06/2019 20:58

Mine are going in year 2 for one night, it’s costing around £50. They are so excited.

Meinmytree · 01/06/2019 21:02

I went on residentials in Y3 and 6. Y3 we were only about an hour away, but it was a big thing for us and I loved it!

I'm a Guide leader, and all girls get the chance to go on an overnight trip. For Rainbows it can't be more than 1 night, but Brownies (age 7) upwards it can be longer, last summer I went on a large camp where we had Guides 10+ (so some still in primary school) and we were away for a week.

I know of a local primary that has a residential trip abroad, that does seem too young.

Vivianebrookskoviak · 01/06/2019 21:06

My school never had them and I don't know of anyone else in my area that had them at primary school. Perhaps I could have worded it better but I was just stating a fact. I don't think I imagined not having them at my school but judging by some of the replies it's like practically alleging I'm lying. Which I'm not.

Clarabella77 · 01/06/2019 21:10

Wow, as someone who works for an outdoor learning provider I am a little saddened that some people don't recognise the benefits.

Obviously I am a bit biased but there is also a heap of evidence to support the fact that these experiences develop young people in so many positive ways; those children who struggle with classroom learning particularly benefit. It is important that they are delivered in a way that draws out the educational value, however.

When my own son returned from his residential I was surprised to see how much he had grown in Independence and confidence and seemed to enjoy learning again. He can't wait to return next year.

coconuttelegraph · 01/06/2019 21:18

Viviane, the "fact" you stated was they never had them in in the 80s no one is disagreeing that your school didn't do them, how could we know, but it's blatantly untrue to say no school had a trip in the whole of the 1980s

Ginandtonics · 01/06/2019 21:43

Towards the end of primary is a good age for these trips. Unfortunate that my son couldn't go without me because of severe lung disease but it was still an amazing experience for him. I went because he was on intravenous antibiotics at the time (administered three times a day by me - I kept out of the way the rest of the time). He had a fab time on his trip, and climbed, caved, rock scrambled, gorge walked and so on during a very wet November week in Wales. I have heard from other parents how SEN kids, particularly those with serious medical problems, don't always get the chance to participate but his school was very caring and supportive and absorbed the cost of me going along to look after his medical needs.

neverhadanymarblestolose · 01/06/2019 22:18

Quite a few schools around here do them from year 1. My daughter went last year and loved it. She's now in year 2 going on another one on Monday. They're just 1 nighters. They go for just the day in reception to get used to the setting.

A few weeks ago, the school had a sponsored sleepover in the actual school. Kids from all years went. I'd never seen so many kids so excited to go to school that day!

BumandChips · 01/06/2019 22:26

I had a week long residential in 1989.

AdoreTheBeach · 01/06/2019 23:18

I have three children. They all went on residential trips in primary school. PGL and a trip to France (language, culture, history).

All loved these trips. They weren’t too expensive. We knew they were coming I as each trip was done in a specific school year so we were able to budget over time for these.

YABU as many children love these trips and some patents plan ahead. I know for children from families who struggle to save for them, there was a fund from the parents association to help with the trip costs. (My three children went to two different schools - DDs to one, DS to another - and each school had these funds.)

reluctantbrit · 01/06/2019 23:36

DD went in Y5 for 3 nights and in Y6 for 4 nights. She absolutely loved it. The school was very open about costs, You could inquire even before they send out information as they always used the same providers to get an idea.

She gained so much, not only independence but also self confidence, getting along with children they don’t interact that much and even with the ones they don’t like.

She is also a scout, going away in a regular basis sind she is 10.5, she did a week holiday on her own at a riding stable.

Yes, yes u can become an adult, being in your own and survive but unfortunately we live in an age where children are mollycoddled far too much. Such trips are necessary to let them go and do things on their own.

MitziK · 01/06/2019 23:52

If my primary school hadn't done residential trips, I would never have seen the countryside. Or the sea beyond one four hour trip to Brighton where I was allowed to walk along the promenade and pier for twenty minutes. Or abseiled, climbed rocks, ridden horses, gone on a boat, seen seals in their natural habitat or been to a Museum or Art Gallery, seen a medieval building or a cathedral or stayed in a hotel before I was an adult.

Were it not for Brownies and Guides, I would never have camped, been in front of an open fire, heard a cuckoo or peewit, seen a fox or the milky way all lit up before I was an adult.

Just because some of us have better and broader experiences to give their children, it doesn't mean everyone does. And it doesn't mean that those who already enjoy greater privilege won't gain something from them.

MitziK · 01/06/2019 23:55

By the way, I went on those residentials between 1980 and 1989. It's been a thing for many years - it's certainly not new.

Lou898 · 02/06/2019 00:06

I’ve taken yr5’s on residentials for the last 2 years. We, as do most schools, have provision to cover or partially cover payment for those genuinely unable to afford to go through pupil premium funding.
I think and so would all the children I have taken so far, that the experience and fun they had will stay with them. Even the ones who were reluctant to go, who were gently persuaded, were so pleased to not have missed out and I really enjoyed seeing some children, in a different situation, coming out of their shells and building new friendships and alliances with other children through the activities. I do think they are important, but don’t see the need for every year from year 3, which I also believe is too young.

ReanimatedSGB · 02/06/2019 00:06

DS went on his first one in Year 2 and had a great time; he went again in Year 3 and Year 4. After that, for some reason, the school seemed to stop doing them - I think they were going to do it in Year 5 but DS didn't want to go that year and it never seemed to come off.

But I agree with PP about the alamring cost of trips once they get to secondary. DS' current school has proposed two or three trips including one to Florida for about a grand and a half. They never get to actually do them because there aren't enough DC in the school whose parents can afford to send them.