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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

About this school trip

80 replies

user87382294757 · 04/09/2019 19:08

School have decided to try and save money on a trip and not hire a bus, asking the parents to drive their DC to the place and then pick them up at 2.30...seems a bit annoying as all the parents will have to drive or arrange lifts and not be easy with after school care

AIBU - it would not be an issue for costs of a bus compared to the extra costs and hassle for the parents. I don't have a car that day and it says it is not on a bus route and around 15-20 mins drive away

OP posts:
DanielRicciardosSmile · 04/09/2019 19:11

YANBU. I don't drive so if it wasn't on or within reasonable walking distance of a bus route, DC would have to miss it.

bananaskinsnomnom · 04/09/2019 19:13

Schools and their cuts. This is what’s going to continue happening I fear 😢

Is it at all possible for some of you to group up?

This is probably a trial for the school. If enough of you contest it or don’t send your children, I imagine they would scrap the no bus idea

user1493413286 · 04/09/2019 19:14

That sounds like a nightmare for people using childcare. They’d be better off asking parents to volunteer to drive and work out enough people with enough car spaces

avocadoincident · 04/09/2019 19:15

Yanbu but buses can cost hundreds of pounds and maybe they are getting pressured by other parents/governors to keep costs down for parents?

Do you know anyone who can give her a lift?

Hmmmbop · 04/09/2019 19:16

YANBU.

spanieleyes · 04/09/2019 19:17

it depends on what the trip is and how many are going. For a whole class/year group trip then I would expect a coach ( although these are exorbitantly expensive-up to £600 for a day trip around here). For a small group, then I have had parents agree to arrange transport between them.

OrchidFlakes · 04/09/2019 19:18

All our school trips are like that if they’re within 10 miles as the cost of a coach makes it prohibitive to attend. We’re a small rural school and the cuts have been catastrophic to us.

CAK111512 · 04/09/2019 19:20

YANBU. Some parents don’t drive, some work and it would be a faff etc.

Our local school has done similar. They own one minibus but expects parents to do help because a whole class can’t fit on the minibus. I drive but others do not and some others drive but they share a car with their partner who is perhaps at work. We live in a village with barely any public transport links too.

It’s all about cuts and saving money. Not the schools fault. It’s the terrible way things are right now and it’s terrible!

Teachermaths · 04/09/2019 19:21

Is there a possibility to share lifts?
Coaches are super expensive. £750 last time we looked for a day trip. Even with parents funding it was expensive per pupil.

SugarPlumFairyCakes · 04/09/2019 19:21

This was mooted at DS school. Once insurance/DBS/Risk Assessments queries were raised, it didn't go ahead. Also, the vast majority of parents worked and actually couldn't take the time off.

purplepoop · 04/09/2019 19:24

Schools can ask for contributions for travel but you have some parents who do pay, as some who just don’t bother. Its those parents who cause this kind of issue.

MT2017 · 04/09/2019 19:25

Coaches v expensive, if not all children pay the school will have to find the extra.

If you have a 53 seater @£530 (for example) but only 30 kids on it, 5 are pupil premium so don't have to pay, and another 5 just don't pay.

That leaves £530/20 which is over £25pp.

Can you arrange a lift share?

Lulualla · 04/09/2019 19:28

Why don't they just charge the parents the cost of the coach plus the entrance fee. We pay for all our school trips and the amount we pay covers transport and entry.

Yotam · 04/09/2019 19:30

Presumably this is either as a result of parents not paying the voluntary contributions on previous occasions, and the school can no longer afford to subsidise trips. Or as an alternative other parents have said they would rather drive than pay the cost of the coach.

I can’t imagine it is easier to organise from a teachers point of view - waiting for last child to arrive at start of trip and then waiting for parents to pick up afterwards, so I assume it must be parent driven in some way.

When my dc were at a smallish rural primary school, the staff knew I had a big 7 seater and didn’t work and was willing to help ferry children when possible, but this would be for smaller group trips only. A whole class meant a coach as it was just to hard to find enough drivers.

MrsMoastyToasty · 04/09/2019 19:31

I'm sure it will be an insurance nightmare.

CrohnicallyEarly · 04/09/2019 19:31

The funding doesn’t work quite like that though @MT2017

The £530 has to be divided between 30 so roughly £17.50

The 5 PP kids’ contribution comes out of the school’s PP pot.

The 5 whose parents don’t pay has to come out of another pot of school money somewhere. It might mean that next term’s treat (eg a theatre company coming into school) has to be cancelled, or they have to ask for small donations for that. It might come from PTA funds, but schools can’t charge pupils more to cover the costs of those who don’t or can’t pay.

@user87382294757 would it be possible to arrange a taxi share? 3 children (or more in a larger taxi) with one parent going along as a chaperone? That might work out the same sort of cost per person as hiring a coach would?

PancakeAndKeith · 04/09/2019 19:34

You are not being unreasonable, but on the flip side there are always loads of threads on here with people bitching and moaning about the cost of coaches.

NoSquirrels · 04/09/2019 19:35

All our school trips are like that if they’re within 10 miles as the cost of a coach makes it prohibitive to attend. We’re a small rural school and the cuts have been catastrophic to us.

This.

It’s a fucking pain in the ass. But all the parents are in the same situation- if you can’t help this time but will be able to another time, or can offer some petrol money or a quid pro quo favour (play date etc) then everyone working together means the DC can still go on trips.

The majority of parents don’t realise just how expensive coach hire is.

Teachermaths · 04/09/2019 19:35

@mt2017 schools aren't allowed to charge other parents more to cover the gap for students whose parents don't pay.

There may be a way the school can stay out of the insurance etc by stating the meeting time and finish time. Then the transport is not their responsibility.

NailsNeedDoing · 04/09/2019 19:40

They wont have taken the decision to ask this lightly, it's most likely that the cost of the coach would mean asking each pupil for more than they think is reasonable, and they don't have the budget to cover children whose parents don't pay.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 04/09/2019 19:44

Is there a PTA? At DDs school there main purpose seems to be raising money to pay for trips and coaches.

stucknoue · 04/09/2019 19:48

Renting a bus is around £400 for the day minimum (basic tatty bus) so for s class it's £14 each assuming not many free school meals kids .... trips are expensive

MT2017 · 04/09/2019 19:52

@crohnicallyearly and @teachermaths you're both right, I was trying (clumsily) to show how expensive it is Blush

Original poster
user87382294757 · 04/09/2019 20:30

It is two classes in the year so 60 children in total.

I feel they think we are all SAHMs. / flexible workers, some are but not all.

They usually have no problem with buses or with parents paying for buses either, so a bit confused by this.

OP posts:
Original poster
user87382294757 · 04/09/2019 20:32

There is a PTA and parent reps for each class, we have a class email list so I guess could sort something where some parents drive and others pay them, or taxis, maybe I could email them about it and arrange something.

OP posts:
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