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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Cost of year 7 trip

61 replies

Cardboardumbrella · 11/09/2019 12:27

I’ve just had an email with the details of the year 7 trip to PGL, it costs £710!

They have chosen to go to PGL in France which I’m sure hugely increases the prices, I’m pretty sure the primary school trip to PGL was around £400 and in the UK.

AIBU to think that this is a ridiculous cost for a year 7 trip. Also we need to pay the deposit in two weeks time, it seems very early to commit to such a costly trip as there is a fair amount of movement between schools at the start of year 7.

OP posts:
MsVestibule · 11/09/2019 12:32

I hate these expensive school trips! Is it in term time? Any costly school trips that I went on in the 80s were in half term and in no way did parents feel pressured into paying for them - hardly any of my friends went.

whocanbebothered · 11/09/2019 12:33

I think that is an insane amount of money, and that parents should be using their voices, and their wallets, by just refusing to pay it. Then the school would have no choice but to re-think it. Was there a meeting or consultation with parents to discuss the trip options, and majority seemed to think this was a viable option?

My sons P7 trip (Scottish school, last year before moving into High School) is £250 for 3 nights away. Even that is a stretch for me, but at least its manageable. £710 would be an absolute no-go for me.

Raphael34 · 11/09/2019 12:33

That’s a ridiculous amount of money. What will the school do if you can’t pay it? My dd’s just started yr7 and I’ve been complaining about being hit with a £220 bill for a trip next month. The school did say that they’re determined that all pupils go so to approach them and let them know if anyone’s struggling with the cost and they’ll help as much as they can

Boswellisdead · 11/09/2019 12:35

Bloody hell is a private school or something where they assume that every parent is loaded? That's a ridiculous amount.

HotChocolateLover · 11/09/2019 12:36

School trips are ridiculously expensive. DSS 4 night UK trip is £400!! We went halves with DH’s ex because she couldn’t afford it but I couldn’t help thinking we could have got a week in the sun last minute for £400 per person!

FudgeBrownie2019 · 11/09/2019 12:37

DS1 went on a similar trip in Y7 that was £780. It was incredibly high but watching the videos and photos on Instagram it hit me how much they managed to cram into those 6 days and to be honest afterwards it seemed much more "worth it" despite the initial eye-watering cost.

Basecamp65 · 11/09/2019 12:40

Wow - we had a 3 night trip to PGL and it cost £120 - but that was with Cubs and I know the leaders always pay to go so the costs are less.

arethereanyleftatall · 11/09/2019 12:40

'What will the school do if you can't pay it?'
I would imagine this trip isn't compulsory.

It's a shame a pgl trip isn't in England, to make it cheaper and more accessible to everyone. You do the same activities regardless of where you are, so trekking to France for this kind of trip seems pointless.

I loved, loved, loved the pgl trip I went to around y7. Was in Cornwall.

mnbvcxz098 · 11/09/2019 12:42

It does seem a lot of money. What benefit do you think they will get from it? Do you think it is good value? Would you pay this if it wasn't a school trip?

RedskyLastNight · 11/09/2019 12:43

How many students actually go on the trip though? At that price, I'd imagine it would be a pretty small proportion (unless you go to a particularly affluent area school).

Finfintytint · 11/09/2019 12:44

My son’s school always chose ski trips to the USA at £1500 a time (10 years ago).

aweedropofsancerre · 11/09/2019 12:45

School trips can be very costly. My DS is going in a trip in March and it’s costing £750 for 4 nights.....thank god we can pay in instalments

ImAShowPony · 11/09/2019 12:46

It's not an educational trip and it's not compulsory. Only a very very small proportion of pupils will go on it! I have a Yr 13 and a Yr 8- neither of them have or will ever go on a school trip abroad- for financial reasons.

Original poster
Cardboardumbrella · 11/09/2019 12:47

Not a private or selective school, a comp school that got requires improvement at it’s last ofsted inspection.

I imagine many won’t be able to afford the trip and others may object to paying so much even if they could afford it. It’s an 8 form entry school, maybe they expect only a limited number of people will go.

OP posts:
ImAShowPony · 11/09/2019 12:49

Places will be limited. At my DCs' school- also 8 form entry, so huge- there are usually 30 -40 places on a trip like that- a coach load, including staff.

eladen · 11/09/2019 12:54

Disappointing they're not interested in making opportunities like that accessible to as many of the children as possible.

HappyParent2000 · 11/09/2019 12:54

1st day at school today, we are using the money that used to go to nursery fees as a fund for school uniforms and school trips.

fitzbilly · 11/09/2019 12:54

Only a handful of children will go, and it's not compulsory.

At my ds's secondary they had trips like this once a year as well as lots of more affordable trips. Ds never went on the expensive ones.

LolaSmiles · 11/09/2019 12:59

If it's not compulsory then I would imagine there's limited places.
Much as I'm not a fan of expensive school trips, I also see that for some kids it may be more affordable for a family to pay by installments for one child to do a school trip than fund a family trip to do something similar.
I'm not sure if I'd put PGL overseas in that category though given there's almost identical trips in the UK.

Sometimes I wonder that as more and more schools are doing London in y4/5 and then then year 6 is overseas (one of our feeders goes to Paris for y6!) the expectations of secondary are increased.

TheBrockmans · 11/09/2019 13:01

May well only be for a limited number and there will be more local activities for those left behind. Are you planning to move him/ her? One of ours was due to go to school X with a school trip just a few weeks in which needed to be paid while still in yr6. Explained was appealing to school Y and was told we could wait to pay until after the appeal, which we won so never started school X.

BarrenFieldofFucks · 11/09/2019 13:05

Completely irrelevant, but 8 form entry?! 😦 I've never heard of that, it must be huge!

Boswellisdead · 11/09/2019 13:06

That cost is prohibitive to most parents, I would think. Shame that it's only going to be for the ones who can easily afford it i.e. the people who can probably afford to take their DCs on all sorts of interesting holidays as well. It's the kids who CAN'T go who could really benefit from this kind of thing too. Sad.

RedskyLastNight · 11/09/2019 13:06

LOL Barren

My DC's school is 16 form entry; 8 form entry is positively tiny!

Boswellisdead · 11/09/2019 13:06

My secondary school was an 8-form entry. Might even been 9 come to think of it. It was a massive school though.

LolaSmiles · 11/09/2019 13:07

8 form entry is normal for lots of our schools.

The smaller schools at risk of closure are 4/5 form entry.