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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Cost of year 6 school trip.. AIBU?

195 replies

BanginChoons · 23/06/2021 19:11

My dc came home from school today with a letter for a school residential. It's for 4 nights in the UK, at an activity centre. The children will be doing things like canoeing and high ropes. The cost is £360. Aibu to think this cost is too high? I would prefer a shorter trip and a lower price, I am concerned that families on lower incomes will struggle to afford this.

OP posts:
ShinyGreenElephant · 23/06/2021 19:12

Seems standard to me. Ours was 440 (cancelled) for 4 nights

newnortherner111 · 23/06/2021 19:13

If you do not think it is worth it, then decline politely and do so now, not last minute.

Pascha · 23/06/2021 19:13

Ours is 290 for 4 nights in October. It's about average I think.

GiantToadstool · 23/06/2021 19:13

Wow I thought ours was bad at 200 for 2 nights but actually preferable...

Ginmakesitallok · 23/06/2021 19:14

Pretty standard. Our school helps out with coat for those who can't afford it.

Soontobe60 · 23/06/2021 19:14

Them price is quite high, but that is paying for 4 day’s worth of activities delivered by trained staff, all meals, night supervision, travel to and from the centre, accommodation. It breaks down to £90 a day. It’s excellent value. If you’re unable to afford it, speak to the school - they may be able to help put.

Luzina · 23/06/2021 19:15

My stepdaughter’s school sent out a poll with the option of either £50 cost for activity days or £210 for a 2 night residential. I think 4 nights is a bit too long.

MaMelon · 23/06/2021 19:15

It’s average I think. We were around £400 3 years ago, it’s a lot of money. The school gave parents almost a year to pay for it but for some parents it’s completely out of reach.

CherieBabySpliffUp · 23/06/2021 19:15

My DD'S was a similar price last year. You will probably get a varied response depending on geographic location.

MynameisFlo · 23/06/2021 19:16

£400 Monday - Friday. We are fortunate that we can afford it but it's a lot of money. I'm just thinking about it in terms of DD having some independence from her family for a week.

Spied · 23/06/2021 19:16

Lower income families will probably get it paid forHmm ( sorry- I've just been on the free school meals thread)

ineedaholidaynow · 23/06/2021 19:17

That sounds about right. Is that for this term or next year? Parents on FSM may get some discount.

Shitfuckcommaetc · 23/06/2021 19:18

My residential 25 years ago was £120.

So I'd say £400 in today's money would be about right

Ohmygoshandfolly · 23/06/2021 19:18

Ours was £200 for 2 nights, 3 days so sounds about right really. It was cancelled due to covid though which was shit so I used the refund to buy his secondary school uniform which made my eyes water.

YouLookSoCool · 23/06/2021 19:18

It's a lot of money I agree l, but fairly standard for a 4 night trip with all travel, food, transport etc included. I think Dd's was around £400 a few years ago. It's not compulsory and most schools will have some sort of hardship fund for parents who are struggling.

Xmasbaby11 · 23/06/2021 19:18

I think it's a lot of money to find. Probably good value for what they get, but it's a long trip and a lot of money for the age. It would not be well received at our school - a lot of families would not pay and the school can't help all of them. We could afford it but I wouldn't want to unless DD was very keen. I can only think it's a wealthy demographic where they have experience of parents shelling out these kinds of prices.

tywysoges · 23/06/2021 19:19

Similar price as ours last year, less than an hour away. Ours could be paid in several instalments.

Excilente · 23/06/2021 19:20

@Spied

Lower income families will probably get it paid forHmm ( sorry- I've just been on the free school meals thread)
whats the Hmm face for?
Peterbear · 23/06/2021 19:23

It's a huge amount of money for most families - whatever happened to going to the nearest YHA. Our year 6 trip was cancelled thank God. Somebody is making a lot of money out of the parents I.e.£400 x 30 kids for 3 or 4 nights = a huge amount of money!

MadMadMadamMim · 23/06/2021 19:24

What do you think the school can do about it?

They will have reserved x number of places with the company that are organising this and that is the price they are being charged. I have no doubt they have shopped about and that's basically the cost of a trip like this.

You either go on it or don't. You don't suggest the school try and re-arrange something completely different, however. Whoever is trip organiser will have done a fair bit of work pulling this together. They won't start again from scratch because some parents would prefer something different. This is the trip that's being offered.

And yes, FSM children should have the opportunity to go, paid for by a school welfare fund.

Mintjulia · 23/06/2021 19:24

Fairly standard I think. Ours was £290 two years ago.

RagzReturnsRebooted · 23/06/2021 19:30

Ours was around that. Families on free school meals get about a third off, as they can discount the educational element of it and pay for that with the pupil premium. There's a charitable fund parents can apply for if they can't afford it. I applied for my first two DCs and had the full cost (minus the free school meals discount) paid for, as I was a student nurse and couldn't afford it. I paid for DD this year (still get FSM discount as they remain eligible until they leave school, even if income goes up).
I imagine most schools have some kind of fund they can apply for if needed.

I remember my school had 2 trips, one that was around £100 and one that was about 3x that (and this was mid 90s). Me and some of the other poorer kids went on the cheap one, it was pretty crap and only a handful of us went. Then we got to hear about the amazing time the other kids had on the better trip!

Bigoldmachine · 23/06/2021 19:33

I better get saving up now!!

Original poster
BanginChoons · 23/06/2021 19:38

If you do not think it is worth it, then decline politely and do so now, not last minute.

Erm thanks for that.. what makes you think I would decline last minute?

OP posts:
MadMadMadamMim · 23/06/2021 19:39

Also - just remember how many UK holidays have absolutely rocketed in price due to Covid!

All UK providers seem to have used this as an excuse to hoik their prices up, knowing that families can't get abroad and people are desperate to get away after the last year or so.

I imagine schools are finding the same with school trip places.