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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think the school need to get a grip?

309 replies

Tyrozet · 25/03/2022 10:21

Just had a text from my son informing me of a letter he is bringing home from school about a trip abroad next year.

The cost of the trip alone is nearly £1000 - it is a skiing trip so on top of the basic cost of the trip, special clothes need to be purchased, passports paid for and of course spending money - I'd say all in it will be at least £1500.

It's a state school in a town with many deprived areas.

I know you can just say "no" if it's not affordable but AIBU to think the school shouldn't be putting on trips like this at a time when many families are having to choose between which basic essentials they can afford?

Things are shit enough as it is for alot of people without having the added kick in the teeth that this is completely unreachable at the moment.

OP posts:
bonfireheart · 25/03/2022 10:23

Meh, like you said you can ignore it. DD13 is going to a theme park but she doesn't want to go, so letter ignored.

Curiosity101 · 25/03/2022 10:23

I guess it's probably something they do every year? There will have always been people who can't afford it / can't go for many reasons. This is just another year.

Perhaps less people will be able to go this year than any other year... Who knows. Eventually if it gets too expensive then no one will go and they'll stop organising it. 🤷

VainAbigail · 25/03/2022 10:24

One of our schools also does these sorts of trips. My son has never been on one as I can’t afford it. It’s as simple as that. I’m not angry at the school for being able to offer the trip, though, as I think it’s great that they can, plus payments are by instalments for all pupils.

rhowton · 25/03/2022 10:25

Just because you can't afford it, it doesn't mean that children whose parents can afford it, should miss out.

It's the same as some children being able to afford horse riding lesson, and it being advertised at school.

TeenPlusCat · 25/03/2022 10:26

I think on balance YABU.
With a trip like this almost everyone doesn't go.

Many families budget for say one expensive trip across all of secondary. Going skiing via school for one child is far cheaper than taking all the family, and in some families there may be reasons why all couldn't go anyway (eg disabilities).

If you say shouldn't offer because of cost, then where do you draw the line? Even £50 may be unaffordable to some.

This is 'enrichment' which is within the school's remit to offer.

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 25/03/2022 10:26

It's probably the only way any of the kids will get to experience skiing though so is worthwhile for the kids who can go who are probably not privileged anyway. If you can't afford you just have to explain to DCs.

Easterbunnyiswindowshopping · 25/03/2022 10:27

We are skint. In the October of dd starting secondary they sent out skiing letters. £1800. Even dd laughed!!
Deluded aren't they?

Original poster
Tyrozet · 25/03/2022 10:41

It seems we are in the minority Easter.

OP posts:
Blossom64265 · 25/03/2022 10:49

Because of personal health restrictions, we haven’t been able to take dc away like we used to since Covid hit. We are absolutely thrilled to be sending her on a school trip soon. I practically threw the money at them. It’s a wonderful opportunity for her that she just wouldn’t have otherwise.

Samcro · 25/03/2022 10:51

they did that when I was at school in the 70's
just the rich kids went.

jacks11 · 25/03/2022 10:51

YABU

In some cases, families who cannot afford for the whole family to go skiing can afford for one or two children to. I know many parents won’t be able to afford it at all, but for some children it could be a great opportunity. If we take the attitude that if all children in a school don’t get x opportunity than none of them will, that would be a real shame.

Easterbunnyiswindowshopping · 25/03/2022 10:55

As a dc my exh went skiing. Broke his leg on the first day!!
Our family holiday isn't £1800!!

Comefromaway · 25/03/2022 10:57

Ds's school gave parents two and a half years notice of a potential expensive trip with a payment plan option as they knew many families would struggle to afford it. They also managed to get local companies to sponsor all the sports kit required for every child.

Herja · 25/03/2022 10:59

They always ran this trip when I was at school too. As I recall, it was about £1.5k then too. It was a school of 1700 pupils with around 10 doing this trip. I always presumed there was a senior teacher who enjoyed skiing and this was why it was run tbh (always the same staff each year who went). Seemed utterly illogical otherwise.

JudgeRindersMinder · 25/03/2022 11:02

@Easterbunnyiswindowshopping

We are skint. In the October of dd starting secondary they sent out skiing letters. £1800. Even dd laughed!! Deluded aren't they?
Not deluded, inclusive. As others have said, why should everyone miss out, it’s not a race to the bottom
Cocomarine · 25/03/2022 11:02

£1000 is a good price for a ski holiday if that includes lift passes and tuition, which I expect a school trip does.

Don’t pile on - I’m not saying it’s cheap or affordable for all - but I am saying it’s a good price.

You’re vastly over-estimating the additional £500 too. Many children already have a passport. You can get all the clothes you need from SportsDirect sale for £100 but for many clothes can be borrowed. You don’t need much spending money, because there’s feck all to spend it on in a ski resort! £10 a day for drink and chips on the mountain if that’s not catered in the trip.

Again - I’m not saying that’s cheap. But it’s not +£500.

Ski trips from school are the only way some children will get to go.

That said, I think it’s still divisive and it’s not an experience that has the value of, say, a foreign language exchange. So I’m not overall in favour of it.

RibWonderer · 25/03/2022 11:05

YANBU.

Families who can afford such expensive trips can afford to go on these expensive trips with family.

If kids are going to be allowed to have days off in term term, it ought to be for a holiday that most kids could afford to go on.

Pinkflask · 25/03/2022 11:05

I disapprove of skiing trips for this reason - I'm a full time teacher at the top of the payscale and couldn't afford to send my child on one so who the heck can? But it's a tiny minority of kids who do go, so those not going are hardly feeling left out. I must say when I worked at a school who ran one I HATED seeing all the jolly photos on social media, the matching hoodies and hearing tales in assembly etc. Felt like a real smack in the face for the normal 90% who couldn't dream of such a trip.

justmovedhouse · 25/03/2022 11:07

I didn't even tell my mum about stuff like this. I knew she couldn't afford it and didn't want her to feel bad.
It was never an issue with school, plenty of kids didn't go.

Hummingbirdcake · 25/03/2022 11:07

GhoulWithADragonTattoo

It's probably the only way any of the kids will get to experience skiing though so is worthwhile for the kids who can go who are probably not privileged anyway. If you can't afford you just have to explain to DCs.

LampreyHoover · 25/03/2022 11:08

Don’t go OP. There will be very few places anyway.

For some people (me) this is the way they get to experience skiing at least once because their family could never afford for the whole family to go so my Mum put money aside every year and saved up so I could go with my mates in 6th form Star

Original poster
Tyrozet · 25/03/2022 11:08

They ran similar when I was at school many moons ago but thankfully for my parents' sake I wasn't interested.

I understand what people mean when they say they can't call off these things just because some people can't afford it but there must be some middle ground that allows more children to be involved than something that costs almost a couple of months wages for people on lower incomes.

Of course I would love to have money to throw at them for something like this and it's a wonderful oppertunity for those who can afford it - but it still feels shit that there isn't something more inclusive.

I've also just been informed that a £200 payment is required almost immediately to secure a place - so even families who planned to save to make it happen will be discounted due to not being able to pull £200 out of their arse at the drop of a hat.

OP posts:
thebabynanny · 25/03/2022 11:09

Very few children go on these trips. I never bothered bringing the letters home.

TeenPlusCat · 25/03/2022 11:10

@RibWonderer

YANBU.

Families who can afford such expensive trips can afford to go on these expensive trips with family.

If kids are going to be allowed to have days off in term term, it ought to be for a holiday that most kids could afford to go on.

  1. A family might be able to afford £1500 for one child to go, but not £6000 for the whole family.

  2. Often these trips are very definitely not in term time, they are in half term or Easter holidays. That is certainly the case at DD's school. The only trip that is in term time was the end y7 Paris trip (90/240 pupils) which ran Sat-Monday and they had to be in school Tuesday even if not back until midnight on the Monday.

CathyorClaire · 25/03/2022 11:14

Dd went on one back in the day. We had plenty of notice it was coming up so she was able to save half the cost from a paper round and Christmas and birthday money and we paid the rest. I got the clothes cheap from charity shops and TK Maxx and she barely needed spending money.

It was a fantastic opportunity for her and one we'd never have provided as skiing is way up my list of holidays never to take Grin

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