KS1 expectations

[Threekidsdeep]

I know it’s been tough for the teaching world the last couple of years but my DC school is ‘business as usual’ now (sports days, face to face parents evening, school clubs/swimming lessons for KS2 etc.), however my DC has been on 1 trip the whole school year (to a theatre 5 minutes away for 2 hours one morning- DC loved it! Cost £6.50)- Well 2 years for obvious reasons (covid) and only 1 club (sewing club that only lets 3 children on out of 80).

I asked at parents evening and the teacher assured me there was more planned but with the school year closing, there’s now nothing planned for the last term.

Does your KS1 children have many trips/extra curricular clubs at their school? DC goes to swimming lessons outside of school but wants to socialise with children from her school (home play dates are had but they’re hard for me because I have 2 under 2 aswell and DH works long hours so I’m on my own).

As DC is my oldest I’m not sure what to expect from school with regards to trips and school clubs.

State school, year 1 child. There's been two trips each term - theatre, local museum, beach type stuff. Most of them walking distance so have been low cost. The beach one is most expensive at £10 for the coach. One half term they didn't go on a trip but had an animal encounter come in for the day instead.

After school clubs - there's two per year group plus some externally run sport/dance ones.

Reception year (last school year so lockdown for most of spring term) they did a school trip to a wildlife place in the summer term and they all did swimming in the summer term too.

We've had one trip this year I think.

Extra Curricular clubs are still nowhere near how they were pre-covid - there are a few sports ones that are run by the school's pet P.E. provider (and charged for). Not a single arts, language or music based one.

Absolutely no trips or any clubs for that matter! Currently in year 2.

1 trip per year has been standard in all schools I've every worked in and my DC's school. We are having to look very carefully at trips planned for next year due to the impact of cost of living rises. The coach is the most expensive thing. I would love to have a nearby theatre that we could get to without paying transport costs.

Ours (yr2) have had
A walk around the estate to look for castle sites
Trip to a castle (there about 4 hours max)
Trip to a local woodland (there about 4 hours max)
Panto at local Arts Centre (whole school go over a few days)
Plus the usual church services up the road (as and Easter)
Wed normally have one more but the last topic has changed to common wealth games so unlikely to happen

So I get why you're upset she's had 1. But what is it you think she's missing out on specifically? Visiting the zoo, farm, woods, castle? Having fun stuff as well as educational stuff at school? You mention about socialising with kids her own age but I don't think generally school trips are. You're just partnered with the kid you sit next to all day

Oh and after school club, Art Club ran twice (different kids) and Cardio Clun once

State school in poor area

Schools can’t win - parents will complain there are either too many or too few trips. Poor teachers!

I Dc in reception, 1 dc in yr1 & 1 dc in yr2 and it’s mixed class of ks1. No school trips this year sadly. School swimming was the Autumn term last year for ks1 and reception this term.

after school they have the option of 4 clubs throughout the week, go to 3 of them.
They did on a class panto at Christmas too.

Mine went on a walk to the library every few weeks, a walk to the local park about once a term and then two "proper" trips. That was pre-covid though.

I think organizing the trips, especially getting enough staff and/or parents to cover, was a pain even then. I imagine it's a nightmare right now (also pre more recent cuts to TA and teaching staff).

There were a few after school clubs, they were all run by outside companies, required sign up for the full term and were expensive.

DC1 is in Year 2. No trip in Reception due to Covid. In Year 1, they went to the seaside in the summer term. This year, they walked to a local landmark and had a trip on a coach to a castle (not far). They would have had a pantomime at school but Omicron got in the way, and are doing a music thing outside school this term.

They appear to be offering the full range of after-school clubs (Lego, football, nature, language, etc). I know the official after-school club provision (as in childcare rather than activity) has a long waiting list.

Schools can’t win - we book trips and experiences but parents complain about cost (and this is on a leafy, affluent village) and refuse to pay because it’s ‘voluntary’. We don’t book trips and parents complain there are no trips 🙄 coaches are SOOO expensive and the cost mount up really quickly.

Blue shimmer has hit the nail on the head… schools can’t win!
Trips are a time consuming nightmare to organise. They take up hours and hours of staff time. Parents then moan and complain about EVERY aspect of them. Unless I’m given the time to organise them I now won’t.

After a parent was 20 minutes late collecting their child from the after school club I ran for free in my own time; I have refused to do them. I was late collecting my own child and had to pay extra.

I do my job and then I spend MY time with MY family. Volunteer at cubs or Scot’s and you’ll see find out how entitled people are.
Op, if you want your child to socialise then step up and sort it out yourself. You sound lazy and me, me,me.

DS1 is in Y2, state school. They had a trip to a churchyard before Christmas and had an all day trip to sea life centre last month, first proper school trip ever.

Summer fete this week and sports day next week.

They do a few clubs after school but DS1 just does beavers and swimming (his choice) neither of which are connected to school.

I don't volunteer for everything but I did volunteer at the churchyard trip and have also for beavers events. I do help run the local toddler group and I agree with the comments that anything that needs volunteers to organise, people take for granted. They want the nice things running for their children at a low cost but don't want to give up their time or commit to anything, particularly on a regular basis.

Threekidsdeep

Fuck off Dear and sort your own fucking kids social life out. You lazy cunt. Xx

Charming…

That comment speaks volumes about your entitled attitude. If you want your child to go on outings, TAKE the child on outings yourself.

My youngest is year 2 - they had one trip to a farm and they are going to the beach in July.
There are after school clubs for each year mon-Thurs including things like arts and crafts and football etc.

All these activities and clubs you want have to be organised and out on by staff voluntarily.

if you want activities and clubs for children, why don’t you volunteer to do them?

@Threekidsdeep you still haven't said if it's the experience of doing fun stuff, or the making school fun stuff that you think they're missing. At school we change topic every half term, can you not try and find a local trip to go alongside it? Ours did rainforest so a trip to the woods. Castles, literally visited a castle. Find out their class artist and see if there's anything in the local art gallery. See if a couple of her friends want to come along with their Mom's etc

Coaches are £1000 at the moment or £30 per child for a single fomr before you add on any additional costs

It is a voluntary contribution which increasing numbers of parents are not making.

Without knowing the specific circumstances of your DC's school it's impossible to say but tbh 1 trip in a year (and a year that has been disrupted with covid absence at that) sounds fine. And the teacher has said there is more planned for next year - so yes you are being unreasonable. Here are just a few reasons why a school might not have lots of trips or after school clubs:

1. You know after school clubs are entirely voluntarily run by teachers for no extra pay right? By running a club they shunt their marking and planning time back into the evening. There is no requirement for schools to offer clubs, nor in the state sector for teachers to offer them.
2. Teachers have run out of goodwill. We were treated so badly in the pandemic, put at risk with no real safeguards and against scientific research and common sense and just got abuse from places like mumsnet.
3. See above - school staff get sick when there are no covid safeguards. School budgets are tight because so much has had to go on supply this year.
4. Also see above about teachers being treated badly - there is a shortage of teachers and they are leaving in droves. Short staffed = cant run trips. You need a higher ratio outside of school. Just look at any posts about SEN TAs being used for ratios, people get very angry about it (as they should if their DC has a fulltime funded TA).
5. Trips can be expensive. Families are struggling. School budgets are stretched and can't cover the cost of those who wouldnt be able to afford to go.

So, how about instead of whinging your child doesnt get enough clubs and trips, you thank the teacher for managing to actually do a trip in a really uncertain and stressful year. Trips take a lot of extra work to plan. If you want your child to have more, take them and a friend yourself at a weekend or in the holidays.