Lack of school residential trips...

[StrongerThongs]

Full prepared to be told IABU because Covid, teacher stress, cost of living crisis etc BUT I have a DD in Y9 who has never been on a residential school trip, either in the UK or overseas. Her primary school were unable to offer a Y6 trip due to Covid.

Pre-covid the secondary school she is now at offered several opportunities a year but this has been reduced to one massively oversubscribed and prohibitively expensive ski trip every two years (the last one was to Colorado!) and a couple of subject-specific trips for KS4 (eg. languages trips, geography field trips).

Instead school have decided to run an activities week in the summer term for all pupils which includes a bunch of paid days out (eg theatre trips, museums, escape rooms) or the opportunity to stay in school for free activities (sports). This seems like a bit of a crap alternative and frankly a waste of a week's education!

I get that school trips take a lot of planning and I am NOT knocking teachers but I believe they offer really important opportunities for developing confidence, resilience, independence etc particularly for children who have missed so much due to Covid.

FWIW this is a successful oversubscribed state school. At my own bog-standard comprehensive I was able to go skiing in Italy, canoeing in France, fell-walking in the Lakes as well as field/language trips and I'm not from a wealthy background - trips were affordable/subsidised. Obviously times have changed.

Interested to know what other schools offer? And if IABU for thinking DD's school could do better?

You're not sorry though are you?

Ever worked in a school??

Retreat, if you’re a teacher, can you think if any reasons why teachers who used to be willing to organise trips, no longer want to? Clearly lots have been listed on this thread. Have you not spotted any of them in the schools you work in - tens and hundreds of hours of admin beforehand? Incredible pressure and burden of responsibility during trip? Loss of goodwill due to the increasing demands within the job? The fact it all attracts complaints and no appreciation? Laziness? Hmmm.

We must say, your view if you’re a teacher is…….extremely strange …..goady??!

My school have offered 3 overseas trips this year at varying costs and all have been undersubscribed. It's hard to justify running them if people can't afford it/aren't interested.

And a lot of work goes into it before you send the letters out... it's time wasted

Yep, it's just laziness.🙄

Stop being a goady twat

+Retreat · Today 20:29
We have been on a skiing holiday this year, however I was talking about a school trip. It doesn’t have to be skiing. They haven’t been anywhere! Even at a minimum a cultural trip into London. Sorry it’s laziness*

Yeah setting off at 4.00 am to avoid the traffic in the M1 with a load of tired teens is lazy. Then controlling tired teens in London, whikst your also knackered. The months of organisation, getting it approved by SNT, letters checked, sorting replies, and you haven’t even set off.

Do please explain how you organise trips, because lots if teachers must be hazy. Bet you’re a joy to work with and at parents evening.

Teacher my arse

Absolutely!

Sorry, but our responses are exactly what Retreat wants aren’t they! I’m guilty of responding too as the posts are so irritating…..but it’s what goady people want. Probably chuckling away at home.

Agree
parents should organise this sort of thing.

aren't new teachers leaving within five years of joining, surely by now someone has put two and two together?!

A lot of teachers don't make it even as far as 5 years!

surely by now someone has put two and two together?!

Dunno, some people on another thread were calling teachers disgusting and abusive for not giving a child something that was neither ordered nor paid for so I think some parents really think that they can behave like utter dicks and teachers will just continue to suck it up and do stuff like work for free.

This thread shows that perhaps the tactic of treating teachers like shit for years is having consequences.

Well my children's school have a residential every year from year 3 (seems young to me but my daughter went and loved it, I think her whole class went) and one every year following.

I know that in a comprehensive school a family member teaches at there's been trips to parts of Asia, ski trips and other various history trips (one to Washington) in the last year so I think it's school dependent.

Maybe your child's school is just being conscious of the cost of living increasing and tailoring trips that are more affordable for the majority rather than the minority.

Plus, echoing others, perhaps teachers would be more inclined to offer up their PERSONAL TIME to do these trips if they weren't already completely underappreciated for the personal time they give up to mark/ lesson plan etc.

Sorry had to take a break as I’m marking. Yes, I work in a school and enjoy what I do. I find the attitude at dd school lazy. They used to do loads of trips pre covid, but now nothing. I find it frustrating and I’m not trying to be goading. It’s my honest opinion having worked in education for a long time.

Well not exactly every teacher, there are teachers on here that have said they enjoy doing it and organise trips. My point was, that it's not necessarily just the teacher stress, that means there are no trips, there are many reasons, cost of living,covid, difficult parents.
My DC school does offer residential trips but it is first come, first served and very expensive.

I suppose I just enjoy teaching and seeing young people grow and develop. I also enjoy seeing them outside the school environment. It’s rewarding in my opinion.

Residential trips can only happen of tea hers are willing to give up their unpaid time ma y of them have their own children who are on holiday and it's untenable plus they honestly genuinely need their nreaks

Schools can't win 🤷‍♀️
My child's school do a residential every year and parents moan about cost very savagely! They don't offer one and the parents moan their children are missing out!

And if you actually read many of the responses on this thread you would learn that it's not simply laziness.

Advanced search throws up questions.

School residential are so expensive. I haven't been able to send my son on one.

Thankfully, Scouts is reasonable. Last year was a 7 night Jamboree for £250.

This year a 7 night summer camp including adventure activities, a day trip and all food for less than £300.

Our scout group fundraised some of the above, so the actual cost per participant is less.

Plus much cheaper weekend camps and activity days throughout the year.

Hmmmm.

Goady point scoring.

…and you are paying for your DD to
go to this school?

I ran a residential trip every year pre-covid. This year I also will but I regret it deeply and it will be my last. The behaviour of both parents and children post-covid is getting worse. There's no way I'm taking kids abroad that can't behave in a classroom, and there's no way I'm dealing with all the admin just to be spoken to like crap from parents. I'd much rather spend my unpaid time with my own DD.

As a teacher who has run many trips abroad and in the UK over the years, I'll be completely honest and say that post pandemic, I haven't organised any trips as I simply don't feel it is actually appreciated how much time, effort and responsibility teaching actually takes, never mind extras like trips
Same here.
I've always volunteered for extracurricular, weekend trips, UK and overseas residentials, but I just want time with my family now.
I'm over prioritising other people's children over my own.