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Original poster

What will happen if I'm behind on paying for the trip?

172 replies

UndertheCedartree · 25/02/2023 10:17

Really worrying about this. I have spoken to school about it but not been given a response. So just wanted to see what is usual procedure.

In December I signed my DD up for the Y6 residential trip. In January we found out the cost - £350 😮 A payment plan was set up for those who couldn't afford to pay it outright. £50 in Jan, £100 in Feb, £100 in March, £50 in April and £50 in May. Trip is end of June.

I'm on a low income and I'm struggling with the payments. I've paid the £50 for Jan and I've saved up £30 so far for the February payment.

Will my DD not be allowed to go if I haven't paid it all by May or even June? It would crush her. I wouldn't not pay but I wish it could have been spread out longer to pay. £100 out of a month's budget is so much! It's my DC's birthdays in March and April and I had a large unexpected expense in January too 😥

OP posts:
NoCatsToday · 25/02/2023 13:00

At my DC school the PTA fund a hardship fund for just such eventualities. Ask school.

WombatChocolate · 25/02/2023 13:04

I think this all comes back to government failure to properly resource schools again.

Schools want to run these trips as they have huge value for the kids. However, with a requirement to make payments voluntary, they are faced with a big bill they have to pay, when parents sign up and then don’t pay, or when their sources of funding to help those struggling run out. In covering this bill (which is often not known exactly in size in advance) the school have to remove spending on books, teachers, other stuff, because they can’t spend on both. It’s shocking.

Increasingly these trips won’t run. Too many won’t be able to afford them and schools won’t be able to afford to subsidise places. They will have to prioritise books and teachers. How awful. Because OPs DD would hugely benefit from this trip and it’s vital that there is funding to help her attend.

Don’t all blame the school. There are likely to be a variety of reasons why the information and payment plan wasn’t available sooner. It is likely the school has had a number if requests for help and is digging around to try and make sure the trip can go ahead, even though they can’t be sure how much parental contribution will come in. This is on the government for not funding properly. They are putting the schools and OP in this position which none of them should be finding themselves in.

ancientgran · 25/02/2023 13:06

Poscapen · 25/02/2023 12:56

People are assuming that the school won't help, but Op hasn't contacted them yet.

Re contacting the governors - that would be follow the school complaints procedure, the first stage of which will be to formally make a complaint to the HT. Governors get involved at a later formal stage if needed.

Show quote history

In the first paragraph of the first post the OP says, I have spoken to school about it but not been given a response.

Locsup183 · 25/02/2023 13:09

You sound really lovely and such a good mum. I hope you get through to the school and it all gets sorted and your DD has a brilliant time.

KnickerlessParsons · 25/02/2023 13:10

Most schools have a hardship fund for situations like this. We even had one in Brownies. No child should miss out because of cost.

PurBal · 25/02/2023 13:10

It may be worth speaking to the local church especially if the school is CofE (but even if not). A previous church I went to had a pot available for low income families for things exactly like this.

Hlpfl · 25/02/2023 13:18

Do you have a small local charity in your area that will help?

We have a small charity that will help with school trips, ask school if they know of one in your area that might be able to help you.

ThinWomansBrain · 25/02/2023 13:19

Appalling that the school invites people to sign up without being clear about the costs - but even if you weren't on a tight budget, it would have been reasonable to say 'yes, I'd love my child to go, but I need to know the price first'.

As you've contacted them already - assuming that wasn't yesterday - follow it up as they haven't replied.
I appreciate they've offered a standard payment plan - they should be able to vary that, but do chase them.

pleasehelpwi3 · 25/02/2023 13:30

As a primary teacher here, I know our head does move heaven and earth to enable 100% attendance on residentials, but you need to ask him/her, and not this forum. Good Luck.

Maireas · 25/02/2023 13:31

FSM and PP will usually mean she can get it paid for. That's what happens where I work.
She can still go.

Poscapen · 25/02/2023 13:33

ancientgran · 25/02/2023 13:06

In the first paragraph of the first post the OP says, I have spoken to school about it but not been given a response.

Show quote history

She has also said that she's going to contact them again. :-)

gamerchick · 25/02/2023 13:34

We've always had to pay for residentials. If a school takes a few kids sking for 3 grand you don't kick up a stink if you can't afford it.

Day trips where all the kids go on are a different matter. Not all the kids will be going to this.

All schools should say what the cost is upfront though. Ours does before you put kids name down.

NotaClue541 · 25/02/2023 13:35

Primary school head here. I have several of these conversations every year and my response is always the same - of course she will go, we would never ever stop her from going because you couldn't pay. Please dont worry. However, these trips cripple our budget just like your family budget so please pay whatever you can. I've also had families continue paying after the trip.
Hopefully you will get a similar response 🙂

Ruth98 · 25/02/2023 13:36

This may not help you now but a suggestion for the future that you could pass on to school. We have parent pay at my daughter's school and if there's a trip / party / event we log in to pay for it and we always have the option to part pay, pay in full and also pay extra to support another family. If we have the spare money we tend to add another £5 etc as we know it will go into the pot to confidentially pay towards another family. It's a great way to do it as some parents put £100 in, others put £1 extra in, some put nothing extra in but there's no pressure.

andweallsingalong · 25/02/2023 13:41

Our primary also had a much lower price for PP /FSM pupils funded by the PTA.

I would expect it varies by school though as our school was in a relatively affluent area with relatively few on FSM so easier to cover. Like many schools I think with budget cuts the PP gets lumped together to pay for TAs, etc to increase academic support for those in most need.

No matter what the circumstances though I'd expect your school to either offer a reduced rate or longer payment time.

Dibblydoodahdah · 25/02/2023 13:43

@gamerchick a primary school residential is different to a secondary school skiing trip because the whole year goes. No child should be excluded because lack of funds.

teaandcake123 · 25/02/2023 13:49

Op, I’ve sent you a dm x

PrincessScarlett · 25/02/2023 13:56

You need to go straight to the head teacher not pastoral care or senco. Ask for a meeting to explain your situation. Our local school won't refuse anyone attendance based on parents inability to pay. A friend of mine managed to negotiate half the cost of the trip for her child. The school will have some sort of funding set aside for those parents that are in financial hardship.

Original poster
UndertheCedartree · 25/02/2023 13:56

countdowntonap · 25/02/2023 12:13

Apparently, the government now says PP has to be used for academics. This is absolutely not true. Is your school in a high deprivation area? Our school gets approx. £500,000 year PP funding, but it may be that your school receives much less and so the spending may have been used to cover TA costs. You will be able to see on the school website a breakdown of how the school spent their PP funding last year.

Hope your get the support you need from school.

Yes, I did see the bit about trips after I posted that. To be fair, I may have just misunderstood what I was told.

No, it's not an area of high deprivation. The school is in a wealthy area that borders on a lower income area (where we live).

OP posts:
justasking111 · 25/02/2023 13:58

Pre covid our PTA would have helped out. That's now destroyed. We're trying to resurrect but there's no enthusiasm

JMSA · 25/02/2023 14:01

You must have been given some idea of cost when you signed up for it, and £350 is the going rate for a residential trip.
You definitely need to get proactive and speak to the school.

IncessantNameChanger · 25/02/2023 14:02

I told school I was struggling to pay for a year 10 trip and they extended the payment period for me.

Original poster
UndertheCedartree · 25/02/2023 14:04

WombatChocolate · 25/02/2023 12:39

I’m sorry you’re in this position OP and that the school haven’t foreseen this will be an issue for people and got measures in places already to deal with it, which are made clear to people, so the anxiety you’re feeling can be avoided.

It’s such a difficult one. School budgets are struggling and schools often get burned when running trips with not enough income. It makes them very cautious with organising these as they can’t afford to run them without sufficient parental contributions. You will pay, even if afterwards, but some families will say they will pay afterwards …..and then won’t. And the tight school budgets can’t cope with that. And it’s so difficult with telling everyone that financial help is available, when funds are very tight, and people could pay might apply for it and there then won’t be enough parental payments. In a sense, schools can’t win. They want to help people, but by advertising help too widely, it can mean so many ask it’s not viable. But then, by not advertising any help, those who really need it can miss out on accessing it.

However, even though they’ve out in place a payment plan, as you say, it’s not over a long enough period for people at the moment. It’s sometimes difficult for schools to book far enough in advance and get info out to parents to allow for a bigger window, but it’s something they need to work on.

I think you’ll find that having contacted the school, they will be sympathetic to you and do what they can to help….and really won’t want your DC not to go. Please rest assured that your DC will be on the trip. They might be able to offer you some financial help with the trip (have you asked for it? - no shame in asking. They will be honest about if they have money for that or not) or at least adjust the payments to help you.

I’d bet money on the fact your DC will be on this trip and the school will be prepared to do stuff to make that happen. Please try not to worry…although I know that’s easy to say.

Thank you, that's so reassuring. And I completely see your point about stretched school budgets and not advertising help widely. I have told the pastoral care teacher that I'm struggling to find so much money per month.

OP posts:
Original poster
UndertheCedartree · 25/02/2023 14:16

Iyjd · 25/02/2023 12:42

On the letter it should have said voluntary contribution, when I organised a trip I wasn’t allowed to send out my letter with it phrased as “the cost of the trip is….” Because as my headteacher explained to me as a school we cannot discriminate based on a parents earnings, we sometimes might put if we don’t get enough contributions then it won’t go ahead but that means if 40% of parents don’t pay we won’t be able to afford it! I would work out what you can afford, without too much of a struggle and offer that as your contribution. Before you offer it though budget for anything you might need to buy your child for the trip so you can still afford that. You won’t be the only parent I promise. I took 30 students on a trip and about half paid, some contacted to say they couldn’t afford it and some signed the consent form but then just didn’t pay.

It didn't say voluntary contribution, it said the total cost is ...

OP posts:
Original poster
UndertheCedartree · 25/02/2023 14:21

Poscapen · 25/02/2023 12:56

People are assuming that the school won't help, but Op hasn't contacted them yet.

Re contacting the governors - that would be follow the school complaints procedure, the first stage of which will be to formally make a complaint to the HT. Governors get involved at a later formal stage if needed.

Show quote history

I have said that I have contacted them twice.

OP posts:
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