School trips

[newnamechangeforthisone]

I hate school trips, and I am hormonal and feeling very run down and not my usual self, so I'm wondering if I'm making a mountain out of a molehill.

The background is that last year, school trips were a nightmare for my then-year 8, and I found that school trips would be announced in school. Kids came home and told their parents, but I and other parents found trips sold out as kids had called their parents during the day. Phones in school are banned, and my year 8 (then) is autistic and follows the rules to the letter, so he missed out on most trips, but they, for some reason, held back some slots of cash only, and we managed to get on one via running money up on an inset day.

Anyway, the younger brother starts at school and comes home with a letter which states first come, first served. We will go live on Wednesday for squid payments (electronic payments), but they have to send a form in, too. Wednesday was Strike Day. I sent him in on Monday with cash, but the form tutor said to wait until Wednesday (I said it must be wrong as he was off Wednesday), so I sent him to reception on Tuesday and told him not to wait until Wednesday.

I'm working, so it's hard to catch when these things go live. I did check Wednesday, and there was no sign of it. Thursday, he went in and gave the form, and it's sold out! I told 50 slots for 200 students.

I emailed and told them, but they just said it's OK and they will ensure those who missed out get the next trip. All 150 of them? Those who got this one won't get priority, but I have no idea how they will do that. Said they made everyone wait until Thursday as that way it allowed everyone time to get the money together so it was fair. I do understand that and empathise although this trip was only £13 as its a free place its just the bus.

It seems like a bloody mess each time. I'm a governor at the school, and it's not within the governor's remit, but I feel tempted to bring it up. Lots of parents find it the same. It's worse than trying to get bloody concert tickets, and unless you don't work, it seems impossible.

As a governor, yes, I would bring it up. You will not be the only parent having this issue and it does give certain students an unfair advantage - not the least the students of working parents or those who are more financially disadvantaged and can't make a snap decision on financing a trip at a moment's notice.

It's not the same, but our local holiday club is very sought after as one of the only one's within about a 50 minute drive. They used to release the booking slots at like 2pm on a random Tuesday. Obviously, the parents who probably most need those slots because they are working, are in fact, at work often at 2pm on Tuesday. So parents complained. They have now changed it to 7pm to give everyone a fairer chance of being able to book (even children who have a parent who works evenings will have at least one parent or carer who is home with them in the evenings after school).

Thanks. I will bring it up. Thanks.

It's crazy isn't it? I know it's only a school trip but it seems doomed to fail from the start.

Yeah seem the same with Charity groups too which offer activities for autistic children and release slots in a similar manner.