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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

School trips

39 replies

pinkpixie83 · 29/11/2023 12:36

I have received a letter today, a school trip for my daughter, payment of £34 to be made by Friday 4th December 2023!

My main AIBU is surely they can give us more notice than either 2 days or 5 at best, especially this close to christmas?

OP posts:
PuttingDownRoots · 29/11/2023 12:38

Anything over about £10 we get offered payment plans! And definitely more notice

sollenwir · 29/11/2023 12:42

In an ideal world we'd all keep a small amount of money aside for this sort of thing, and I always tried to, however as many of us also don't live in an ideal world I understand your annoyance. It's a significant amount at such short notice - are your dates/days wrong though, as 4th Dec is a Monday?

carddino · 29/11/2023 12:42

Yanbu that is a huge amount to find at that notice. Would be a no here.

Original poster
pinkpixie83 · 29/11/2023 12:43

sollenwir · 29/11/2023 12:42

In an ideal world we'd all keep a small amount of money aside for this sort of thing, and I always tried to, however as many of us also don't live in an ideal world I understand your annoyance. It's a significant amount at such short notice - are your dates/days wrong though, as 4th Dec is a Monday?

Edited

The letter I have received says Friday 4th December - their typo not me.

OP posts:
YourNameGoesHere · 29/11/2023 12:44

That's quite a chunk to unexpectedly drop on parents at this point in the year. It's also very short notice! What's the trip for?

sollenwir · 29/11/2023 12:46

pinkpixie83 · 29/11/2023 12:43

The letter I have received says Friday 4th December - their typo not me.

Show quote history

Well I'd check if they mean Monday 4th or Friday 8th - not that it matters hugely other than it giving more time perhaps.

Northernladdette · 30/11/2023 09:38

School admin offices are chaotic, often decisions by management are last minute. I bet the teacher organising the trip is livid and the information typed out in a rush …..

Magixx · 30/11/2023 14:40

Yanbu stuff like this needs to be planned into the family budget with notice, especially in December! Very poor from the school imo.

Quornflakegirl · 30/11/2023 16:23

My dtwins school dropped their school residential on us in mid October. 1k for both of them to attend a 4 night residential about 90 minutes from our house in March. March is cold and I don’t see how they are going to do all the outdoor water activities they claim. It has really put a downer on Christmas and I have had to work night shifts over December to pay for it.

I am fed up of their school asking for money at every opportunity.

Mybatteryisoutofcharge · 30/11/2023 16:36

Just send in the signature slip and pay when you can.

BrieAndChilli · 30/11/2023 16:49

we had a letter from school the this week to say that someone had dropped out of the school ski trip so a place going - went on to say we know time are hard however the full cost of £1,100 needs to be paid by the 4th decemeber1!!!! who the hell do they think has a spare grand hanging around - those people are probably already on the ski trip! They could do some sort of payment plan seeing as the are the people trying to fill a space!

OnlyJusttrying · 30/11/2023 16:57

My 12 year old got a letter on Wednesday for a skiing trip next December. I need to pay £150 by the 15th December then £175 every month till July. Total £1375😳 for 6 days skiing ⛷️

MrsGasManridesagain · 30/11/2023 20:54

We got an email on Tuesday about a residential next May. £50 non refundable deposit due - today.

And to top it off when I went to pay last night, it was full. So 24 hours to discuss it with your child, your spouse and find the money, and even that's not fast enough.

WillowCraft · 30/11/2023 20:57

OnlyJusttrying · 30/11/2023 16:57

My 12 year old got a letter on Wednesday for a skiing trip next December. I need to pay £150 by the 15th December then £175 every month till July. Total £1375😳 for 6 days skiing ⛷️

I don't think that is ridiculous for a week's skiing if it includes lessons

Lillipuddle · 30/11/2023 20:57

OnlyJusttrying · 30/11/2023 16:57

My 12 year old got a letter on Wednesday for a skiing trip next December. I need to pay £150 by the 15th December then £175 every month till July. Total £1375😳 for 6 days skiing ⛷️

To be fair, that doesn't sound way off. Fifteen years ago I always used to budget £1000 for a week of skiing, staying in the absolute crappiest studio flat. That didn't include any meals.

mrsnjw · 30/11/2023 20:57

2k for a five day trip to New York. Does look amazing. They wanted £500 in oct nov dec and jan!! Confused

Allfur · 30/11/2023 21:00

I guess it depends what kind of school you choose

lanthanum · 30/11/2023 21:03

If it's a curriculum trip, the cost should be voluntary.
If it doesn't have limited places, send in the reply slip with a note saying that you are unable to pay immediately, but are happy to discuss a payment plan.

If there are limited places and they're giving them on the basis of who can stump up the money fastest, politely point out that this is advantaging the more well-off children, who may well be the ones least in need of the opportunity.

The other thing that's annoying is when several trips are offered in the course of the year, but you don't know what else there is going to be - particularly in secondary where often each department works independently. If schools were to list the expected trips (and ballpark costs) at the start of the year (even better, in July), you'd be better able to make decisions about which you are happy to pay for, and to plan ahead for the costs.

Sunsept · 30/11/2023 21:10

I’ve been notified about a trip happening in early February for my year 11 DC and the deposit of £80 is due next week. I am not impressed and thought about complaining but I didn’t want to sound like a dick.

Robbee · 30/11/2023 21:17

It might be difficult for your child if they don't go on a class day trip which is part of the curriculum and will be the basis of the next few weeks work - and you could get a letter asking you to pay, but as far as I remember no child could be excluded from a trip if it was part if the curriculum if they did not pay when i was teaching. Things might have changed now that schools are part of an academy chain but it would be worth finding out.
Whole class field trips for a week etc, which are an educationally valid experience, should come into the same category that no child should be excluded if the parents can't/won't pay and the school should have to foot the bill. Whether this happens or not I've no idea
Expensive ski trips and other types of holidays on offer are a voluntary thing - no child has to go on these, and in my experience, most didn't

starlight2k · 30/11/2023 21:36

Our school are the same with the short notice, then they cancel the trip as not enough people have paid

mindutopia · 30/11/2023 21:57

Quornflakegirl · 30/11/2023 16:23

My dtwins school dropped their school residential on us in mid October. 1k for both of them to attend a 4 night residential about 90 minutes from our house in March. March is cold and I don’t see how they are going to do all the outdoor water activities they claim. It has really put a downer on Christmas and I have had to work night shifts over December to pay for it.

I am fed up of their school asking for money at every opportunity.

Wait, £1000 for a 4 night local residential?! Will they be served gold leaf in every meal?! 😳

Dd is going for 4 nights in France in June and it’s costing £250 plus £20 spending money.

Quornflakegirl · 30/11/2023 22:01

mindutopia it’s £500 per child and I have twins but even that is insane.

AgapanthusandAcers · 30/11/2023 22:05

As a parent I totally understand but as I teacher I know that a lot of the timeframes for payment are dictated by travel companies who sometimes demand a deposit within a few days.

If it's a smaller amount schools may temporarily cover it, but if it's a huge amount, parents may be asked to pay at short notice. It puts me off organising trips as i know it looks like it's the school asking for money quickly.

School trips are so expensive because of all the insurances etc and the travel companies that have to be used are often dictated to by local authorities, so not as many options to shop around.

Bertiesmum3 · 30/11/2023 22:10

School trips/residentials are optional, you can say no!