Stupid amount of residential trips

[Eruni]

I live in the north west, my DD is in Y7 at a grammar school and I’ve realised the school is obsessed with residential trips.
In Y7 it’s a MFL trip to France in June
Y8 Ski Trip in January then Science trip in the summer, this year it’s to Cologne. Y9 Skiing again then Art trip, this year to Rome. Y10 Skiing again then either History to France and Belgium or Geography to Iceland.

It’s not a rich town, so while it’s a grammar school, most of the kids aren’t stupidly well off, how on earth are parents made to afford all these? Why run so many??
AIBU to think this is stupid.

They aren't compulsory surely?

It's nice to give kids the opportunity to do such trips,

If you can't afford it limit to one per year max?

I agree.
Do they ever do trips to London (ie capital of their own country)?
(or Edinburgh if that's closer to you)

Are you sure they all have the opportunity to go on all trips? When my boys were at school names were picked out of a hat as places were limited; plus some trips were specifically for certain lessons/year groups.

My DDs school offer a variety of trips, but with the exception of YR7 camp, they are for a small group (50 out of two year groups for example) rather than the majority

Presumably they're not compulsory? DS has just moved to a private school and there are 3 compulsory trips over the next 8 years, all UK based. The abroad trips (including skiing in P7) aren't compulsory. He won't be going skiing next year for example as we don't have the budget.

My dc school do quite a few (not that many though). It's usually a very small group who go to the expensive ones. Most children just do the 2 uk outdoor adventure type ones that cost about £250, with children on FSM going for half price.

No they aren’t compulsory, but even one a year is too expensive for most I imagine and it’s tone deaf to offer trips that will be inaccessible to parts of the school population over and over.
Likely it will be the same children who attend all the trips, creating a divide between the has and has nots which is extremely unfair and not helpful to creating a harmonious school environment.

You pick what you can afford and what the DC is interested in. No one goes on all the trips. Many will do 1 their whole time. Others will do none.
It gives opportunities to pay for one child to do something the rest of the family doesn't want to / can't afford / don't have annual leave for.

No, it's a great opportunity for your DC to travel, they just need to decide which trips they want to do and what you can afford for them to do.

I priced up both DDs ski trip and European city trip to see whether it would be better for us to do the same trip and actually they came out almost the same price give or tack £100, once you include entrance to places, ski hire etc.

For many children they won't have been abroad or will have done beach but not cultural holidays. The first time I went abroad was a school trip, my parents had never been abroad, were I think probably a bit scared to book it / go to the travel agents, being the 90s and no internet etc and I imagine a fair amount of feeling that it wasn't for people like us, the expense of 4 passports etc so going with school was far cheaper.

Having had that experience I was then able and happy to book holidays for us when DD was born. It's about increasing cultural capital and social mobility and it works.

They aren't compulsory and often there aren't enough spaces for everyone to go anyway. You could prioritise the trips that align to your child's interests or favourite subjects if you are able to afford one or two. You've got some advance warning so chat with your child and maybe for any other trips they could save from Christmas money to help cover it.

Schools are damned if they do and damned if they don't when it comes to trips.

That would be normal here; a ski trip every year plus subject specific trips once a year, only for those taking the relevant GSCE in year 10 of course.

None would be compulsory, and the ski trip is always oversubscribed!

I very much doubt any one child does all of these trips. There will be a variety so that each family can prioritise. Presumably some of the trips are a lot cheaper than others so that those who can't afford the ski trip get to do something away from home.

But only a few will go so it's not really an issue? Our P7 ski trip has about 30 spaces. There are 200 kids in the year group.

I would think the school don't expect children to go on them all and they are not compulsory. Ds school run trips like that. Most kids don't go on any. DS will ski twice in the 5 years and go on the other trips if they look interesting. Surely there are also limits on the number of kids going on the trips anyway.

All are accessible to the year groups listed.
My friend has a child in Y9, apparently uptake of the skiing is pretty low so the same kids go every year.
The official policy is where there are more kids wanting to go than places those who haven’t been on any trips will get the spots first but I’ve been told this rarely happens.

This sounds exactly like my secondary school in the 90s, it was a state comp rather than a grammar. There was sking every year over easter, then some kind of languages/camp/science trip for an additional trip. They even did a Mediterranean cruise. My parents couldn't afford the cruise and sking wasn't appealing to me so I didn't go on those, it was no big deal.

That's really good, OP! Not that your kids would go to all but that they're offered. My state comp did trips like that, I never went skiing, but I did go on the language exchange at GCSE and the history trip in y9. They're not all for everyone, pick one or two that your kid is interested in/is taking the GCSE subject for. Most state schools don't run many (or any) anymore, especially foreign exchanges because the logistics and expense can be a nightmare but for a child who might go on to take a MFL a level the immersion makes such a difference.

So many families can't even afford uniforms.
Schools can't afford equipment.
I'm sorry but these trips are not a priority.

I’ve been told that it’s quite common for some of the more well to do children to go on all the trips. The skiing has quite low uptake apparently.

It's a similar amount to our school and I think it's nice to offer the opportunity for dcs. Not every child will go on every trip but they are such a good bonding experience and a chance for dcs to have an adventure away from parents. I'm always keen for my dcs to try to get on whatever trips they are offered.

Your child doesn't actually have to go skiing, OP.

I think it's good that the school offers them. The child has the choice of going to the History or Science trip depending on their inclinations.

Would you rather the school offers none of these trips for fear of offending some parents?

From personal pov, I was quite sad that my DC missed out on various trip to Rome/Pompeii, Berlin and skiing in France due to Covid.

how on earth are parents made to afford all these?

They don't go on all of them. DC's inner London bog standard comp runs a similar number of trips. This year he could have gone on a MFL trip, a music tour and a ski trip this year. We told him he could go on one of those (he picked MFL as he likes the language) and that's that.

In the next few years we'll prioritise any academic trips for GCSE and see where we are on the fun ones.

I personally find the skiing thing a bit ridiculous - the educational trips all sound valuable but why is the school giving up time and energy to organise skiing?

Mine were offered similar year on year. Skiing for everyone, art, MFL, history trips for those studying the subjects.

We planned ahead. My DS got himself a local ‘pamphlet’ delivery job to save towards it. Great opportunity to work hard and achieve.

Yeah that's a lot
I went to cadbury World and sea life centre in year 7, in the same day as part of team building

There was a trip to France on year but I didn't go.

I don't remember any other trips!