AIBU to object to school asking parents to cover trip shortfall?

[BingoBongoBusted]

So, I coughed up the required £23 for my child to go the school's "celebration day" for all year 5 and 6 children.
They have now said there is a shortfall, as not everyone had paid, and another £182.50 is required for the trip to happen, asking if any parents would like to pay more.
Pupil Premium families get half paid anyway, so those of us that have already paid in full are essentially being asked if we'd like to pay a bit more to fund the freeloaders who haven't paid.
AIBU to think this is outrageous???
I get that it's a trip in the school day,contributions have to be voluntary and unlike residentials either everyone goes or it doesn't happen, irrespective of who has/hasn't paid, but I thought charging extra to cover the non-payers wasn't allowed, which is what this very much feels like.

The school would be just as criticised if they cancelled the trip without offering parents the option to pay slightly more to cover it. They can’t win.

Schools aren’t allowed to charge over the actual amount per child. There are plenty of parents who earn well and choose not to pay as they believe it is the school’s job to pay so it may be to try to put some pressure on them. School budgets are so tight now that making up shortfalls is impossible and trips will become less frequent if parents don’t pay.

A lot of theatres I work with have similar pricing structures with a "pay it forward" option. e.g.

£20 pay it forward
£15 standard price
£10 reduced rate

In our school with our demographics it's not something that would work for us as we're in an area with high levels of depravation. Those who are in receipt of free school meals are at the lower end of wages.

Since my kids were in the primary we've cut back on residential trips and other trips. We used to benefit from EU funding for trips abroad (cheers Brexit for that), coach costs are astronomical. However, trips are really important for giving real world experiences. Also, a lot of the children in our school don't have the breadth of experiences all children should. We live in a coastal town and I still remember the shock one of the reception teachers had when they got the train to the beach and it was the first time ever that many of the children in her class had ever been to the beach or the seaside.

I would rather pay extra for my kids' place if it means that every child could go. We are not rich at all but we have more than many and that's where I'm at with this.

I think a lot of schools are totally insulated from the realities of family finances.

We've already received notice of two trips next year - each of them costing well over £1,000 - ordinary state school in an average area.

They have the usual 'if you're struggling financially' bit at the end, which, to me, shows how out of touch they can be. 'Struggling financially' is if you can't afford your basic bills and food - not that you don't have a spare grand here and there every time the school decides to send you an email.

Even aside from the very big-ticket events, they quite casually tell you what they've organised and that it will be £20 here, £40 there, £75 the next time - or even more. Maybe irrationally, it seems even more annoying when it's framed as a 'reward' for the kids; but presumably only one that they deserve if their parents have the money.

I know that it's a bit of a lose-lose situation for the teachers, but we're at the point now where they're choosing their options and thinking ahead to future careers and hoping that AI doesn't destroy them just before they qualify - and if you have a bright DC, the teachers are always enthusing about university: where they could go and what they should study.

My teachers did the same when I was that age, but it was a completely different scenario back in the days when governments wanted to encourage and support young people to go on to higher education, rather than making it the preserve of the wealthy and privileged again.

Schools often seem to really not understand that - whether it's a great educational opportunity, a big jolly or indeed committing to a lifetime of debt for university - you can't pay for them with intelligence, hard work and dedication alone.

Perhaps the parents who haven't paid are not planning on sending their children on the trip.

Has the school contacted the individual parents to check? And do they know whether the parents who haven't paid are on low incomes, just forgetful, or are not sending their children on the trip?

Nope, it's a school trip in curriculum time during the school day, so either everyone goes or it doesn't happen.

Those £1000 quid trips (and as a former secondary HT, I don't approve of such trips at all) aren't whole class in the way the primary ones are, though. Optional trips in secondary schools have always existed and parents have to say "no" - and most do, otherwise there'd be whole year groups going skiing, etc.

Parents have said "No" to expensive trips in secondary for decades.

If YOU can afford to volunteer a bit extra so a poorer student can go, why wouldn't you?
I would, it's not the kids' fault their parents haven't paid

I do think schools need to calm things down. There are people who cannot and will not be able to afford all the trips and celebratory days and end of year gatherings. If you have say three children how expensive does that get ?

They need to be at school a bit more. It is easy to imagine children are not that far short of being in school for just over half a year.
52 weeks -13 weeks holidays is 39 weeks possible a year
Add on a week for celebratory days, end of year, 38
Add on a week when mum and dad take a child out of school but get punished for it 37
Add on a week for not being well 36.
Residential ? 35. Possibly more.

A week more on holiday, school or parental, a week more sickness or odd days and you are down to 33. You are not far short of half the year when they are in school.

We did the same when my eldest was a state school, we had plenty of spare money and I didn't want anyone to miss out.

I have no problem with this, in fact PP families should probably be totally funded by the school from the PP budget and not just half, because when you have nothing extra half the cost is still hard to find, but in reality I would not be paying for families that can't afford to, I would be paying for families who don't pay out of principle and even admit it on the playground. Grrr.

Yeah it is That could provide meals for the child for a week

So the parents of 9 children haven't paid? How big are the year groups? At my children's primary school Y5 and Y6 make up one mixed year group class of 30, so it would increase the cost on other parents considerably. If there are 90 or 120 children then it isn't such a big deal.

I remember being hard up as a family when we were small. My sister went to a grammar school. They organised a skiing trip. I remember my dad trying to explain to me that it would not be fair if she was the only one who could not go. He knew, I think I did not understand in the slightest. The school being a grammar just assumed that all the families would be able to afford.
At this point in our family life holidays were spent visiting Granny. We never even went to a holiday chalet let alone abroad.
It affected me quite badly. And I think on reflection my relationship with my sister. Something I was too young to understand at the time. I felt it was deeply unfair and no, I didn’t understand.
Dad had to find the money from somewhere. We went without.
Thank you to that school. Not. They have no idea of the impact sometimes that such trips can cause. Especially to those who do not have the money. Thoughtless teachers.

Just to add, sure she saw a new land and country. Something she has been very able to do since leaving school actually. There really was no educational experience or learning need for her to go abroad whatsoever.

I think all you can do is challenge the people boasting in the playground that they are choosing not to pay. I'm sure anyone who can't afford it is not bragging.

It’s difficult as some won’t have paid because they have forgotten, don’t agree with paying £23 for a celebration trip - it doesn’t sound like it’s an educational trip, think as it’s during school time school should pay etc.
I do feel sorry for schools. For some children it’s perhaps only opportunity to do trips.
But take panto as an example. Some parents/grandparents will have taken them or child going with brownies etc. Then school put on a trip to Panto and it’s expensive as they need a coach. You have no desire to pay another £20 and actually would prefer dc to be doing maths but if you don’t then the trip can’t go ahead.

Gosh. I have this to come. I think parents need to email the school and complain about trips costing a £1000 per child. Otherwise they will be none the wiser. I know if I ever get such emails. I will be saying to the school!.

I put you are being u for using this as an excuse to bash pupil premium kids. The school will have factored in the half rates when calculating the full rates. Seems just as likely to be full rate people who have decided not to attend. It’s a shame the event is not popular and might not go ahead but it’s is up to parents of all backgrounds to take an interest in what their kid is doing in school. How do you know it’s not lots of middle income families that don’t have time to go because they have prioritised other things? Maybe they are all leaving a week early on their in term hols and paying the fines.

I disagree with the 'freeloader' label - that's sounds nasty. What about the parents who do not qualify for free school meals, and can't afford the trip - are they freeloaders too or just struggling? Some people, even with half of the trip paid might struggle to pay the rest. You don't have to pay extra, its voluntary, and not worth getting enraged over. I sometimes donated to my sons school, because I could afford to and because speaking to a wide range of parents I understood that not everyone has spare money to pay for every school trip, especially when they have more than one child.

"Be generous or not" really? Some parents can't be arsed to pay, and everyone else has to cover them or the trip doesn't go ahead?

That's a nope from me, I'm afraid.

If there are actual good reasons people can't pay, talk to the school.

Otherwise, there are A LOT of people who just try their luck and try to get through life paying as little as possible.

It's just socialism for you. The kids are being taught its ok to freeload - someone else will pick up the slack. The poor kids already a discount beyond that if people don't want to pay they just shouldn't go.

No state school should be organising a trip that costs £1000 a pupil.

The expensive trips are generally only for a small group. Your child might be sad that some of their friends are going but they won't be the only one staying behind. Also, they'll be a teenager and better able to understand that money has to be earned and spending prioritised.

If you want to benefit for something but then don't pay for it happily letting your fellow school parents pay for you - you are by definition a freeloader.

I disagree. What it will teach them is that some children get to go because they are well off.
And that the school supports that approach to life.