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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not want to have to find more than £200 for a school trip in january....

99 replies

filthymindedvixen · 06/09/2008 21:04

Ye gods, does anyone have any spare cash in January??

And to make matters worse, ds2's birthday is end of october, dh and mum are mid december and ds1's is right before xmas.

We are skint already and the idea of having to find £200 for this trip is making me feel quite sick.

I can't go and plead poverty as i am a governor and it would be utterly mortifying.

OP posts:

SquiffyHock · 07/09/2008 09:19

My school did a sponsored spell and a cake sale to add towards school journey. We used the money to buy the children treats while away and entrance to a theme park on the way home but we could have split the money between each child and take £20/£30 off the trip.

Worth chatting with the head - as a governer you're in a great position to tell her how it is.

Original poster

filthymindedvixen · 07/09/2008 09:25

compo, that's Plan B

The xmas fair raises thousands of pounds but this year every penny is going towards new (and much-needed) play equipment in school concrete hell-hole playground

It's going to mean £50 a month extra for people to find.

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SqueakyPop · 07/09/2008 09:29

The problem with a Christmas fair is that the money has to benefit each year group in the school, and not just the ones that are going on the trip.

There would need to be a specific fundraiser, or a specific raffle or stall, so that everyone knows what they are contributing to.

Unless you pull in people from outside the school, it is just the same family money that is circulating.

Blandmum · 07/09/2008 09:29

I would imagine that it isn't going to be the difference between this trip at £200 in Jan and the same trip in May for £200. In may it might well cost £400 and that isn't going to help anyone really, is it?

TheGirlWithGreenEyes · 07/09/2008 09:40

My dd went on a similar trip last May - and off the top of my head I think it cost around £250. So you are not getting much of a reduction for going off-peak! We always knew the trip was coming up - always done in Yr6 - and were formally told in November I think and given a monthly paying card. It still is a lot of money I think, for one member of the family but as you say, you don't want your child to be the only one not going...

The PTA at our school pays for the coach hire to get them to and fro which saves a bit...

I agree you should ask family members for help towards this in lieu of presents for ds1 and he himself is old enough to know about family finances and not get more than a token present for birthday and/or Christmas. I'm sure your dh and mother would be happy to forgo presents too!

Sawyer64 · 07/09/2008 09:50

Can't you just put £10 a week away from now until then. Then in January you just need to find about £40.

It is alot of money,but if you break it down into weekly amounts,you can deal with it better.I used to be on benefits as a lone parent,and that was how I dealt with "large bills" etc,and school trips.

Lauriefairycake · 07/09/2008 09:51

My foster daughter is going on one in a couple of weeks, it costs £350

If it wasn't for social services paying she wouldn't be going. We didn't find out (some miscommunication with her last carers) until last week so we went very pale when we thought we had to find the money and claim it back (as they are very slow).

It's an obscene amount of money and more than it cost for all of us to go to a self catering apartment in Cornwall for a week during the sumer holidays.

pointydog · 07/09/2008 10:03

The only real answer is that schools stop doing trips. It's nearly four months till Christmas so I don't think the school is being that unreasonable. What does it break down to - about £1 a day?

I know they are expensive and I know no one wants their child to be the one that doesn't go. I think there is a case for primary schools not organising trips as money is always a big issue for some of the families. At secondary, because it's not a whole-class situation, it's not so obvious if someone doesn;'t go.

Shoshe · 07/09/2008 10:13

Can anyone explain to me, just how they chatge the amount they do?

I understand the cost of transporting children to said destinations, but how does it cost 200/300 quid for 3 nights 4 days as it did last year for a residential trip to the I.O.W?

What is the money spent on?

Does anybody on MN, run one of these Outward Bound type places.

Original poster

filthymindedvixen · 07/09/2008 10:17

MB, I know, I do see that (although if the trip was in May, we'd not all be fretting about buying extra warm clothing too. Then again, this is the Uk and this is The North..)

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SqueakyPop · 07/09/2008 10:17

There will be a per capita cost for the centre, which will include food and board, and the cost of the instruction. If there are side trips, there will be a cost there too. Then add on the cost of the coach.

My DD's IOW trip for January (4 nights) is £175.

The most we have paid for a week's trip is £230.

Original poster

filthymindedvixen · 07/09/2008 10:19

see, this trip is only for 5 nights and is only 40 mins away. Our trip is costing us £240

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SqueakyPop · 07/09/2008 10:20

Good point about clothing. I gave Milletts well over £100 when 2x DD went to Devon in January, and well over £100 when DS went to Iceland in July last year (it was glorious weather and he didn't need any of it - but DS2 will be going this year so hopefully will get some use).

SqueakyPop · 07/09/2008 10:20

They still need a coach.

Original poster

filthymindedvixen · 07/09/2008 10:22

Last trip, I scoured charity shops and freecycle for clothes as i knew they would all get totally trashed (they did! I have never seen so much mud....)

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clam · 07/09/2008 10:27

Teachers need to go for legal cover and to ensure adequate adult/child ratios, although they would not be paid any more than their normal salary, despite being on duty 24 hrs a day for the whole duration. Even though the centre's instructors lead the activities, the school's staff are required for all the rest of the in-between bits - mealtimes, "down-time," bedtime etc.. Depends how many staff go, mind you, but if any have to be taken from other classes in the school, then supply staff have to be employed to teach those other classes.

takingitasitcomes · 07/09/2008 10:29

If there are teachers from your school going, their costs will also be spread across all the students' fees (as they are working on the trip rather than going along for fun they don't pay any costs).

Original poster

filthymindedvixen · 07/09/2008 10:30

clam, they take some parents too to ensure not too many teachers are away at same time. Plus the teachers who go are the class teachers of children attending.

Just out of curiosity, what would happen to the children who couldn't go? Would they have to attend school but go into a younger class or something?

I ask out of interest as there is another thread somewhere about a mum who doesn't want her child to go on residentail trips and I know there was at least one family last year who couldn't afford the trip.

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glinda · 07/09/2008 10:38

Why not approach your local supermarket and ask if the kids can do a bag pack with collecting tins. My nephew's scout group did this. They worked hard all Saturday and collected almost 2000 pounds!!!! I also think it is great if they feel that they have earned the trip for themselves.

stitch · 07/09/2008 10:40

birthdays are only important if yo umake them. a perfectly wonderful birthday celebration is the birthday boy/girl choosing the restaurant, and the family having a meal out. as kids tend to choose places like mcds or some other such place, not to pricey either. dont buy presents, and hopefully, over the course of the year, there should be neought to pay for the trip
however
the residential trips can be very expensive, and if you are strong , then you can stand your ground, and just say youdont want to fork over that much money. i'm sure there will be other parents happy to follow your lead, even though they may have not been strong enough to do so on their own.

Original poster

filthymindedvixen · 07/09/2008 10:41

glinda - now that is a good idea. Although I suspect the less affluent amongus are in a minority, and the more affluent would not do it. It'll be just me and DC

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Original poster

filthymindedvixen · 07/09/2008 10:46

stitch, I know that. Not going on this trip is not an option, as I have explained earlier. It is the one ray of light in ds's school-world.

I think this thread is going round in circles here a little.

Does anyone fancy helping me work out wehter to grin and bear it or whether to have a chat with Head on Monday about how to help those who will struggle to find whole amount?

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bellavita · 07/09/2008 10:47

fmv - Although I had paid the full amount for DS1's residential, in the end he could not go due to a recovering broken right arm and a double fracture to his left wrist (this 2nd injury actually happened at school with someone pushing him over and jumping on him). He had a week off school. I was concerned that he would have to go to a lower class and the head said absolutely not he would be able to stay at home - whether this is due to what happened at school and her guilt, I am not sure.

Lullabyloo · 07/09/2008 10:48

I would talk to the Head lovely one
I'm sure there are going to be quite a few families struggling to find that amount so soon after Christmas.

Original poster

filthymindedvixen · 07/09/2008 10:49

jeez Bella, what a horrible thing to happen...! Was it deliberate?

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