Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

School trips cost toooooo much!

42 replies

ZipadiSuzy · 15/09/2008 14:35

I am soooo upset my ds1 12yo has a letter from school about a trip to France, he hasn't even given it me, because he knows I will say 'no' as we can't afford it. I wish schools wouldn't put pressure on parents like this. Trip is £420 then he will need a passport, clothes etc so talking of at least £500, then next year its a skiing trip that is £800 - this is all at a normal comprehensive school!!!!!!

ROAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
for my ds

I know its all charachter building, and not everyone can go, and probably some of his friends won't be going, but to not actually pass the letter on to us is so sad.

OP posts:

memoo · 15/09/2008 16:14

sorry there not their

smugmumofboys · 15/09/2008 16:26

My mum's scout group did loads of fundraising for their 'big' overseas trips - lots and lots of supermarket bagpacking etc. The scout group is in quite a socially disadvantaged area and this way, most of the boys could participate. Can you not do this with other parents?

Milliways · 15/09/2008 16:34

YANBU. But it's a fact of life the kids have to get used to!

Mine have been told, point blank, NO skiing trips (£800 each, and offerred every year!), but DD went on 4 trips to France with the school throughout secondary school as Frenach was & is her best subject and she is now applying to Uni for a French degree.

DS's school do Cricket tours to the Carribbean!! I only hope he never makes the team (but they do do group fundraising towards this).

HappyMummyOfOne · 15/09/2008 16:37

I think most schools offer these trips in set years - ie last year of primary or first and last years in secondary so as not to be a total surprise.

I think its great to be offered the opportunity, whether or not its taken up. Some children will go, others wont - depends on many factors.

You could always suggest a fund raiser to bring the costs down, I doubt the school would pay for a place as its not a standard in school hours trip.

Or maybe he could ask relatives etc for a contribution to the trip rather than a xmas present if he really wants to go.

BitOfFun · 15/09/2008 16:38

Fundraising should be par for the course IMO, but it will be too late for this year's trip I suppose. At my dd's state secondary, they say "first-come first-served" with the money for the trips, and they do fill up the list very quickly. Quite how that many parents can stump up either a huge deposit or even the whole balance for the following school day baffles me...

overthemill · 15/09/2008 16:42

i never even told my mum about any of the school trips - i knew taht with 4 of us it was impossible for any of us to go.

School trips are outrageous I think - unless they in the UK and inexpensive (why cant they go youth hostelling or camping or on a school exchange??)

The only kind of school trip i could forsee paying for would be a language exchange - if it was cheap.

filthymindedvixen · 15/09/2008 16:44

I feel your pain, having ranted on my own thread a week ago. my son's junior school trip of 4 days to outward bound course 40 miles from home is costing £240 and we have to find the money by January. My dc's both have birthdays between now and january, as do 4 other family members, let alone christmas. I hate being put in the position of ''sorry, you can't have a birthday party because X is going on this trip'' but that is what I am having to do.
I did a car boot sale yesterday and made £50 towards the first installment But as I sold everything decent to raise that, I don't know where I will find the rest.

overthemill · 15/09/2008 17:59

coffee morning? share proceeds bewteen you and a charity (like oxfam) - i have made £160 at a coffee morning - all ofr oxfam though but see no reason why not

face painting sessions? something during oct half term?

RustyBear · 15/09/2008 18:16

Milliways - do the cricket tour fundraisers still stand at the bottom of the stairs up to Big School on Parents' evening & try to guilt you into buying their offerings?

tegan · 15/09/2008 18:35

DD1 has just started yr 6 and we had a meet the teacher evening last week. We were asked to choose a 4 night adventure break for £325 plus spends and clothes or 2 night at a water park only 20 miles from my house for £87 plus spends and clothes. Firstly dd wasn't there to ask which she would prefer so we didn't vote for either. I totally agree trips are getting out of hand especially as the teachers go for free.

Milliways · 15/09/2008 20:51

Yes Rusty, and they sell you "souvenir programmes" at the entrance to the Summer Fair before you have spent all your money!

DS goes to Tours in October and is looking forward to it!

theressomethingaboutmarie · 16/09/2008 11:58

Oh that's such a shame. I remember that I was desperate to go on our German Exchange programme when I was about 14. I asked my dad and he happily paid for it. A few days later, I was discreetly taken out of class by a teacher and told that the bank had returned the cheque (i.e. it had bounched). I was so embarassed and felt awful for my dad.

BalloonSlayer · 16/09/2008 12:53

What a smashing DS you have, not giving you the letter.

Shows he is sensitive and thoughtful, he'll go far.

You are definitely not being U, but also take heart, a lot less kids will go than you think.

bellavita · 16/09/2008 12:58

DS1 (yr7) came home yesterday and mentioned a skiing trip, I said no as the cost of the whole trip (£1200) would pay for next years flights when we all go away. He said "I knew you would say no"

He told me (with my wages) it would only take x amount of weeks to save up and I would get £20 change

I think not darling son.

carmenelectra · 16/09/2008 14:05

This is shocking that school trips that much!! When i was at school the most expensive trip was a two day visit to France (on a ferry) whih couldnt have been that expensive cos my sister went and my mother was a single parent.

Your son sounds lovely that he didnt even show you the letter my ds would nag me to death and say that he was the only one not going or something.

You could have a family holiday for that! In fact we had a holiday in May to Tunisia that only cost a little bit more.

I disagree that its a great opportunity. What? to go abroad skiing as a child with their mates?They will plenty of opportunities when they are older as far as i am concerned, when they have their own money .

As far as i am concerned my children will have great opportunites going way with us for the time being.

I wouldnt feel bad at all if i were you. Its the school that are unreasonable putting on such expensive trips.

Original poster

ZipadiSuzy · 16/09/2008 14:56

Thank you all for your support and views, very mixed bag, I will start fundraising events in the future, as long as we know about them in advance, as some people have posted, the places go very quickly, alot of children can't go!

My point was that I felt sad that my ds didn't even give me the letter, thank you for mentioning his sensitivity, that is so comforting.

Right on with contacting school for up and coming trips, and ask if they would consider a youth hostel type of trip or at least an alternative trip.

My twins have just started school, they go on school trips from year 4 now

Mine won't be going

OP posts:

Portofino · 16/09/2008 15:14

I remember all sorts being offered when i was school - cruises, skiing etc. I only ever went on the German exchange as I guess the flight was basically all that was necessary. I remember doing Russian in the 6th year and I was the only one in the group who didn't go to Moscow and Leningrad for a week. It only pissed me off as they spent weeks of lessons preparing for the trip - though the others brought me lots of lovely pressies. Well if you count a 4 ft by 12 ft poster of Lenin lovely I guess....

Flip

1 2