To be annoyed at DD's school for giving free trips to free school meals while I pay a packet?

[justgavebirth]

Kids were invited ice-skating and school subsidised children AND adults who are getting free school meals. Of course DD wanted to go and I had to pay £20. Couldn't take my other children because an adult had to accompany each child and I could not afford it.

Two more letters tonight that DD would love to go to but I have had to say no and upset DD. One is for £15 per person (adult must accompany child) and one is for £6.50 per person (adult must accompany child)

If I got free school meals I could take the whole family out on a trip!

Stupid scheme, why can they not just reduce the price for everyone!

In fairness to the OP living on the cusp of benefits threshold is tough.

Oh Pavlov... where oh where were you on the thread where means testing having children was proposed as a workable idea?

I needed you!

yabu.

There do seem to be a lot of those kind of threads lately. I suspect a lot of them are tory HQ seeing how far they can push us.

tethersend there was a thread about it? See, I am clearly on the pulse here then...

DDs school do not even have school trips as it is thought that so many of the children cannot afford to go anyway and the school cannot subsidise them.

So at our school even if you can afford to send your child on a trip they do not get to go

That would frustrate me sweetkitty.

I think comprehensive education needs to acknowledge that it caters to a wide audience and while it is important that children do not miss out educationally because of income they should allow for those students who can afford it to have those special opportunities that trips provide.

I love Pavolov's posts on this thread. And have had similar suspicions to twinset's re. influx of people with complete absence of compassion or, indeed, decency.

Only some people have made this into a benefits debate!!!!

I am upset that the prices are escalated and that it would be better to reduce the price for all so that people just above the scale like myself do not miss out.

What is wrong with that??? Wheres the compassion for my family???

I haven't read the thread but I would be more pissed off at school trips insisting that parents accompany their children. isn't that what weekends are for?

I am a bit annoyed as I fondly remember school trips, I think the P7's have a week residential stay but that's about it. Apparently it is £15 for low income families and £220 for everyone else, already heard mutterings about that one.

Its about addressing child poverty

seriously I know its a bit galling but would you rather poorer kids did not go?

the school are being unreasonable to be pushing this many trips.

yes, things like the ice skating are not essential to your child's education so it doesnt matter that your child can't go on every trip but it is totally unfair that someone who gets free school meals gets to go on every single trip should they wish to, whilst those not on FSM have to choose which ones they can afford. That is not equality.

I dont know where the money comes from to fund these FSM places on trips but if the school is providing lots of trips (and not all of them educational) perhaps you should be asking if the money would be better spent on equipment the whole school can use, or a visiting theatre company or something.

I dont think anyone is jealous of your situation Riven. Why don't your ds's school subsidise school trips? Seems others do .. eg the OP's school.

just because they QUALIFY for fsm and subsidised trips,doesnt necessarily mean that the families take them up on it!!

we often get letters from school saying if you are eligible please apply for fsm anyway,even if you send child in with own food and dont use fsm. school gets something in return

same with the subsidies for trips......i havent bothered with the paris trip dd is going on....just paid the regular installments

and with installments,it makes it easier for EVERYONE to afford to go

also...ice skating...its a sport so got to be good for the kids!

when ofsted compare schools results (league tables) they use FSM numbers as a factor to decide which schools are similar. That is a reason why schools ask you to apply for the FSM even if you dont take them up.

I just think it seems very unfair that at the OP's school, if you are on FSM's you get to go on loads of lovely trips, but that people who have to budget carefully don't, and also that this doesnt even seem to happen in all schhols - sounds like a bodged up system ... mind you what mpore should we expect I guess...

well we qualify,but i dont take them up on everything....i suspect alot of paents dont. particularly secondary school

i did for Auschwitz trip.....would never visit as a tourist,tho i would like to go,but dd went for history course and i felt better she went with a school. it was a real opportunity. we got half price.but history is her 'thing'.....she wanted the ski trip....but i said 'no',even tho we would have been entitled. even the half price cost is beyond some families reach

friend is business manager at ds school and she told me/reminded me to apply for subsidy on another trip.

to be honest,its a bit cringey and i dont take advantage where possible.

If you are stupid enough to ask this then I betcha there are some very smart benefit dependent people out there who are very annoyed to see you employed when their brains are being wasted. You don't have a job requiring any empathy or basic understanding beyond your own nose do you? Please say no.

My son is going to Germany with year 7 this year the school have paid half, and my FIL paid the rest out of his early pension payout when he left work to become a fulltime carer for MIL, otherwise we wouldn't be able to afford the rest. DD1 is going on a residental trip in Oct and the school have paid £75, we have to pay the other £90. Plus DD2 will be going to Cuffley camp next year, so another £150. My kids don't do afterschool clubs as we can't afford it. Where are these schools that charge £15 if you are a low income family?? because its not my kids school..

The school keep asking me to put my kids into clubs etc and they will pay but I refuse as I don't want to take the piss.

we dont like to take the piss either Kat,i think op you might find that majority of families who are entitled simply dont!!!!

Its only this year that the girls school have paid anything towards the trips for low income families, before I had to beg, steal and borrow to get the money together for residentals, we have had to say to my kids that we can't afford the year 5 trip as we have had to find the money for the year 3 trip at the same time so none of them have gone on the year 5 trips

If it is ice skating, i would find it pretty U for it to be subsidised if others who have to pay cannot afford it.

If it is an educational trip for their studies they should be subsidised.

Parents who cannot afford trips, whether on free school meals or whatever should be all given an opportunity for some kind of help. Nobody knows what someones financial situation is, just by presuming they are fine if they do not claim for free meals.