Can't afford school trip

[Lillybeans85]

My son really wants to go on his year 6 residential but the cost is £600 for a Mon-Fri stay. This is a lot higher than I expected and we really can't afford it at the moment. He goes to a state school but everyone in his class is really well off & money seems no object to them. My husband works & we get a small top up of universal credit a month due to his income. However, we would not be eligible for free school meals or anything. I feel really awkward and embarrassed emailing the school to ask for help & don't even know if we would get it. Has anyone else been in the same situation?

Yes you should , nothing to lose.
Just to add , i absolutely loathe these school trips .
They never seem to give enough notice so that the payments are smaller and spread over a longer period of time to make things easier and really why do them at all ? if they aren't accessible to every kid should they do them ?
lots of families put themselves in financial difficulty over school trips i'm sure.

REDTOOTHBRUSH i hope the people on the council estate don't know they're being judged when your husband does his community work 🙄

It's not DH who has the issue. Nor what he's doing in the community. He doesn't give a shit - he just knows tits people who need help and that's all he's bloody interested in. I have no problem with the council estate or anyone who lives on it. And neither does DH. Indeed we both think it's better to mix social housing with private housing rather than have hugely separate communities

It's mutual friends who are very much resenting things. Perhaps you'd like to take up your grievances with them?

The issue is there are a number of people in the middle who are struggling who are very resentful because they are aware they have less disposable cash. If you go back and read my post on this, perhaps you'll be able to note that this and how it's not either me or DH in this camp of thought but other people in our circle of friends and it's really driving a wedge.

Given that it's something government are aware there's ultimately a problem with and it's demotivating certain groups from working and there's ongoing concerns about the structure of benefits and the squeeze on those who aren't on benefits, and it's causing political tension (you know like the tension I'm describing which school are inflaming with this kinda shite). We have a school trip coming up and yes it's become the source of a number of comments along these lines from other people.

Don't shoot the messenger who is observing tension between groups rather than participating in it.

You know maybe read what's actually said rather than applying your own prejudices and having a rant at someone who isn't doing this.

It was a school Y10 maths trip to New York and included flights, accommodation and some sightseeing too. It was £450.

There are jobs out there, especially at this time of year. Most households these days need two working parents for a decent standard of living for their children.

Just to add , i absolutely loathe these school trips .
They never seem to give enough notice so that the payments are smaller and spread over a longer period of time to make things easier and really why do them at all ? if they aren't accessible to every kid should they do them ?
lots of families put themselves in financial difficulty over school trips i'm sure.

In my school they all know about the residential from the beginning of year 6, though in reality most of them know about it well before then. The trip is in June and information goes out to parents in December and they can pay in installments with the final payment in May. No child in our school misses out because of financial reasons, if they are a family on a lower income. Obviously if the parents decide that they don't want to spend the money, but don't qualify for financial assistance based on their income, the school won't just cover the costs.

£600 for a trip at a state school isn't something I've ever heard of at all! My God. Talk to the school they will have a fund and sometimes discounts are available. I would also email and raise that you feel the cost is very high for primary school kids. How much notice did the school give the parents?

Irrelevant because there's not always 2 parents in a household. It's very expensive that's the issue! For primary school too.

Love this! Good for you it's very tone deaf of the school.

We’ve known about yr 6 trip since yr 2 and can pay a little

and same with yr 5 overnight trip

Could you get a job to pay for it? Do you work?

@Mydadsbirthday That was my question also. OP doesn't work. I suggested finding a job as there are definitely companies looking for extra staff at this time of year.

I said that days ago. @Lillybeans85 hasn’t come back

State school or not costs have gone up massively in the last 5-10 years. This is just what the trips cost now and it is naive to think otherwise.

My son's school won't do a trip that costs that much.

They've literally told us, because they understand the kids and their backgrounds and have said it would be grossly unfair and tone deaf on several levels.

They go for 2 nights simply because they get the experience of being away but not more cost. That's not to say it isn't expensive for two nights but it does have real value to the kids so I think it's worth it.

Do you think teachers should pay for themselves? Or maybe the kids could just go on their own?