cost of year 6 residential trip

[waywardkitten]

Namechanged in case outing.

Our DS is at a private London primary school. He is very happy there and it suits him very well. Fees are a bit of a stretch for us, but we manage and feel (for many reasons that I won't bore you with!) that it is worth the money and sacrifices we make so he goes there.

HOWEVER, we've just been told that the cost of a 4 night residential trip within the UK in the summer term will be just over six hundred pounds. This includes transport, food and lots of amazing outdoorsy activities...but am I right in thinking this seems like an excessive amount?!

It's in England and in quite basic, dorm style accommodation...I know that state schools have similar residentials and they might cut their costs by running them off season (ie not going in May or June) but I can't help but suspect that in our case, the school is using this as a way to grab more money from parents? A year group of 80 kids paying that comes to almost 50k. There's no way 4 nights - even with instructors and what have you - costs that. Has anyone experienced similar and what did you do about it? Thanks so much.

DS is currently in yr 6 at a state primary. His residential is taking place in late May and is costing £515 for 4 nights, including coaches both ways. It is at a PGL site about 45 minutes from where we live.

Older DS did the same residential 4 years ago, but in September rather than May and it cost about £50 less.

I would not be happy to spend that on a uk residential! My dsd is going to France for 5 days and it was just over £400

Sports tour to Spain, year 9, 5 nights, state school - £900

Coaches are stupidly expensive

As I was saying...
And if it's a 200 mile trip I expect the coach + driver are staying the whole time, so that'll add on a sizeable amount.
Cover for the staff who are out at up to £200/teacher/day...
It all adds up very quickly

It’s a private school so I would assume that they aren’t doing all they can to keep it as inexpensive as possible in the same way a state school would. I’d also imagine that coaches for a long journey for 80 children would be a lot more expensive than it has been in previous years.

Maybe they’re doing a good thing and their staff will get a bonus for giving up their time to voluntarily take other people’s children away.

There’s nothing you can do about it expect decline to send your child. You must have known that there would be costs associated with residential trips and that they were likely to be more expensive than average considering you chose a private school so you just need to accept that this is what this trip costs.

Our state comp charged £920 for this year’s ski trip

Bus transport from South wales to London and back, return flights to Italy, bus transport to resort. A week’s accommodation, 3 meals a day. Ski, boot, poles and helmet hire, full area lift pass and 4 hours of tuition a day.

Yours sounds very expensive compared to that.

Staff will not be getting a bonus !!
I work in a private school
80 children plus how many adults ?
That's two coaches too
Think of fuel costs these days
If coaches not staying then that's four lots of fuel...if they are that's four days of drivers cost too

It’ll be the cost if 2x coaches, the extra costs of being a private school so no discounted rate and the time of year/place (near the coast?) that makes the difference. I highly doubt they’re making a profit but you could ask for a breakdown.

I’ve just checked and our son’s trip to a PGL (next month) is costing £320, that’s 4 nights, all in, including transport. He’s at a London state primary school.

I work in an indie school and can assure you that there is no extra payment for taking residentials!

My DS went on his residential in September- it was £350 for 5 days/4 nights including coaches.
The costs you quoted are ridiculous

Have been quoted £380 for DS’s in October. That’s including doing stuff in Edinburgh 2 of the days (2 days outdoor activity type stuff). A chunk of that is transport though, coach hire is INSANELY expensive right now

The staff will be the children’s teachers? They won’t need cover as their class will be on the trip..

Catholic state primary. Four nights at a residential activity centre is going to cost £550 all in.

Three years ago a non- profit with trained instructors and all equipment in middle England was charging £35 per child per activity for activities such as climbing, raft building, abseiling, archery, high or low ropes etc which really added up if you put 2 or 3 instructed activities in a day.
There's been the pandemic since then and many companies are trying to claw back their overheads from the last 2.5 years.
Add crafts, indoor activities, overnight cover, food, snacks etc and £100-150 per day/night for a commercial rather than non-profit venue sounds more than reasonable. Add transport and insurance: there you are.

My Yr 6 is going to Edinburgh, Mon to Thursday in June and it's £260. Coach travel, hotel, restaurant meal every night and daily activities

DD (Yr3) will be going on her first residential this June for 5days/4nights including accommodation, activities & transportation etc - we're paying £250. It'll be about 1.5hrs drive from the school.

Wow, our y6 residential is £350 and sounds similar. 4 nights but 5 days (leave early and back late) with caving, canoeing, , rock climbing and abseiling and lots of other outdoor stuff and a coach there and back (3hrs). There are 40 ish going and the place hosts 65 but no others there. It’s march but still, over £600 sounds crazy!

Staff don’t get bonuses for going on school trips, whether they work in the state or private sector. We give up our free time and looking after our own children for free, to look after our pupils. And we’re not even thanked by parents sometimes.

State school, y6 residential a few months ago. £180 including coach travel, paid activities food etc. only 3 days though. we were given 4 months notice to pay in instalments.

it sounds expensive to me, but costs are rising all the time. Possibly things like staff costs and insurance have gone up loads.

That is a lot. My Dd prep in south east but not London is going to France for 4 nights in May and is less than that. However, maybe UK holidays are more at the moment due to cost of living.

My DD went on a 2 night residential to PGL in October, cost was £315. She's in Year 7 at a state secondary. So on that basis, £600 for 4 nights doesn't sound completely unreasonable, though it's certainly a lot of money.

State primary in Yorkshire, £300 for 4 nights outdoor activity centre including coach. I don't think that's bad at all.

State school, year six trip, three nights and includes all food and transport and outdoorsy activities eg caving, mountains, cycling etc, is £95 this year.