School trips

[StarDolphins]

Just opened a letter about a school trip & yet again, it’s the exact same place she went to last year AND the year before & I’m just a bit narked at the lack of variety. AIBU? Do your children go to the same place? My DD does enjoy it but it’s every year. I would love the occasional museum trip or just anywhere different! Just seems to be little to no thought gone into it. And it’s expensive too given she’s been there before at £15. This is meant to be a small contribution too as the PTA has funded most of it!

I will obviously consent to her going & pay the money but I wonder if I should mention it on the yearly feedback form as the years are ticking away but also wondering if this is normal?

What sort of trips do your Y4 kids go on, are they varied?

Assuming its a state school in the UK.........? Why not visit a church instead, a cathedral? Or as you've said a museum. Or a country park? A National Trust place/English heritage (a lot now are specifically aimed at kids/school groups).
Bizarre to visit a muslim centre each and every year. Plus its not even vaguely teaching the kids about diversity of religions etc. What percentage of the kids at the school are from muslim homes? (and even if that percentage is high........ they still need to learn about other stuff, visit other places)

@StarDolphins why not suggest that then?

Year 4 they go for a 3 day residential to an arts centre. They’ve also been to a museum, a mosque and to the zoo

This is very poor of your school. It sounds like they’re lazy and can’t be bothered to sort out different trips. Maybe raise the issue to the HM?

There are no Muslims at the school. I agree with you & they’ve already been there twice before so they must even be getting bored of it! Even we live in an area with beautiful landmarks that they could even walk to, I’d much rather do that this year for a change!

Yes I agree. I will mention it to HT I think. It’s disappointing.

My Y4 has had lots of trips this year - Chester zoo, pantomime (whole school went) and Manchester museum. They also went to Eureka in Halifax but I think it was at the end of Y3.

At our school they do one big trip per year and it links to their topic. Year 6 go to a WW2 shelter, Year 4 go to the zoo linking with habitats, Year 3 visit Roman Walls in Chester etc etc.

As well as this they do smaller field trip type things, like going to look at a local river for geography, local park, local farm and so on.

What exactly do they do at the Muslim centre and why does it cost £15? Does the whole school go altogether, seeing as every year group seems to go?

Put it on the feedback form by all means!

All those trips sound amazing! I would love for her to go on any of these! They don’t do any local ones either like you mention.

it’s just Y4 going on this trip & the £15 is a small contribution along with what the PTA are giving. It says they have to ask parents as they have to pay for the different workshops at the centre. I don’t know what these are though.

Museums might have free admission but if a school has a workshop/activities they often charge so even a free museum isn't always completely free. I've worked in Museum education for years and there is so little funding about unless you are very lucky.

That being said, I've never come across a school that goes to the same venue so children have multiple trips! Sounds like lazy planning on the school's part.

Is it possible they are using the centre for workshops they don’t have space for in school? So it’s the workshop changing rather than the venue?
Our primary used to have poetry, theatre and music type workshops come into school for the day.

My dc have never been on the same trip twice in primary school. Ds2 went on the same trip more than once in secondary school but that was his choice. It was enrichment week and they offer several choices to each year group.

I'm with everyone else in thinking that it sounds very odd.

I've worked in a few schools, and have had children in different schools and talked to lots of other parents and teachers over the decades and I've never come across this.

Like others say, the norm tends to be Yr3s go to X, Yr4s go to Y, Yr5s go to Z etc. which tie in to the Curriculum. Sometimes schools get invitations to one off things, but nobody goes back to the same place year after year.

A couple per term, but we're in London so loads of free options and can get public transport.

They might sometimes repeat a venue but to do different things, e.g. natural history museum for rocks one year, evolution one year.

1-2 trips per academic year plus a workshop delivered by external company some years. Never repeated!

I can’t think of any reason why they would need to go to a workshop at the same religious centre 3 years in a row

Agree that this is very odd and not really good enough. My daughter has been on at least one trip each year since reception, plus 2 residentials. None have been repeats.

Ours do one or two trips per term to different places plus a residential in yr 5 and 6. We are in London though so trips are normally a walk away or on public transport which cuts down the costs considerably.

That’s really weird. Why are they going to a religious place every year?! What about trips to other things. I wouldn’t be paying for that.

Our school do two trips each year and no definitely not the same place as it’s related to the curriculum. Which obviously changes every year. Theyve done trips to local park type things, museums, castles, a zoo, london and year 6 residential.

Id email and ask if there has been an error as your child has been there twice. Youd be paying £45 in total! What about next year?

Seems odd to me. I would ask about it (in a polite and non-confrontational way).

Almost seems like some kind of weird indoctrination! 🙈 I know kids sometimes visit local places of worship but not the same one each time? And they’re usually free or very cheap due to the nature of it.

My dc's school took them on the bus to the free council owned museums, cathedral, gudwara (who fed them too, I was a helper) synagogue, country park and most exciting of all, year 4's went to the recycling plant!

I quizzed her before bed as if I was excited about her trip what she’ll be doing & she said each time they’ve dressed up in scarves & dresses, then had a story and song & then they got to do a pretend wedding! Then looked at food!🤣 She does really sound like she likes it, it’s really only me that’s disappointed but she has nothing to compare it to!

Sorry, I forgot about this so maybe I’m being unfair but they have had workshops in the school, they have a space tent & an African group that do music & dancing come to the school. It’s just the trips out I’m unsatisfied with.

That sounds very odd. Usually you would have the Muslim centre trip be in (say) Y2, then Y3 trip would be a castle, then Y4 would be the local water treatment plant (or whatever) so the year group teachers organise the same trip each year but the kids get a variety of trips.

This sounds great, I would love her to do this! It’s the lack of variety that bothers me!