Are compulsory residential trips, actually compulsory?

[101Meme101]

Hi, just out of curiosity I was wondering does my 16 year old - who is just starting 6 form - have to go on his residential trip on the first day of term.

The school states that all trips are compulsory, and yes I have no fault with this, as I knew what my son was getting into; but is there any way of possibly not going on this trips?

I don't want judgements on me... just want to know this because my child doesn't want to go, and won't want to force him in to doing something he doesn't want to do, so if you can help me out here, it'd be greatly appreciated; thank you.

Hmm, difficult one. If it says compulsory, I'd have thought that it was that. It's probably linked to the curriculum, and he'll miss out on lots if he doesn't go.

Not sure how they can enforce it though. What happens if you have no money? Would they pay for it I wonder?

Maybe you need to have a chat with him about his reasons for not going, and see if you can overcome those?

It has nothing to do with curriculum, just an induction to allow him to meet other students, as this trip is taking place on the first 2 days of his first term at the school.

I don't really think it's necessary, so would he have to go?

Oh also I forgot to mention that accepting the fact that he must attend all the trips (they're comulsory) was part of the admission process.

Sorry meant compulsory*

Well of course he doesn't have to go, but he's going to miss the first two days, plus not get to meet anyone till they are back. Is it just this one he doesn't want to attend?

Yes

Is he not bothered about starting two days late when everybody has already met and palled up with people

So, I won't really get much hassle from the school, right? As it's not part of the curriculum.

I doubt it. What's the reason he's going to give?

Probably going to say that he's ill, or we're still on holiday.

Is there a genuine reason he doesn't want to go? If it's just because he doesn't fancy it I'd be inclined to push him towards going. Teaching him that it's ok to lie to get out of something he doesn't want to do isn't great.

Well, that's all he'd been saying, and honestly I don't think that anyone would want to take 2 days of their own holiday time to go on a school trip - so that may be partially the reason why.

I think that socially he will struggle to make up the lost ground. There may also be practical information about the course that he misses out on, just from being with tutors and classmates talking about the course informally.
I would be very strongly encouraging him to go and concerned that he was starting his course on the wrong foot.

This sounds like the sort of trip sixth formers at a grammar school in Birmingham has. My DC don't go to the school but I know they have the trip at the start of sixth form to get the kids who are new to the school to bond with the ones coming from within the school. I think it's a good idea since they spend time together overnight and I think are more likely to make friends than during a normal school day, even if it is just the newbies bonding as a group (but hopefully along with everyone else). I think they do some outdoor pursuits so perhaps your DS doesn't want to participate in them and is just doing the typical teen thing of saying he doesn't want to go without explaining. Personally, if it were my DS I'd make him go since at his age he understands that he agreed to this when he accepted the place at the school.