£1,000+ school trips

[DonnaLFerguson]

Hello, I'm a Guardian journalist researching an article on school trips. I'm looking for case studies of parents who have been asked to spend over £1,000 on a trip. I've made an offical request here; www.mumsnet.com/Talk/media_nonmember_requests/1966800-Guardian-journo-seeks-case-studies-of-1-000-school-trips
And just wanted to flag up the thread to anyone who might be interested.
I'm also interested in your views on these expensive school trips.
Thanks
Donna

[http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/media_nonmember_requests/1966800-Guardian-journo-seeks-case-studies-of-1-000-school-trips]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/media_nonmember_requests/1966800-Guardian-journo-seeks-case-studies-of-1-000-school-trips

(you needed double brackets).

Thank you! :)

Depends on the trip!

My son is going on a school sport tour to South Africa this year. It will cost £2360.

It is a one-off experience.

Interested in talking to me about it?

Blimey, how many people with kids in state schools will be given such opportunities. Has to be a small percentage: 5-10%?

DD's doing the most expensive trip she was offered which is £360, and she's paying for £120 of it in various ways.

DCs school has trips well over the thousand pound mark - three weeks in the USA being the main one

they are for those who can afford

the 6th form college has trips that cost up to £4000
'tis the way of the world
the MC save on school fees to spend on trips

My DS3went on a ski trip last year that cost £1000, when we ski as a family we spend around 5k so I thought it was a reasonable and he loved it. DS2 is going NewYork in the Autumn and that is about £1200 plus spending money and money for meals. They are at the local comprehensive school. We are normally allowed to pay in instalments so the cost doesn't seem to bad. As a family we do spend a lot on holidays as they are very important to us.

DDs state school issued details last week of a trip in summer 2015 which was to cost £3000. Tonight we got a further letter about it. The price has gone up to £3895. I am gobsmacked - it turns out to be a month in Peru. I can see this would be an amazing experience - though frankly better if done alone on a year off than with a school group aged 16 - but I think it unethical to be advertising something which is so far beyond the reach of most families in our area (including ours), and which most 14 year olds won't be able ot earn towards either.

Just to say that my article was published on Saturday - here it is:
www.theguardian.com/money/2014/feb/01/parents-pay-state-school-trip

I've just signed dd up to a school ski trip for next Feb in Italy costing 1400. I'm not particularly happy but had been promising it for the past three years "if she worked hard". She's in a prep school.