FREE school trips and holidays/parents on benefits!

[graceM]

Tonight I've had a letter home from my son's secondary school letting us know that there is a trip to France coming up in July before they break up for summer. It's for four days and it costs £672, well I've just read at bottom of the page that the trip will be either free of charge or reduced accordingly for parents who claim benefits, ie income support, job seekers, housing benefit etc etc, well I'm absolutely furious to say the least!

I know that not everyone can afford to send their children on expensive school trips/holidays etc, neither can I really but I'm willing to scrimp and save to ensure my son gets to go. So why the hell should other parents get it free? If you can't afford for your child to go then they don't go simple, I know it's sad but that's just the way it is. Not happy!

soon if I was David Cameron I wouldn't give a toss about hard working families I would just be giving more and more money to the already rich....feckin politicians! please dont get me started on them, enough people have misunderstood what I mean with this never mind political views!

The Pupil Premium is there to ensure children have equal access to education not to an overpriced four night trip to New York.

I think OP you should complain to the governors. My other dd's school would never do an expensive trip but they do lots of trips, to farms, activity holidays etc. They never cost more than £300 and children get subsidised.

Their pupil premium is used to broaden their minds and experiences in all sorts of ways. Packing them all off on an overpriced trip is a waste of taxpayer's money.

Since when was it a child's fault their parents chose not to work/lost their job/were in receipt of benefits for a disability meaning they were unable to work?

Yes I know it seems unfair but it's also unfair that children with no chance otherwise of having a holiday should miss out because their parents do not work.

Does that mean that children whose parents are on benefits should also not receive free school meals, ensuring they get a hot meal every day which they might not get at home, because if their parents can't afford it that's that?

How very narrow minded of you.

Pupil premium is not there to ensure children have equal access to education, we already have that enshrined in law. (Not saying it always works!) Pupil premium is there to help bridge the gap between the poorest children and the not the poorest children. Some children have dancing lessons, riding lessons, cinema trips, holidays etc. some children don't. Schools can decide how they spend pupil premium, although they must be open about how they do so.
There is plenty of research that shows that experiences widen children's horizons, help develop their language and thinking skills etc. and this is why many schools use their pupil premium funding to subsidise trips/outings/activities for children.
I am old enough to remember two lines in the dinner hall, at both primary and secondary school, one for those children who paid and one for the free school meal children who were expected to be 'grateful for what you get'.
I hope to goodness we never go back to those days.

I think it's the price of the holiday that's the problem. Scrimping and saving for your child's £300 trip won't cause quite as much resentment as saving £672 for others to get it for free.

It is common practise at our local secondary, my dd friend in year 10 gets to do duke of Edinburgh for £3 as her mum is on low income, however said mum has just had a weeks skiing holiday :(

"The pupil premium is additional funding given to publicly funded schools in England to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and close the gap between them and their peers." - Gov uk.

It's not about expensive school trips. It's about raising attainment. School trips might be part of that, but extra tuition, free music classes etc, breakfast clubs and homework clubs are far more helpful to a disadvantaged pupil than a £672 trip to bloody France.

interiors - pehaps 'said Mum' is a teacher on a freebie trip!

its crazy. school funded a residential trip in year 6 for a low income family. Mother said not able to contribute to cost. Said child got on bus, mother said 'hurry up, i have to get to airport.' she was taking rest of family on holiday to Spain. bloody cheek

It's about anything that the school decides, usually based on good evidence, that will support closing the gap. Trips have been shown to do that as one poster on this thread has clearly said. Some pupil premium children are very clever and do not need extra tuition, homework clubs etc but do need their horizons broadened.

It takes some doing to keep blasting the same opinion over and over whilst not acknowledging posts pointing out varying factors.

It's a bit bot like.

When classes in our school do residentials, the whole class fundraise all year towards it. They do bag - packing, car - washes, discos, stalls at fairs and it's great team - building. No child has to miss it, and it's cheaper for all of them, free for those who really can't afford it. It would be unacceptable in our school for a child to miss out on what is such a fantastic experience. These trips really are life - changing for many children. They don't choose their home-lives (or parents). For some it will be the best experience of their lives. I'm saddened that so many people seem to grudge them it.

wow you're a charner aren't you op. here's hoping you'll never fall on hard times. you come across as a bit of an arse really.

Apologies i hadn't read all of your posts. i have now. you are a prat

So what do people do who don't have a car, to take fewer trips and save on fuel, don't buy magazines, have the lowest grade phone etc, that is helping you to save.
You are some privileged person and you can't see it, scrimping my ass.
You want to see people who are scrimping.
Yes prat seems quite apt.
I really hope you aren't raising your child to think like this.

when my dd was in year 6 there were pupils who supposedly could not afford the trip, I know some were genuine. The head suggested a bring and buy.

one of my friends was on pta and saw the parent of one of the not able to pay dc draw up in the top of the range people carrier

You have no idea how that people carrier was paid for woodhill. It could have been a gift from her parents, it could have been bought on the mobility scheme for people with disabilities, it could have been bought on high interest credit. You don't know, I don't know but some people will always assume they do know!

Ugh people are so quick to judge the parents based on what they see and assume, but it's not really about the parents is it? It's about the children and ensuring they have the same opportunities as their friends. No one truly knows other parent's at the school gates' financial situations whether you think you do or not!

I'm not convinced, if you had a mobility car would it be top of the range. why couldn't the gps pay for the school trip instead.