Yr 5 & 6 five day French trip for £400

[Longstocking2]

dd's school has for several years offered the Year 6 kids a 5 day trip to France to stay in an adventure centre. Last year they did not get enough yr 6 kids to commit so they offered it to the upcoming yr 5 kids.

From four classes they managed a big enough group and have gone for a week. Many families couldn't afford to go, some saved very carefully so they could.

The kids left behind have had normal classes with some slightly creative stuff going on but not the proper curriculum because of the kids who are away. Over ten kids in dd's class are away. Some of the kids are very disappointed not to have gone but that's life.

It is a brilliant trip for those that go but it does seem disruptive for those that don't. I would like dd to go if possible next year but I don't like the divisiveness of it.

Just wondered what other people thought.

I think its really irresponsible of schools to offer trips that they know a large number of their pupils (perhaps the majority) will not be able to go on because its prohibitively expensive, and which they cannot themselves afford to adequately subsidise. There are adventure centres in the UK, and many schools manage to offer 5 day residential visits to them at under £100. Admittedly this is still a lot, but with lots of warning many parents can afford it and they can fundraise in various ways to support those who cannot.

However, since your school do choose to send kids on a trip they know few can afford, I think its perfectly reasonable for you to send your child if you can (possibly after suggesting that the head should look into more affordable alternatives for future years).

Our school organises an outward bound week in the Lake District (long way from us) for yr 5/6.

However they do it for the week we go back to school in September (Monday-Friday) with the normal school year starting on Wednesday. This way at least only 3 days are disrupted for those that don't go.

Its daft - for half that price they could do a really good UK-based adventure trip OR a non-adventure French trip. (DD did the former in yr 5 and 6 of primary and will do the latter this year at secondary - that one the school wants everyone to go so will subsidise if really necessary).

Doing an adventure trip in France for this age group - why??

Having said that, if the parents don't talk to the school about sensible alternatives, and they still run it I would consider sending DD in the same way I'll probably send her on the ski trip next year.

I am ambivalent about it too.

The arguments for the trip I've been given is that it's first time abroad for some away from family. It's lots of language experience and a different culture etc etc. The kids apparently love it, there is cultural stuff too not just adventure.
They have a long payment plan for it too so people can pay weekly.

But still, the ones left behind really feel left out and my heart goes out to them.

I don't know why they can't do a week end in the uk in yr 6 and maybe a day trip to France. But despite being asked our opinions about things often in surveys we are only listened to imho when it suits them!

They may stop offering it now anyway because of the cost. It is a lot of money for many people.

Also there's the question of both year groups missing a whole week of the curriculum. That seems a fairly bold thing for the school to do to two year groups.

When one mother raised the issue of unfairness with staff in the past she was told that some people save for it and have different priorities to other parents.

That is true but also some simply couldn't afford it at all.

I would like the whole school community to be surveyed on the subject and alternatives offered. I think that would be fine. Also I think disrupting two years for a week is not really justifiable.

Well, trips like this usually do have educational value, so I wouldn't worry about missing a week of school for it.

However, I'd be incensed at the head's response that some people save for it but others have other (read: the wrong) priorities. S/he clearly cannot comprehend that £400 (plus all the other expenses) is a considerable portion of some people's annual income; it's not just money they use to buy starbucks on the way home from school.

I'd imagine that the kids in the school who've never been abroad are probably the same kids who aren't able to go on the trip, and vice versa.

first time abroad for some away from family.

at that age it was the first time away at all for DD (other than nearby sleepovers), and would have been the first time abroad too - would have been too much at once!

I have raised this issue before - we are on a low income & can never afford for our girls to go on residential trips - we dont begrudge anyone else going but we do feel that schools should do something about making these times more inclusive for the ones left behind - instead of just having ordinary lessons or even worse if there are only a few in a class not going, being put into another year for a few days - perhaps the school could come up with some related activities & a day trip at the same time so the POOR KIDS are not completely left out

DS1 used to go to a school with a really deprived catchment: c. 70% FSM. They were brilliant about ensuring that parental income did not prevent the kids taking advantage of the opportunities available. I don't know how they did it (I assume some serious fundraising), but they managed to take the whole school to the beach every year (many of the kids had never been before they started school, even though it was a coastal city) and all the kids went on the final year residential trip. I'm pretty certain most of their parents didn't pay (a good number of them couldn't manage to get their kids in before 10.30am, so I doubt paying for a school trip was on the priority list).

It makes such a difference to the kids when they aren't sidelines because their parents are poor.

In fact, I really don't see how a HT can in any conscience, plan anything that s/he knows will exclude a significant number of their pupils.

I always have said that none of my children would go on school trips abroad until they go to high school, they then have had to pay half towards the trip by saving up birthday money and paper round money in the year before they go to high school.
Its so far has worked for 2 of mine 2 more to go.
Totally unreasonable to pay £400 for a primary school trip. Mine have been on activity holidays for less than that in the uk.

so what proportion of the year 6's usually go?

I'd write a letter to the governors suggesting they ask for parents' opinions about changing the trip to a cheaper local one. Preferably get the letter signed by several parents. I would also mention that you have found the "different priorities" statement by staff "unhelpful and potentially upsetting for parents with financial difficulties".

i really can see all sides of this. Such a great opportunity for the ones who can go but so could a UK trip for half the cost, and isn't it a little more cohesive of the school community to try to offer opportunities that might reach a higher percentage?

Dont know about uk being half the price my son y6 going to isle of wight next june mon to friday 412.00 can you believe it. Cheaper to go on a family holiday i think

DD's school (a middle school) has sent a letter this week about their trip. It's in the UK and £350. for those that don't go you have to cough up £50 for them to do other stuff, which hasn't actually been specified what it is. Appears paying nothing isn't an option.

I am a HT - at my school we subsidise the families who can't pay by asking a local charity for a grant. No-one is excluded on grounds of cost. Having said that this year we changed to a cheaper trip (with better facilities) but a longer journey (1 hour away instead of 30 mins) and I had lots of complaints about that. To be honest it's quite impossible to get it right - some people see a cheaper trip as somehow intrinsically 'not worth it' even when I explain the facilities on offer are better! also a big part of the cost is the transport rather than the venue. If you can get parents to transport their children or borrow minibuses etc you can knock a third off the cost easily. We often ask parents to transport children for local day trips as then the cost can be very low - maybe £2 or £3 for a day at a museum etc. But you do need everyone's goodwill to do it, and a sensible attitude to Health and Safety in your community i.e parents not insisting on all drivers being trained to police driver standard or something!