If my children don't go on the school residential trip, would we regret it?

[hattyyellow]

School residential trip to a major city for 4 days. For the price we could go on a family holiday..DH convinced they would get more out of it going on holiday with us. I'm worried that kids would feel left out, get left out - they're quiet kids anyway and are on the fringes of the group. But their primary school splits the year after into 4 different secondary schools anyway - so even though the teacher is saying she thinks it would affect them in the bonding of the class having been on the trip without them, i can't help thinking that they would probably not see most of their class for that much longer after they came back!

Need to decide today! Any experiences/thoughts much welcomed. We have been to the city and visited half the places, could do most of them again - a few special experiences i.e. tickets to a musical would be a lot more as a family - but we could do all the cultural stuff and stay locally with friends for free..

No,they aren't always dream trips. One of mine had one he didn't like much. But I still think the experience had positives for him as well as negatives. And the last one he really loved, despite a few travel hiccups, and I genuinely think they were learning experiences for him that will stand him in good stead in future!

If I have the spare money I really don't need I would let my dcs go otherwise not as simple as that for me.

Thanks so much all, sorry for delay in replying - have been at a mad whirl of nativity plays. We agreed they could go - do feel our hands have been forced a little - but it turns out only one other child in the two year groups isn't going and a lot of the work is based around the trip on their return..concentrating now on small weekly payments into a savings account to make the financial blow less painful!

Ds hated his, there was bullying and allsorts going on.

It was last month and we are still dealing with the repercussions, his confidence has been knocked so badly by it.

I'll never forget my primary school residential trip in my last year at primary school. It was not at all the same as trips with orchestras or other groups, as this was with peers I had been at school with since the age of 5. A residential school trip is absolutely nothing like a holiday with family - a totally different experience altogether. I wouldn't have wanted to miss it.