Have you said no to a 5 day class trip?

[jwpetal]

Any advice or experience regarding not sending your child on a class trip?

We attended a meeting regarding a class trip to Wales for my 10 year old ds. The cost of the trip is £355 for 5 days. We are trying to decide if he will attend as this is a lot of money that will impinge on family plans and financially will cause a strain. I asked parents if they would be willing to fund raise for the trip and of 40 parents only 3 said yes. We are an active family and my son does cubs so is already getting many of the outdoor benefits. I can't really see additional experience potential except for he won't be left out, which is a lame excuse, but understandable.

anyone else in this dilemma?

At my dcs school we knew from year R that in year 5 there was a residential field trip monday to friday that fulfilled part of the national curriculum and that every child was expected to go. Cost was not an excuse because there was school funds available for those in financial need.

During the 8 years my dcs were at that school EVERY child went - no exceptions. Some needed a bit of persuading but all agreed afterwards they were pleased to have gone. Payment plans were in place for more than a year before the trip. Think cost was around £110. 20 years ago!

I don't think schools should be pressurising parents and children into going on residentials. That is a decision for parents to make. I think the school was overstepping, Enid.

OP, I hear you.
Our school's yr6 trip is the same price. I managed to arrange a 4 day European holiday for the whole family for only a hundred quid more over Easter.

I don't want DD1 to miss out on her trip next year, and I understand why costs are high, given the staff costs and the nature of activities, but it means we'll not have a similar family break next year.

I'm sure lots of families will need to make similar choices about how family funds can best be used, and I'm very interested to read that some schools are managing to arrange significant cheaper (if slightly shorter) trips.

Dc school do residentials in yr 4 and yr 6 - I have DT and dd 2 years apart... I am starting saving a few years in advance. It will be about £900 for all of them.

The year 6 residential here is over £350 too. I do think it's a bit expensive and wish they would look at cheaper options. Not our problem just yet but DD does want to go!

I don't think schools should be pressurising parents and children into going on residentials.

Schools don't pressure, but they do encourage. They've been on the residential trips and seen the benefits so it is reasonable that they try to get as many children as possible to experience that for themselves.

The teachers are giving up a week of their time. It is exhausting and they don't get any extra money or time off. Why do they do that? Because it such a wonderful thing for the children to do. It is time away from parents, trying new things and spending time with their friends. It is very good for Year 6 children who are about to move on to secondary school to have this bit of independence and to make themselves conquer new challenges.

Instead of moaning about the schools, why not try to work out why they offer residential trips and be a bit grateful that they do?

1950's mum, Enid's post implies that her school does pressure kids because attendance is 'expected'. I would guess that the residential fulfilling part of the national curriculum was a key motivator, but perhaps this is cynical of me. Residentials are a nice thing to be offered, but not ideal for all children, so I think persuasion is not something they should be engaging in - not all dc will be comfortable going or giving reasons why they dont want to attend.

Weirdly, I would not be overcome with gratitude at the prospect of spending £350 if I couldn't really afford it.

Hear hear 1950s mum

As I said in my previous post this was 20 years ago. I think expectation rather than pressure encouraged pupils to go. It was as much of the national curriculum as the English and maths they were taught in the classroom.
We had at least 3 parents meetings before the trip, concerns were aired and dealt with eg arrangements for a child prone to bedwetting. Finance was not a problem because school had good amenity fund. (Church VA school)
When the children returned all lessons such as geography and science were based on the trip so if a child had not attended they would have struggled to complete the work. The class laid on a big presentation of the trip for parents and rest of school later in the term.
The school had one class per year group throughout so children all knew each other well. I think it was good for children to go even if a bit out of comfort zone - nobody in my dcs classes regretted it at all.
It also was the only residential trip the school did each year - no other jollies or pgl type trips.

The primary school my DDs went to had a single residential, in P7 (Scotland, top year of primary). I was an SP at the time, and it was difficult to find the money, but I was really glad I did. DD1 was keen as mustard to go, DD2 less so (she was a much shyer child than her sister) but both had an absolute blast and I could see the difference in them from the experience. It was also the highlight of the social year, and all the children talked about nothing else for months before and after - not being left out might seem lame to adults, but it's a very big deal to children of that age.

Are you being asked to find the £355 between now and the summer, OP, or will the trip be next year? If it's for this year, it does seem an awful lot to try to find in a short space of time. If next year, will the school do a monthly payment plan? That's what our school did, and paying in 9 monthly instalments made it less of a strain. Also, we used it as a rite of passage - DDs did major and ruthless sort-outs, and we sold all the toys they no longer played with in car boot sales which contributed quite a bit.

I would say if you can stretch to it, let your DS go if at all possible.

I never quite see why everything has to be done as a family! It is extremely good for children to go off with other children and adults and get away from family. For once! Just cut out a bit of travelling OP and you can afford it. Surely you knew Y6 did s residential or are you new to the school. Fundraising if you are not FSM seems a bit wrong really. I would give something up and re jug your plans.

It's not about doing everything as a family, bojorojo. It's the fact that for many people it means NOT having a family holiday at all if the cost of sending a single child on a residential trip (for just a few days!) would suck up all the extra money that could have been a nice little holiday for an entire family!

A lot of school trips are out of control, imo. Definitely a world of haves vs have nots going on in the state schools these days, not just the independents.

I don't really see the OP's issue tbh. It doesn't seem like they can't afford it but
More that they don't want to prioritise affording it which is a totally different thing.

A lot of bonding is done on the p7 trip in our school and a lot of confidence building. I wouldn't want ds to miss that even though he also does Cubs etc.

The cost of our trip is £300 to be paid by November and although We can only start paying now and have been told the exact cost it's always been known that p7 did a residential.

I agree with Haud.

Also, why should people who can afford it and really value trips have everything curtailed because others will not prioritise their spending? Help is usually available for the truly hard up and that is fair. I can see why other parents didn't want to fund raise with you.

Why should state education sink to the lowest standards? I was grateful to the teachers for bothering and caring. . It is virtually impossible to get a family holiday for a week for just £350.