Is this normal for residential school trips?

[sheflieswithherownwings]

My DC doesn't have a place on the year 5 school residential (not because they didn't want to go but mainly due to poor communication from the school and the fact that they are relatively new to the school but has been there since last September). Apparently there is a waiting list and it was basically first come first served.. but obviously a large majority of the year group will be going.

AIBU to think that if the school offers a residential trip you find somewhere suitable so that ALL children who want to go, can go. This is for a Year 5 4-night trip in May, during term time.

So now they will be stuck (and expected to be in school, in school uniform, while all their friends are off having a great time and they'll probably be doing worksheets in a year 6 class). How can the school think this is okay and fair? It's different if the child doesn't want to go - they should definitely have that option.

But to essentially exclude a group of kids from an amazing experience, that their friends will be talking about for weeks afterwards, because the parents can't afford it or because they were a bit too late in signing up, seems very wrong to me. Apparently, the system is the same in year 6 - ie, limited numbers and not all children who want to go will be able to (for context, we have been living overseas for a few years and this type of situation would never have occurred at DCs school there as it would have been considered inequitable - all children would have been given / offered a place, and their place paid for if needed).

Anyone able to let me know whether this is a normal approach to residential trips in English schools?

It does depend on the school, at my kids primary there was no help, I know because we knew one child well and we asked the Head if we could pay part of the holiday for her (without her knowing and suggested Head could say he had a fund to help) but he wouldn't even do that. At their senior school there was some help.

Holidays are optional. If a trip is part of the curriculum they must ensure there’s help. Charging and remissions policy gives details.

Something like this happened to my son in secondary. Residential trips had limited places so you had to apply and names were essentially drawn out of a hat. My son didn't want to go on the Geography trip so didn't apply. But he really wanted to do the history trip (Normandy battlefields) which was a few months later. He applied and wasn't successful, but quite a few kids went on both. He was very disappointed and I mentioned it to his history teacher at open evening. She apologised but it clearly hadn't occurred to any of the staff to cross check who got to go on each trip.