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Secondary education

how do schools choose who will go on trips when oversubscribed?

52 replies

FrameyMcFrame · 22/03/2012 19:11

DD has just been informed she was 'not successful' in getting a place on the ski trip... Sad
There was no mention in the letter of how they select students and a thorough search of the school website and policies gives no info on how these decisions are made.
Does anyone know how they do it?

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2014newme · 28/07/2017 09:52

Zombie!

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2014newme · 28/07/2017 09:51

I know let to of teachers who do the same 'out of a hat '😂

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2014newme · 28/07/2017 09:50

My friend tells the kids she picks names from a hat but really the badly behaved ones that would be a nightmare to take skiing are not in the draw. She actually picks the ones she would he happy to take skiing but pretends it's random.

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BigSandyBalls2015 · 28/07/2017 09:47

I wondered about this when DD went on a trip to South Africa with her school - looking around the airport there were definite friendship groups and these groups went on to share apartments in the hotel.
How much easier must it be for the staff if they've got groups of kids they know each other well and like each other, rather than random kids.

Not right of course, by any means, but understandable..

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BringOnTheScience · 27/07/2017 10:34

Here's a thought ...

Maybe all the schools quoted upthread as having first come policies have since changed their minds, as the thread is FIVE YEARS OLD!

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MummySparkle · 27/07/2017 09:07

When I was at school they have priority to those that had been on the ski trip before. The rest of the names were drawn out of a hat. If any of the instalments weren't paid in time then it defaulted to the next person on the waiting list

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vlooby · 27/07/2017 09:02

Perhaps there should be a place for every child in these clubs/trips etc...
*
*
Just not possible....

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BertrandRussell · 27/07/2017 09:01

"But our headteacher has said that this is not allowed as it discriminates against people who cannot pay as fast and you're not allowed to do this." You are allowed. But it's an outrageous way to do it.

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BeautifulWintersMorning · 27/07/2017 08:55

We sign up/pay deposit for trips online and it tells us how many spaces are left, so it's first come first served after it opens. Some people set their alarm for when it opens

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BertrandRussell · 27/07/2017 08:51

First come first served is incredibly unfair.

Out of a hat is the only way.

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CauliflowerSqueeze · 27/07/2017 08:47

I prefer the idea of first come first served and giving people a few days before it opens seems fair. But our headteacher has said that this is not allowed as it discriminates against people who cannot pay as fast and you're not allowed to do this. So it's names out a hat.

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woollychimp · 26/07/2017 21:56

In our school's case - everyone who gets their application in on time is then pulled out of a hat. So, random draw.

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clary · 26/07/2017 20:50

The problem with a lottery is that you might draw out a load of kids who don't get on, maybe on a trip abroad with perhaps 40 students, and their best mate doesn't get picked so then they don't want to go, someone else then says no and the whole thing collapses!

I think a first come first served but with a delayed starting point as we do gives people a chance to get their ideas together and see if they can afford it.

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TeenAndTween · 26/07/2017 19:45

I don't really like first come first served as it discriminates in favour of super-organised parents (like me), and against disorganised parents or children (like DD1 with dyspraxia). Also, for more expensive trips, I feel it discriminates against less affluent families who may need a bit of time to a) get together the deposit or b) work out whether they can afford it at all.

So I think lottery for on time applications is better than blanket first come first served.
However I think it is also reasonable to prioritise kids who haven't done the club before or not been on similar trip before.
Also reasonable to prioritise PP or SN kids who might disproportionately benefit from doing the trip/club.

My DD2 did a club last term that has massively boosted her confidence in herself. I have no idea whether it was engineered for her to get a place, we returned the form the next day. I am just grateful she got the opportunity to do something she could actually succeed in.

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clary · 26/07/2017 18:57

My school usually does first come first served.

We do really do it tho. For example, if it's a residential trip abroad, we usually say in the letter that parent pay will open at xxx time (usually 4pm in a few days'time) so people can get organised. Then we also keep a few places back for people who want to pay by cheque cos they have no credit card or internet access.

Work it the same way for end of year trip to Alton Towers etc.

I think it's about as fair as it can be. We do reserve the right not to allow badly behaved students to go and I have known that happen (ie they have been removed from the trip later on or just not allowed on the list).

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CauliflowerSqueeze · 26/07/2017 17:23

The office pick ours - names out a hat if it's oversubscribed.

I do feel sorry for parents who are quick off the mark and get the consent forms in and are then unlucky.

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BoneyBackJefferson · 24/03/2012 22:23

framey

how would you run a trip that every child had to go on?

Its hard enough to get enough teachers for most trips as it is, with the adult pupils ratios on trips you would have to shutdown some schools for the day.

No system is going to be fair for all pupils or parents.

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BellaVita · 24/03/2012 21:32

First come first served at the school my DS's go to. I am able to pay online for trips.

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FrameyMcFrame · 24/03/2012 21:21

Interesting. This all confirms my theory that the system is not fair. I'm a firm believer in fair opportunities for all children. Perhaps there should be a place for every child in these clubs/trips etc...

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BrigitBigKnickers · 24/03/2012 15:13

DDs school use parent pay. They tell you when the trip will come on line and the first 30 to pay the deposit get the places.

Quite stressful if the computer crashes!

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ibizagirl · 23/03/2012 13:22

Dd had a letter about a trip to a London theatre and she wanted to go. It was first come first served and it had a maximum of 40 children. I had the letter on Thursday afternoon and took it to the office myself the following morning. A week before the trip dd was given back the money and a note to say she was the 18th child over the limit (it has to be kept in case anyone drops out iyswim). Naturally i went into school and asked about it as no way could there be all those children in front of my dd as it was given in almost asap. Dd's friends gave theirs in the following week and they ended up going! Was told there was a high number of letters back so had to be "drawn". I replied that it was not first come first served as on letter. Finance office woman looked uneasy and could not really answer. I reckon my dd's was first and it got lost and was found right at the end and that was that. Never will believe first come first served again.

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gramercy · 23/03/2012 12:19

Ds always gets picked for every trip [grasps at the one thing to be smug about emoticon]

Except when he wanted to do cricket - he was the first to respond but somewhat unsurprisingly his name got superglued to the bottom of the PE teacher's hat.

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FrameyMcFrame · 23/03/2012 09:13

EdithWeston, I agree with that, it's what I was trying to say before. I just really wanted to know that it had been a fair process.

DD has had a shitty time this year as her Dad died from cancer in January. So obviously disappointments are difficult to take at the moment. If I thought the teachers somehow picked children and it wasn't at random I'd be upset.

In DDs school there are 120 in each year and they're only taking 30 kids so it's always going to be oversubscribed.

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EdithWeston · 23/03/2012 06:34

When I was at school, the "first come first served" was (rightly) abandoned at parental request. We were rural, and the school bus schedule meant that there were always some pupils earlier than others, and from two particular villages always late. It was agreed it was unfair that those children on the late arriving bus, who were in effect excluded.

Lottery for all on-time applicants is much fairer (and means your DC doesn't lose out because they are ill or whatever when the race to get forms in takes place).

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BackforGood · 22/03/2012 23:12

On 'First back' clubs or trips, ds runs home, gets form signed, runs back - none of this waiting until the next day business Grin.

It varies at ds's school, depending on the trip, but you are usually notified (or the Pupils know - I don't think I've been personally told). dd is only in Yr8 and not applied for many, but we had one just recently saying 'if oversubscribed the names will be drawn at random'.

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