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Secondary education

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Original poster

state school ski-ing trip too expensive?

82 replies

swanthingafteranother · 14/06/2012 10:07

It's £1,500. To go for a week at Easter to America. They always go there, facilities and snow very reliable etc.

Now I think for beginner ski-ing it is in some ways a bargain, because a family ski-ing trip for five is obviously going to be so much more, and anyway my Dh hates ski-ing so we would never go in the first place..

But surely they could have chosen somewhere in Europe which was slightly less expensive, say at Feb half term or even Xmas/New Year?

Anyone else's experiences?

I want to send ds because I can afford it and because he is hopeless at sport and really wants to be better and really really wants to go and has never been and never will go skiing with us, but why is it such an outrageous price so as to discrimate against most of his classmates?

OP posts:
pimmsgalore · 14/06/2012 10:16

thats actually about the same price as a school ski trip to Europe so I think it is actually quite reasonable. The snow will be much more reliable as well and the instructors are usually pretty good in the US with no language barrier

Pootles2010 · 14/06/2012 10:18

I must say I think these sort of school trips are disgusting. Can you imagine how awful the children who can't go will feel?

maples · 14/06/2012 10:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

redskyatnight · 14/06/2012 10:20

Obviously depends on the intake of your school, but I would imagine even a cut price budget ski trip would be beyond the ability to pay for a good number of children?

elastamum · 14/06/2012 10:21

Way too expensive. Thats more than twice the cost of my kids schools trip to Austriaover easter which includes everything. IMO it has probably been put on because the teachers, who get a free place, (Which you are paying for BTW) want to go to the US.

ZZZenAgain · 14/06/2012 10:25

for flights to America, accom., instruction, etc it is a reasonable price I suppose but I agree with you that for a school trip it is an unnecessarily expensive option that will put a lot of families on the spot.

blonde83 · 14/06/2012 10:26

wow!!!
i am going to add 'waaay cheaper than the school' to the list of selling points for the trip that i am helping to organise! we do a week in the bavarian alps with the cadets for £600 all in. I guess we can only manage that because we have our own instructors though!....

maples · 14/06/2012 10:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AgentProvocateur · 14/06/2012 10:29

I agree it's dear, but skiing trips are, wherever they go. We couldn't afford it for two DC. But I don't think that means they shouldn't be on offer. By secondary, children know that they can't do everything. Do you think schools should cut out trips completely just so that they don't upset poorer children?

Most expensive trips are advertised with plenty of notice, and I think it's fair enough to have a wide range. FWIW, our school is doing a ten-day trip to the USA this month. I think it was about £2k, but there have been plenty of smaller ones too.

And as for paying for the teachers... Let's face it - would you spend your own money to have the responsibility of a group of boisterous teens 24/7 for a week?!

Toughasoldboots · 14/06/2012 10:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

imnotmymum · 14/06/2012 10:33

America is always a bit pricey to go to. But sounds fair enough I guess as it is often the ski hire, lift passes etc that put price up. However we went to Finland skiiing guaranteed snow all 6 of us £3000, so I guess the school should do a bit of research. Maybe do some fundraising as a group, my dc go to a state but it is a wealthy state and kids love to do random fundraising together for trips especially one so special. How long have you got to pay, with our pricey trip we were given a years notice.

Metabilis3 · 14/06/2012 10:54

It's about the same price as the skiing trips at our state school, also to the USA. DD didn't go. Way too expensive, especially as she is going on what I feel is an overpriced history trip in the autumn. I offered to take her over to Belgium for about a quarter of the price but she declined. Can't think why.

GnocchiNineDoors · 14/06/2012 10:56

Thats standard price. We went to Austrua when I was younger and relatively speaking it cost the same. At least in the US its cheaper for stuff once you are there.
.
Its trips like this which is why ive started a savings account for dd from birth

shrimponastick · 14/06/2012 11:01

It is too expensive for a school trip. Fair enough, some parents will be able to pay it - either easily or may have to save up a bit. But there will be other families who just cannot pay that. Those children are then missing out.

DSS went on a ski trip earlier this year - and that cost just under £1000 - Austria, on a coach. That made me shudder a little - but he enjoyed it - and I 'think' he is aware that it won't be happening every year. We just couldn't/wouldn't pay it for all three of them to ski each winter, and then all the other trips within the year.

GnocchiNineDoors · 14/06/2012 11:05

The thing is, I dont see a way they can offer the trip any cheaper. They could NOT offer the trip at all but, having been on one, they are incredibly worthwhile.

nummus · 14/06/2012 11:05

I don't understand why schools, even state schools, insist on skiing as the main school trip.

Why not horseriding? Or mountain biking? Or hiking?

Why skiing? It is always prohibitively expensive and also it is one of THE most expensive sports to carry on with.

It seems such a random trip to go on.

Portofino · 14/06/2012 11:07

Sheesh! That is horrific! My dd will go in year 6 as it is part of the Belgian national curriculum. It costs about 650 euros for 2 weeks in Switzerland! And they offer you a savings account in Y1....

IShallWearMidnight · 14/06/2012 11:10

I wouldn't have thought skiing would be marketed as the "main" school trip though, just as an optional one? DDs school offers skiing, but also has a Food Tech/Art trip to Italy, French exchange, numerous day/2 day subject trips, a 5 day camp in Y8, DofE expeditions. There's also a paid-for-by-fundraising True Adventure thing.

The only one the school push (other than required-by-coursework ones) is the Y8 camp; none are considered a "main" school trip.

HandMadeTail · 14/06/2012 11:12

That is expensive! I had a SIOB when DD's trip to Switzerland came out as £1090.

But, it's not compulsory, and in fact there is another trip which takes precedence over it (ie, if you can only afford one, you have to go on the other, cheaper, one).

Portofino, I love Belgium, and now I have another reason for wishing we had moved there when the DC were younger!

GnocchiNineDoors · 14/06/2012 11:13

Also as I recall, the whole school years 8 and upwards are invited and there are rarely more than 100 places and you have to go and sign up usually with the pe teacher so its not as if everyone goes or that its public knowledge who isnt and why.

nummus · 14/06/2012 11:14

God so many trips. Don't they ever do any work?? Dd1's sports matches take her out of school enough, I don't want her to spend 10 days out of school skiing. Think I'll offer her £500 to stay at home!

typicalvirgo · 14/06/2012 11:18

Agree with IShall - its an optional trip and you may find its only aimed at year 9 or year 11s each year.

My DCs never ask to do this. We do it as a family and tbh as a family of 5 spend about 5K tops so my kids realise that it is overpriced.

I think its a good idea for schools to offer though, sometimes parents are just not interested in or have injuries which prevent them from skiing.

TheReturnoftheSmartArse · 14/06/2012 11:20

Apparently it's the insurance which increases the cost. DD is going to Austria in Feb and that's £900. £1500 seems quite steep, but it's further, I suppose.

Rabid · 14/06/2012 11:21

aha
i think it is the same school as mine. I wrote and complained - utah?

elastamum · 14/06/2012 11:22

My kids school skiing trip is on a coach to Europe and is about £600 all in, it is in the easter holidays not in term time.

Both my DS ski with school, it is the one thing DS1 really excels at and has been great for his confidence. He isnt very sporty but skis like an angel and wants to be a ski instructor when he is old enough. The sports staff and the other kids where Shock when they saw him ski

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