School Trips

[Maranello55]

I would like to ask the community on the following unfolding scenario for everyones opinions.

I have two boys at Secondary school just finishing Years 7 and 8, and several weeks ago parents were sent a letter advising of an upcoming skiing trip next year. Both boys want to go, so I paid the deposit 20 mins after they opened up the system for taking deposits ! Job done I thought. All sorted.

But no....apparently....a few days ago parents are advised that because of an influx of applications that children will be selected at random to go on the trip, in some "Thanos" (for anyone who has seen Avengers : Infinity War) style random selection system. Needless to say one boy has been selected, and one boy has been told he cannot go. I do not think it right or fair when my payment was made immediately (I must have been one of the first) and I am now told that one boy cannot go. I do not find this fair at all. I also think it unacceptable to split a pair of siblings. Imagine you are a 12 year old boy and your brother and best friend have been accepted to go on the trip and you have been told you cannot go.

I personally think that this could have a longer term detrimental effect and that he will now resent anything to do with his schooling if the situation is not resolved.

What does everyone else think ?

[GHGN]

I had to read the whole thing to see if it is real. Such a first world problem.

[BubblesBuddy]

My local grammar has a school trip administrator - she’s my friend. Teachers don’t do the day to day grind of it there.

[noblegiraffe]

So does my school, Bubbles. It’s still a lot of work to organise a trip.

[MaisyPops]

We have an admin member of staff who does the bookings, but we still run the info nights, the applications, the planning, the parental stuff, staffing etc.
There's a lot of work involved and as PPs have said, when you get the 'it's not fair' brigade and the confrontational demandinf ones, it really does put people off running them.
The way some carry on it's like their child has a right to do whatever trip they like.

[Sarawish]

Disadvantaged? Really?

What about the kids whose parents have absolutely no chance of affording it. Ever.

You need to get a grip.

[cantkeepawayforever]

The question is, did the initial letter state that the way of sorting out oversubscription would be first come first served?

Or was that your assumption, which turned out to be false?

There is almost certainly a line in the trips / expeditions policy - or whatever it is called at your school - which states the action to be taken in the event of over-subscription of any trip. What does it say?

[ScrubTheDecks]

Yes it was badly organised / communicated.

I assume that never before have they been over subscribed, so it took them by surprise. In that situation a ballot seems fairer than first come, first served.

Do they know that one has been selected and one hasn’t?

In your shoes I would e ma and say it is really upsetting to have one selected for the trip and the other not and you would be very grateful if the other could go on a waiting list.

Don’t go in with your somewhat intractable ‘no I am not over-reacting’ complaint.

[user1471450935]

I get there has to be a short list, names out the hat.
But we found for popular visits, like Maths, 50 places for years 9 and 10, 660 kids in total. Trip included day at Eurodisney and free day and evening in Paris, even if you miss out in year 9, we did, you still missed out in year 10, but 4 class mates went both times.
But History, WWI battlesfield trip in 2014, went with 41 out of 50 and 2015 WW2 trip, Ds was begged to go, we did pay a second £350, because only 24, originally wanted to go, so in end 30 went.
Geography was same, 75 places, visit to Zoo and wind farms, only 65 went, only 6 boys too.
But Maths, Skiing £650, and Football to Spain £1100, you can't get on. Our comp is next door to 2 of the poorest council estates in Britain, it mainly the same MC kids go year in year out, Ds2 best mate has been to Spain Years 7, 8, 9 and 10. Though is other friend has never made the cut. It similar for Skiing, same faces in the school website and newsletter.

So yes great, but surely if you have too many, the ones who been before shouldn't get priority over ones who you never pick. But schools seem to fall down on this.

Though to be fair OP, Ds1 went Paris of the reserve list, with 5 weeks notice, thanks to a great aunt paying. We have to pay in monthly instalments to afford such trips.

[noblegiraffe]

How is a trip to Eurodisney and Paris a maths trip?

[GHGN]

It is definitely a Maths trip, noble. The kids will spend the whole time working out how much money is wasted on that trip, how much bt is being thrown around trying to dress anything to be mathematical. A trip to their teacher’s teaching room will be cheaper and guarantee that they will learn more Maths.

[user1471450935]

NOBLE
Because they have workbooks ands relate the cost of Paris to Hull and then compare and produce spreadsheets and graphs. Also taken to see Paris Architecture and learn have maths relates to them.

Well that how the maths dept sells it to the kids, and then charges us £650 for privilege, or in our case £350, because the other child lost their payments.
So much as GHGN says.
Looking back History and Geography where the best trips.
But how do a whole PE dept justify a 10 day break to Barcelona for football, including all 6 teachers, for £1100, when the Hockey, Netball, rounders, rugby and athletic teams never go anywhere. Even the PGL trips are organised by year 7 & 8 leaders. To be fair the rugby coach lost two summer weeks in 2013 & 14, when the year 9 and 10 team won the National schoolboys champions and lost in the following years final. But they never get a trip.

[ReservoirDogs]

User - that is just your school though - outs had a rugby tour to South Africa. As someone else said it is up to the teacher to decide amd arrange etc.

[user1471450935]

Reservoir
Is that private?
Christ South Africa, we nearly bankrupt ourselves getting them to Belgium or France. As in all parents we know pay £10/week or £45/month.

[gluteustothemaximus]

This why it’s better when you can’t afford school trips. You just say ‘there’s no money’. Then there’s none of this to deal with.

[AJPTaylor]

at older dds school there were always massively over subscribed trip. i was always pretty blunt with them.
i will put your name down.
you have a 1 in 10 chance of going
you have a nearly zero chance of your best friend going
no moaning about it in any circs.
more or less covered it.