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Secondary education

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Original poster

Skiing trip in regular state secondary?

106 replies

Goingonandonandon · 06/02/2019 16:15

I just wondered if many (or any) normal comprehensive secondary schools run ski trips for pupils. I can’t quite see the point of them myself, I’d happily send my kids on outdoor stuff, camping, language and cultural trips/exchanges, but skiing? Are many state schools offering this?

OP posts:
rosesandcashmere · 06/02/2019 19:12

Mine did and that was 20 years ago. Was ace!

BackforGood · 07/02/2019 00:13

I am prejudiced that skiing resorts are not necessarily the best place where children would be exposed to a lot of what a country has to offer in terms of culture

Maybe that's because that isn't what is being offered / advertised, or attracting all the dc to want to go. A ski trip is to go and learn to ski (or I suppose improve and enjoy skiing if you've been before), not to 'be exposed to the culture'. It's like saying "Pompeii isn't the best place to learn to ski" - well, no. You choose your destination, based on what the purpose is of the trip, surely ? Grin

Yes, I'd say it is normal around here for "ordinary state comps" to offer ski trips - a great way to be able to pay for your dc to go one year, one at a time, without the whole expense of trying to go as a family.
I have friends I was at school with 40 years ago, who still look back fondly on the ski trip they went on.

SassitudeandSparkle · 07/02/2019 00:17

DD's school do a ski trip, they alternate resorts but the most expensive year is around £1,200 - I told DD she wasn't going on that one when she was eyeing it up!

defineme · 07/02/2019 00:27

My dd went last year, £950, flying so 6 days skiing at a hotel at the slopes so full days. We borrowed the kit off friends, she used her savings for spends and ot was her birthday + xmas present combined! She adored it and we will never take her, so fab she did it. What persuaded me was my own experience of The Alps and feeling like I was on the rooftop of the world. She rang me everyday to tell me how brilliant it was.

Snog · 07/02/2019 15:23

Most state schools do offer ski trips ime

AWishForWingsThatWork · 07/02/2019 16:28

£1800, £1850, £2000 ... I'm astounded at how many go on the ski trips that cost this much! We can holiday for a week in a lovely location in a nice house and cater for all 5 of us for less than this!

BarbarianMum · 07/02/2019 20:43

Ds1's school runs one each year. Cost is c£900. Usually take about 14 -20 kids out of 2,000 (not ds1). I'm happy for them to run it but feel no presdure to send him.

LoniceraJaponica · 07/02/2019 20:51

DD's old school used to do ski trips during February half term. I think it was about £800.

"And maybe I am prejudiced that skiing resorts are not necessarily the best place where children would be exposed to a lot of what a country has to offer in terms of culture"

Because that isn't the main purpose of a skiing holiday. If it was a city visit to Paris or Rome then I would expect it to be more about culture, but it isn't.

blackteaplease · 07/02/2019 21:01

Dh runs his school's ski trip in the easter holidays. £820 for an 8 day trip by coach to Italy with 6 days skiing. His trip is always full but doesn't run every year.

I'd save up for each of my children to go on a ski trip, we definitely cannot afford to go as a family.

PenguinPandas · 07/02/2019 21:15

Ours does one in Feb half term 5 days or nights? for around £1050 going by coach, half board in hotel, skiing instruction and gear whilst there and lunches on the mountain. Sounds lovely apart from coach but hoping it sells out before DD notices as we don't have that spare atm. Not sure why they don't fly but maybe Feb half term prices are high and guess they aren't out year in advance but coach to Austria will be horrendous.

PenguinPandas · 07/02/2019 21:25

I feel a bit uncomfortable about ski trip - I know of a family here where mother is shoplifting to get food for kids and school sent one e-mail today about families not paying for school lunches and they could set a daily limit of below £2.25 if it helped and another about £1000 plus ski trip. But then I guess even if trip didn't happen wealth divide would still be there, just feels a bit in your face for the kids of parents struggling to pay lunches.

Cabininthesnow · 07/02/2019 21:39

Ours does. My year was the first year that was offered it- 25+ years ago- I had sooo much fun! I went twice.

Neither of my dc wanted to go. However ds is going to Canada this year on a trip.

State school, fair percentage of fsm’s. The kids love it, and many children go- there is always a waiting list for every trip. I think the children learn so much from it. I went abroad three times with the school altogether when I was there. Definitely made me more independent!

BakewellTarts · 07/02/2019 21:44

I went to a very ordinary Midlands state comp (ex Secondary Modern) in the 80s we had a school ski trip then. So it's nothing new...(It is one of my stand out memories of school as yes I was lucky to be able to go).

DD1 is off on one over half term. Travelling by coach and it's affordable. I hope she will have an amazing time too.

Cabininthesnow · 07/02/2019 21:47

Oh and my other ds went to Rome for his trip. So both had the opportunity to go skiing but turned it down for other trips. Canada is cost £1800. Rome was £1300, and skiing is normally around £1200 and for all trips they fly and use the coach and or train to get to their destination.

SurfClub · 07/02/2019 21:53

My DS' school offers it for the older year groups (year 11/12, very rural comp, costing around £700 payable over a year) and it's been amazing. It's not an experience I could have ever offered my children and it's opened their eyes up to some of the amazing experiences the world can offer. I know they will try and go again as adults as they loved it so much and DS2 has even thought about working in a chalet as part of a year out just to experience the sport even more. I think it's a brilliant opportunity.

buckleten · 07/02/2019 21:59

My dc is going this year, year 9, and it is costing around £1000. I am glad as I have never really fancied skiing so we would be unlikely to go as a family.

Dancinghorses36 · 07/02/2019 22:01

My daughter just got a letter today, we are in Scotland but it's £875 for 6 days, I know it's broken down into instalments but we still don't have a spare £100 every month, she isn't bothered tho thankfully

MadisonAvenue · 07/02/2019 22:03

The school our children went to always had a ski trip and thinking back to the letters home a few years ago it was around £1500. There was a picture from last year on Facebook the other day promoting next year's trip and there was a group of 12.

The school is in quite a deprived area yet they organise some pretty expensive trips.
One was 5 days in New York at a cost of £2200 plus spending money.
We, all four of us, had been the previous year and paid a total of half that for the hotel and flights!

Babygrey7 · 07/02/2019 22:10

Ours offered a ski trip in y10, it was mainly kids who had not skied before. They went to Austria by bus

It cost £900 and meant DS could experience a ski trip we would never afford for the whole family (and DH does not want to anyway and his brother would have been horrendously carsick on such a journey)

He had an amazing time

About 50 out of 300 kids went

GnomeDePlume · 07/02/2019 22:14

I don't get the 'once in a lifetime' reasoning. The mountains will still be there when students leave school.

Schools are not travel agents. Not a single second of school time, a penny of school funds or an iota of teacher goodwill should be wasted on trips which are only available to a few students.

If parents want to send their DCs on skiing trips they should sort it out for themselves. I think PGL still offer them.

elliejjtiny · 07/02/2019 22:15

Ds's school offer it. Costs £900 plus buying the clothes and spending money. He's not going but he's going to Belgium this summer and he's been on various "outdoor activities" type trips in the UK that have been a lot cheaper.

LoniceraJaponica · 07/02/2019 22:17

"Schools are not travel agents. Not a single second of school time, a penny of school funds or an iota of teacher goodwill should be wasted on trips which are only available to a few students."

You sound a little bitter here. If the trip is not taken during term time does it matter whether a pupil goes skiing with the school or with their family?

GnomeDePlume · 07/02/2019 22:39

Marketing the trip, organising the trip, collecting the money all take school resources. Teacher goodwill gets used up accompanying the trip. Teacher goodwill is not limitless.

We are constantly being told that school resources are being stretched to breaking point. Spending any school resources on an essentially frivolous trip is wasteful.

jackstini · 07/02/2019 22:42

DD's does - state academy.

They take 50 pupils each year in January - mixed group from yrs 7-10
Cost is £895 for a week incl all skiing, flights, full board etc.
Not cheap but not something we'd ever do as a family so a chance for her to experience it
We have agreed she can go once within the 4 years

generalh · 07/02/2019 22:44

I run one every couple of years. We are a state school. Kids love it. It isn`t for everyone and we know some pupils will be priced out but we offer trips for a variety of tastes and purses.

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